Ohio and front plates.
 

Has anyone heard about this ?

I was told that there was legislation to up the speed limit to 70mph on certain roads throughout Ohio.

Added to this bill is this paragraph:

A vehicle registered under this section may display historical vehicle license plates issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or model year license plates procured by the applicant.
Model year license plates shall be legible and serviceable license plates issued by this state and inscribed with the date of the year corresponding to the model year when the vehicle was manufactured.
Section 4503.21 of the Ohio Revised Code, states that only one model year license plate is required to be displayed on the rear of the historical vehicle at all times. The registration certificate shall be kept in the vehicle at all times the vehicle is operated on the highways and roads of this state.


I wonder of it covers "Collectors" plates as well?

Probably will not pass anyways; but it's a good first-start towards total elimination of front plates alltogether.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~mikemercury/ohio-plate.JPG


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Actually the current law in Ohio is that if you buy historical plates, you can register a model year plate (they take a picture of it) and only have to display it on the rear of the car (nothing on the front). You just have to have the registration and historical plates in the vehicle. I just did this a few weeks ago.

I will keep running without a front plate untill I get caught and then I will give in:cheers:

Front plates :ack:... I run a clear front cover that matches the bumper contour it is cheaper than a ticket.

Been there, done it!!!!!!

Now I run front plates...

:cheers:

What can you do when your car has a bra that covers the plate.

:iagree: Actually it's section 4503.18.1 of the ORC. Just take your registration and your model year plates to the BMV. They will xerox a copy of the model year plates and issue a new registration. Did it today for a $4.00 fee. Thanks rlomax.

[§ 4503.18.1] § 4503.181. Historical motor vehicles.

(A) As used in this section, "historical motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is more than twenty-five years old and that is owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but in no event is used for general transportation.

i'm a cop here in OH and i'm gonna chime in about the front plate thing. i could care less about front plates. i only stop a car without a front plate IF the driver isn't wearing a seatbelt(or the listed below offenses), because seatbelt offenses are not primary offenses, they are seconday offenses which means in simple terms that we can not pull someone over just for not wearing a seatbelt. we can add that offense onto or in place of a primary offense. its mainly used as a good probable cause stop to check for drunks, suspended licenses, warrants etc.. i think its petty for an officer to give a citation for not having a front plate. just my opinion. the ohio state patrol will probably disagree with me as they will write the citation for no front plate because the law is the law and most osp officers do not deviate from the law.

two articles from the Ohio State Highway Patrol's site as food for thought:

"1) Legislative Information
What are the benefits of having both a front and rear license plate?
Currently, 31 states have both a front and a rear license plate. Two states (Connecticut and Massachusetts) have recently returned to using two license plates. The Connecticut Legislature passed a law in 1999 requiring all vehicles to display both front and rear license plates.

Every national, and most state law enforcement groups support the use of front and rear license plates. National law enforcement studies have determined that police cars approach more vehicles than are followed making the front license plate a critical and effective identification tool.

Newspaper articles reveal how crimes are reported and solved when citizens and law enforcement officers identify vehicles based upon their license plates. Having front and rear license plates increases the likelihood these citizens and law enforcement officers will identify vehicles in their every day responsibilities.

Front license plates enhance the effectiveness of many new technologies used by law enforcement. For example, the use of laser speed enforcement is dramatically improved because a front license plate that is reflective provides an ideal target. Front plates are also used in video surveillance at weigh stations, intersections and toll roads.

A recent AAA survey found that 72% of respondents favored displaying both front and rear license plates.

All citizens benefit from the use of front and rear license plates. On a dark rural road, a fully reflective license plate on a parked car or abandoned vehicle will most likely be the only warning to oncoming motorists at night.

A front license plate also helps the growing number of citizen and neighborhood watch organizations.

Using front and rear license plates, anti-drunk driving organizations provide educational programs teaching their members how to identify vehicles driven by impaired drivers.


2)Legislative Information
The Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio State Highway Patrol support the two-license plate requirement because of three major considerations:
Public safety – The front license plate is the only highly reflective item on the front of a motor vehicle. At night, this feature allows drivers to spot oncoming left-of-center vehicles with one headlight out or both headlights not lit (drunk drivers occasionally fail to turn on their headlights). It also allows motorists to spot vehicles at night which have become disabled on the road due to a crash or mechanical failure.

Crime prevention/criminal apprehension – From school bus drivers who observe the front license plate of oncoming motor vehicles which pass their stopped school bus to neighborhood block watch groups which rely upon both front and rear license plates to report suspicious vehicles, the front license plate is both a crime deterrent and tool to apprehend.

Often times witnesses and convenient store clerks use the front plate to identify suspect vehicles when crimes have been committed related to fuel theft and convenient store robberies.

Law enforcement investigatory tool – When investigating hit/skip crashes, law enforcement officers rely upon eyewitness accounts and physical evidence to track down drivers who damage property, injure, and sometimes kill with a complete lack of social responsibility. The front license plate is sometimes the only lead officers possess. The front license plate proves critical as a law enforcement tool in daily auto larceny investigation, DUI enforcement, and even bank robbery and homicide investigations.
Currently, 31 states have both a front and a rear license plate requirement and two states (Connecticut and Massachusetts) have recently returned to using two license plates. Because license plates are cut from large sheets of metal, labor costs are not significantly less for producing one plate instead of two. One cost which may rise however are insurance deductibles which will be paid by innocent motorists who are involved in hit/skip crashes which can no longer be solved without a front license plate.

To our knowledge, there have been not any valid studies that reveal a front-license plate appreciably affects fuel efficiency. However, it is our contention that any potential cost savings would be offset by diminished public safety, crime prevention, and criminal apprehension."

I hear that; but it's an article written like an infomercial... trying to convice someone to go their way.

i agree and i hate the front plate law as well!!

:yesnod: Did mine that way years ago...:cheers:

Just wondering if all you guys that don't want to run with a front plate,is this just on your vetts or do you not have one on any of your vehicles? You know ,the law IS the law!!!Why would you want to break the law,take the chance of getting pulled over and then come on here and complain that you got pulled over for breaking the law?:crazy:And yes I have front plates on ALL my vehicles, no problem here.:thumbs:

Ignorance is no excuse.

No one in a Corvette would ever want to break the law, especially me.:D