No front license, $178.00 please!

If you happen to live in California and don't happen to run a front licenses plate, the new fine for this "dangerous" breaking of the law is $178.00!! I am building a front license mount for my roadster today!

Read this in the latest "Street Rodder".

Rex

 

99% of the time, as long as you are nice to the cop and have the other tag with you in the car (mine was under my seat) they wont do anything. They understand our cars and our obsession and unless you are a dick to them, they normally wont be a dick to you. (former cop here)

 

Cant you just run original tags? I run original tags on the east coast and am only required to run a rear plate.

 

in NJ if you have historic plates on your car you don't need to run a front plate.

 

after getting a $150+ plus cell phone ticket a couple weeks ago, the cop told me they have been instructed to get out there and "generate revenue"- california is in a world of hurt- fines have increased recently - motorists beware

 

Keep in mind that all the States are STRAPPED for cash. They've ALL found a Cash Cow in traffic tickets. You'll get nailed for anything they can nail you with...not to mention Court Costs, Surcharges, etc. (Retired, 20 years "on the job")

 

In Texas you are required to run a front plate also. Even with YOM or specialty plates.

 

One of my friends who is a police officer told me they were told to go after people with no front plates so they can make sure these cars are ticketed if they are caught by any of the new traffic cameras that have recently been installed in our area. As a whole the few times I have been pulled over for a front lic. plate in the past, the officer let me go and told me to fix it, without getting a ticket. Now a days, I doubt that would happen, as California is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.

 

I live in So Cal. Now this was a few years ago but. I was cruising in my Bitchen Falcon Ranchero when I happened on a Sheriff check point. All my paperwork was in order when he noticed I had no front plate, I run a HotRod original member plaque instead of a plate, My response was "It's on the fucking garage wall where it is supposed to be!!!" Now this guy must have been a car guy because he did every thing possible not to laugh. He asked if I would please put it on when I got home. I said sure!! Wink Wink

 

In Idaho our lobbying organization (USRI) ran a bill through so front plates were not required on cars that run a old timers plate, street rod plate, stated year plate and classic plate. Now those plates come from DMV with only one issued.

 

No front tag issued or required in Texas if you run an antique plate. No MVI either...

 

no front plates in florida.

 

This is happening, got snagged in a parking lot for no front plate on my daily... was very nice to the cop and said I would put it on when I got home... nope, gave me a "fix it ticket". I just needed to get signed off and all is good. Guess I got lucky and avoided the "new fines". Wheew.

 

That's been in the CA Vehicle code for a LONG time.

Straight from the Vehicle Code;
5200<!-- #EndEditable -->. <!-- #BeginEditable "section_content" -->(a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.

This one explains the Positioning of the Plates;
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5201.htm

The above states;
"The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground"

If you get stopped for not having a Front Plate,do you want them to "look" for other stuff?

Mount the Front Plate,Obey the Law and you'll never have a problem...

 

So check this out, this is the breakdown of where the $$ on the fine come from

<TABLE class=basic style="FONT-SIZE: 80%" summary="List of various traffic violations with a detailed &#13;&#10; breakdown of the bail amounts for each."><TBODY><TR><TH>Base Fine</TH><TH>Penalty Assess-ment</TH><TH>State Court Facilities Construction (ICNA)</TH><TH>Night Court fee</TH><TH>DMV Fee</TH><TH>20% Criminal Surcharge</TH><TH>Criminal Conviction Assess-ment</TH><TH>Court Security Fee</TH><TH>Total Fine </TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Cell Phone Ticket
20.00 44.00 4.00 1.00 10.00 4.00 35.00 30.00 148.00
Display of license plate violation
25.00 66.00 5.00 1.00 10.00 5.00 35.00 30.00 178.00

So I guess it a bigger threat to not have a front plate then to be inattentive due to cell phone or texting!

 

Well I went back to running an SC plate (military) on my car... no front plate needed and I am still in Cali...so lets see how many times I get pulled over for no front plate??? It will all depend on the officer and the township I am sure, just like anywhere else you are "on the job" you have officer discretion!!!!

 

20% criminal surcharge? ...LOL.

 

i'm definitely not interested in getting into the politics or finances of this great state so i post this to inform only - it's not worth debating...

but be warned, what you are about to see is GRAPHIC...
http://www.saccourt.ca.gov/traffic/fine-breakdown.aspx

parked in a bus loading zone? $976.

 

What he said

 

And it is highly enforced. We took a Mustang around the block after putting a new motor in and I got pulled over for no front plate. Got tickets for no inspection, insurance, or current registration literally 200 feet from my shop. All over no plate. We didn't have the hood on it yet. Opposite of that most cops have been really cool when I haven't had one. Never got pulled over other than the one time but have had them tell me in parking lots to display the tag somewhere even if its in the windshied.

 

in wva they only issue rear plates for ALL cars.

 

Damn, my '58 Ranchero looks like shit with a plate on the front! Already got a ticket for it last year, but I just can't do it... (Also, it's nice to not get popped by traffic cams!)

 

Be careful there. You must be able to prove that you are active military, stationed in California, AND have leagl residence in SC. There is actually a form that DMV has for exemption on this (Non Resident Military Exemption Statement).

 

Well aren't I just a ticket waiting to happen. I my daily has Colorado on the front and Oklahoma on the back and I live in Texas. I've been stopped and the only thing The Man wants to see is my proof of insurance.

 

I've never run a front plate in MT and never had a problem... but then again the state of MT isn't broke yet

 

I gave up years ago after several tickets. Get pulled over for that and they start
measuring ride height etc....isn't worth the hassle.

 

I have my Active Duty orders, my Active Duty ID card, my SC drivers license, my SC insurance and I pay SC state taxes... So I am covered, but thank you for letting me know that. I am not a resident of California... and that exemption paperwork, I have never heard of it....but thanks for that as well! I have been in the military for over 14 years and have never had any issues in any other state, but as much as I love Cali, it is freakin backwards sometimes!

 

Yes, it all about being able to get you with the cameras which are just big cash cows for the cities/states and the private companies that run them. On a previous car I had which I didn't like the looks a front plate on it and didn't put it on, I use to get them in San Francisco from the parking police. But my understanding of the rule then was they only would do it if you were in a parking violation. Back then it was like $35 for the parking ticket + $125 for the missing tag if I recall (painfully). I got a few of those before I decided I could live with the tag on the front even though I didn't like the way it looked. I never got pulled over or stopped for it though in 5 years having the car and had the plate off most of that time. But with the current economic situation being a lot different, my guess it is just easy cash for them.

Those cameras disgust me personally, especially knowing they intentionally squeeze the yellow time to try to catch more people. I personally had someone run into the back of me when I braked too hard once to try to avoid missing the yellow and getting snagged at a camera intersection in SF. Got rear ended by a guy on a bike who didn't stop as fast. He had to lay it down and actually went under my car. Didn't damage my car but he was scrapped up and his bike was bent up. But, neither us got a camera ticket!

 

When I was a little boy I was riding in my Dad's 56 Ford Pickup and after seeing a homeless man I said, "Dad, I don't ever want to be poor."

He told me, "Son, as long as you are willing to work hard you will never be poor."

Wow...how times change. He should have said, "Son, you need to go to college, get a finance degree so you can figure out how to screw people out of their hard earned dollar. After that go to Law School so you can figure out how not to get caught. Or you could just become a politician and fu@k the whole population."

That would have been better advice.

Drive with your middle finger out the window,

Andy
St. Louis, MO

 

The economy has slowed dramatically, as we all know, and thus tax intake by local governments has fallen dramatically as well. Therefore, local police are stepping up traffic law enforcement as a means of increasing revenue. Where no front plate used to be overlooked, it is now another revenue source.