jerseydave
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2010
- Posts
- 162
- Reaction score
- 1
Call your DA and Sheriff and tell them that you just posted this on a worldwide forum, I'm sure they would tell you what a great idea that was.
Busted for no Front Plate
- Thread starter BC Viper
- Start date
Call your DA and Sheriff and tell them that you just posted this on a worldwide forum, I'm sure they would tell you what a great idea that was.
costanZo
Enthusiast
I bought the front plate holder from JonB's site 3 years ago. I never use it, refuse to, even tho a front plate is required in MA. I only use it and put it on when I need to get an expection sticker.
So far I've only gotten pulled over for it once, but I was pulled over at like 12:30am on a Sunday morning. It was a main road, but no one was really around so I was an easy target I guess. With that said, it was pretty obvious, the cop had nothing better to do and pulled me over for it since I KNOW if this was during the day he wouldn't have pulled me over. Although, the cop was pretty nice about it so I was lucky. I just told him, "To be honest Sir the car wasn't built to hold a front plate like most current cars are and there is no way I'm going to drill any holes and destroy the car's value as I'm sure you can understand, but I do understand the law and in fact have my plate mounted on a custom aftermarket bracket which is in my trunk." I forget, but I either told him one of these two things...
1.) I could have told him: Sir, the Plate Holder doesn't always work well and has fallen off sometimes. So I normally take it off when I'm driving on the highway, which is where I was just coming from and I actually forgot to put it back on, but I can show it to you if you would like since it's in my trunk. (By the way, I know the plate holder would never fall off since it was tested on the car at 150mph, but the police officer doesn't know that. At least I'm assuming he does not.)
Or.......
2.) I could have told him: Sir, the Plate Holder can be easily stolen, and my friends took it off my car once as a joke without telling me. So because of that incident and for safety sake, whenever I park the car somewhere I take the plate holder with my plate off the car and I forgot to put it back on, but I can show it to you if you would like since it's in my trunk.
Those are my 2 reasonings that I already have planned to say if I get pulled over for it. like I said, just cant remember which one I used....
Anyway, the cop said no, that's fine I don't need to see it, but then just gave me a verbal warning and said I need to get a front plate on there.
***Johnny, this happend in Tewksbury on RT 38. It was actually between that plaza with the walmart/home depot and the Gold's Gym.. that area if you know it.
Last edited:
costanZo
Enthusiast
Agreed, I won't either. I'm not ruining the look of my car.
eucharistos
Enthusiast
think of the children, don't you care about the children 
eucharistos
Enthusiast
these guys are tough on canuck viper brethren
You must be registered for see images attach
1994viper
Enthusiast
The only use for a front plate is that the plate has a highly reflective surface, and cops use it to determine your speed at higher distances using their "laser guns".
latamud
Enthusiast
I met the owner of Taj-Mah-garage a few months ago. The guy dedicated a building in Downtown Dayton to his Porsche collection and memorabilia. I was looking for the pic I took of one of his wife's white Cayman. It has a Vinyl graphic of the Ohio plate stuck on the front of the car. A local shop made it for him wit hthe reflective background and letters. It's slightly scaled down from the actual size, subtle. Ohio plates have a white background which matches the car anyway, and a red stripe top with blue stripe bottom.
I found this shot online, same concept.
My car is black, I think I'm going to try something similar to both above ideas. Clear or reflective black background with red characters and thin red stripe top with thin blue stripe bottom. Then have it scaled down to where it is mounted up front but doesn't POP out at first glance. I'll post up pics when I get it done.
I found this shot online, same concept.
You must be registered for see images
My car is black, I think I'm going to try something similar to both above ideas. Clear or reflective black background with red characters and thin red stripe top with thin blue stripe bottom. Then have it scaled down to where it is mounted up front but doesn't POP out at first glance. I'll post up pics when I get it done.
TI3VOM
Viper Owner
Same here in Wisconsin but it makes my personal plate work from rear view "TI 3VOM" 
I've gotten 3 tickets in the span of about a month for no front plates. It's funny, when I got my first viper, I asked a few cops what they thought about no front plates on my car and every one of them said, "A guy that gives you a ticket for no front plate on that car is a ****"I wish they would just do away with the front plate law.
I'm surprised you were given a front plate ticket in Hollwood, the cops are usually too busy with gangs and drug dealers to be wasting time with that kind of nonsense. I'm guessing you got the ticket in conjunction with another violation.
Big Al
Viper Owner
I would be careful with reproducing your plate in vinyl as it could be taken as counterfeiting. I know someone here that got charged with putting an English style plate on the front of his MG.
johniew398
Enthusiast
Thank goodness we don't have to worry about any of that here - no front plates, no smog inspection and no safety inspections.
I heard there was a bill pending in the Missouri legislature to do away with front plates there. In fact, I can't tell that the bill passed but it made it through the state senate from this:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/10info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=3170477
I heard there was a bill pending in the Missouri legislature to do away with front plates there. In fact, I can't tell that the bill passed but it made it through the state senate from this:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/10info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=3170477
Same here state trooper in PG.... After he wrote me a ticket he wanted to discuss how I liked the Viper.... I told him I didn't have time and drove off....
No front license plate ticket is a weak excuse of a ticket. None in my Viper in 6 years of ownership but our Cayenne Turbos get them from time to time in downtown Denver. Very upsetting to PAY your parking meter only for the parking meter guy to write you up for $80 no front license plate ticket. I don't even bother going down town anymore. Another change approved by the ex-idiot governor here to allow meter maids to write that kind of a ticket
We were one day away from changing the law here and the idiot ex-governor (who set the state back 10 years) did not sign it because the day before there was a hit and run accident and the police caught the fleer because after the accident his front license plate fell off and they were able to track the guy down. Come on, sounds like a made up tree hugger Boulder excuse!
State is underwater on the budget and they can not realize the cost savings in issuing only one plate for the back. Government???????????????????????????
We were one day away from changing the law here and the idiot ex-governor (who set the state back 10 years) did not sign it because the day before there was a hit and run accident and the police caught the fleer because after the accident his front license plate fell off and they were able to track the guy down. Come on, sounds like a made up tree hugger Boulder excuse!
State is underwater on the budget and they can not realize the cost savings in issuing only one plate for the back. Government???????????????????????????
SA HEAT
Enthusiast
We've been close to having the law changed to rear plate only here in Texas, but the bills has been killed every time by the legislature because the vote is swayed due to some idiotic attachments which have nothing to do with the original intent to eliminate the front plate. I can't remember the dollar figure I've seen before, but the cost to the state from eliminating the production of one of the plates is pretty significant.
By the way, unless they're working in a small town that truly requires them to do so, cops don't generally care about writing front license plate tickets to generate revenue....that's a conspiracy theory and a bunch of BS. In Texas (and probably most everywhere it's the law) it's pretty much one of three things that an officer is pulling you over for if you don't have a front plate. 1. He's using it as probable cause to check you out to see if he can find something bigger (good reason for pulling over dirt bags or gang members and such...lots of criminal activity and fugitives are discovered for these kinds of traffic stops), 2. He's a young/rookie officer and hasn't learned the finer points of good discretion, or 3. He's a *ick and has a "the law is the law" attitude. If you actually get a ticket that will cost you money, either he's a *ick or the driver stopped was a *ick during the traffic stop and talked himself out of a verbal or written warning.
By the way, unless they're working in a small town that truly requires them to do so, cops don't generally care about writing front license plate tickets to generate revenue....that's a conspiracy theory and a bunch of BS. In Texas (and probably most everywhere it's the law) it's pretty much one of three things that an officer is pulling you over for if you don't have a front plate. 1. He's using it as probable cause to check you out to see if he can find something bigger (good reason for pulling over dirt bags or gang members and such...lots of criminal activity and fugitives are discovered for these kinds of traffic stops), 2. He's a young/rookie officer and hasn't learned the finer points of good discretion, or 3. He's a *ick and has a "the law is the law" attitude. If you actually get a ticket that will cost you money, either he's a *ick or the driver stopped was a *ick during the traffic stop and talked himself out of a verbal or written warning.
SA HEAT
Enthusiast
^^^^ I got busted for no front plate. I think the cop fit the 3 criteria points you mentioned above. I, of course, met the criteria for the last point you made about the driver's attitude.
It's not a full-proof way to keep from getting a ticket, but it doesn't ever hurt being polite even when the cop is being a ****...at least half the time it will get you a warning for a ticket like one for front license plates. Even if the officer is a **** and you're being one back, the officer will just walk away thinking "that guy was a tool, glad I wrote him up".In my opinion and from experience, the best approach when pulled over for not having a front plate is to tell the officer you realize the car should have one, but Dodge didn't design the front end with a front plate mount in mind and you don't want to have to deface the car and drill holes it it, etc (that's the truth for most of us)....doesn't hurt to throw in the "I hardly ever drive it", "it's only a weekend car" type excuses either, which is the truth for most of us as well.
hybrid1098
Viper Owner
Makara
Viper Owner
Nope. I remember being pulled over once and the cops were having a laugh that they got a viper for no front plate. A ferrari went by and they said to each other that they would hurry up and get him too because they liked getting these types of cars. I had a gun pulled on me once by some cops and I didn't do anything wrong. The guy kept yelling at me to admit what I did wrong, which was nothing. A bunch of people gathered because he was making a huge scene so he eventually went away. Being a young guy in a flashy car seems to piss off a lot of cops.
anyone pulled for using decals instead of plate?:
Used when i went over to Le Mans as i wasn't sure of how bendable the reg.s are there. Taken off when returned and sure it's saved me a few front-facing speeding camera tickets! So far (3 1/2yrs) so good on the no-plate penalty....
You must be registered for see images
Used when i went over to Le Mans as i wasn't sure of how bendable the reg.s are there. Taken off when returned and sure it's saved me a few front-facing speeding camera tickets! So far (3 1/2yrs) so good on the no-plate penalty....
Hey Bureaucrat: cut down the cost of producing plates by 50%......go to 1 plate.
Hey taxpayer: But then our RED LIGHT CAMERAS and toll-booth cameras wont work as well; and we'd lose the revenue generated by the lame front-plate tickets.
Hey taxpayer: But then our RED LIGHT CAMERAS and toll-booth cameras wont work as well; and we'd lose the revenue generated by the lame front-plate tickets.
V10 PWRD
Viper Owner
Ya know why cops and troopers wear neck ties? Keeps their ******** from creeping up! Parts-rack "clothes pin plate holder is the best. I keep it in the trunk and "oh gee officer, I just wshed the car and forgot to put it back on. Please let me out so I can get it and put it on"! What can they say?
costanZo
Enthusiast
Completely agree, the law is ridiculous and needs to be changed. No reason for it.
commandomatt
Enthusiast
One of the reasons to issue a front plate in Colorado (as I was told by a trooper), is that the rear plate will be/can be completely covered with snow during the winter months. Anyone that has driven a car in the winter knows this. Sure, the front can get covered up as well, but is less likely.
I certainly think that during the summer months you should be allowed to use only one of the plates if you choose to.
I would re-install the front plate the same time the Viper got the studded snows mounted !!!!!!
On a street rod I once saw a plate that was mounted low and had hinges on it. It was controlled by a choke type cable from the inside of the car. Would be sweet to have the trooper walk up front and the plate that he though wasnt there...was now in full view.
Matt
I certainly think that during the summer months you should be allowed to use only one of the plates if you choose to.
I would re-install the front plate the same time the Viper got the studded snows mounted !!!!!!
On a street rod I once saw a plate that was mounted low and had hinges on it. It was controlled by a choke type cable from the inside of the car. Would be sweet to have the trooper walk up front and the plate that he though wasnt there...was now in full view.
Matt
vancouver-gts
Viper Owner
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0r0x8l6GS4[/media]
latamud
Enthusiast
crazyspeed
Enthusiast
I thought it was just a Canadian thing...Ive only seen plates ( or tags down south) on Canadian Vipers...not US Vipers....boy they must be really tough over the border.
I'm in New York and keep the front plates on both my Viper and the AMG behind the front seat. I've been stopped by State Troopers in both cars and it wasnt mentioned. Maybe I've just been lucky so far
I'm in New York and keep the front plates on both my Viper and the AMG behind the front seat. I've been stopped by State Troopers in both cars and it wasnt mentioned. Maybe I've just been lucky so far
gen2lover
Enthusiast
to the OP. Join the club. Got my ticket 2 years ago. Had to put one on.
Order one from JonB.
Order one from JonB.
costanZo
Enthusiast
That's pretty cool and I would consider one.. but I just lowered my car, so I can only imagine damaging it lol
Ricksnake1
Enthusiast
....and justice for all?
