Does your state/country require front plates? 

"E90M3" (e90m3) 01/13/2017 at 12:08 • Filed to: None

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If so, do you put them on or do you drive around sans front plates? I don’t then I’ve ever seen a car in Europe car without front plates.

Why did they give me two plates? Is plate theft that big of a deal?

As you can see I had them on my Explorer, because it had a bracket.

When I got the M3, I bought a bracket, but it needed to be painted and I never got around to that. Then I got a tow hook adapter, but I didn’t like the quality, so I just stuck it in my window.

I eventually took it out and when I got the 1, I never even bothered with that. It seems Texas doesn’t care, or at least in Corpus Christi and San Antonio.

bob and john > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:11

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everywhere in euro requires a front bumber plate. where as only parts of US require it.

I live in ontario, and the only cars I see without fronts are foreigners or someone with a REALLY high end car (think ferrari). Was chatting with a cop and saw a ferrari go by with no front plate: cop: i should give him a ticket, but its a fucking shame to put a front plate on a car like that

CaptDale - is secretly British > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:12

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The only benefit to Europe’s Front plate requirement is that they actually fit the vehicle.

I run my front plate on my GTO because the front bumper already had the bracket mounted. On my Fiero I didn’t till I got pulled over for speeding and they wrote me up for a fix-it for no front plate instead, so i got a flip away one that stayed hidden 100% of the time.

E90M3 > bob and john 01/13/2017 at 12:12

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I know everywhere in Europe requires it, but that doesn’t mean everyone has to obey the law.

fintail > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:12

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Mandatory in WA (although I think vintage cars with appropriate plates can get by with just one), but the take rate for Teslas and exotics must be well under 50%. Probably something with a socio-economic basis for enforcement.

duurtlang > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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I believe the whole continent requires a front plate. If you drive around without one I bet you’ll be stopped by the first police officer who’s able to stop you.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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Where I’m From: California, yes.
Where I am now: Oklahoma, nope. And all the Lexus predator faces look slightly better because of it.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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I live in Ontario, and yes we do, and the province likes to give you really shitty plates where the lettering likes to peel off the metal plate. Of course, it’ll cost ME to replace them when they’re worn out due to what is obviously a manufacturing defect. Our Quebec neighbours don’t need them; on some cars, having no front plate makes a huge difference in how they look.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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Nope. But most put vanity plates on.

bob and john > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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you cant BUY a car without front plate brackets/ location.

HammerheadFistpunch > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:13

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My county requires them, but I have had the nox box sans front plate for 5 years without a hickup. I got a warning in another car once, but that was it. I used to not have a front plate on the cruiser too because it was getting mangled in deep water crossings, but I eventually just bolted it down and its good.

Berang > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:14

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Texas only began to require front plates recently (like within the last ten years I think?) so I think a lot of cops are lax about enforcement.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:15

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One of my favorite things about the late first gen Mustang is that the plate holder/holes are concealed under the bumper, in a minimum cutout. That way, if you don’t have to have one, you don’t.

Chariotoflove > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:15

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When I moved to Texas, I saw so many cars without front plates that I actually called the State police to ask if they were optional. They assured me emphatically that they were not and told me failure to use them put one at great risk of a citation. Still, in 16 years, I have never heard of anyone getting any grief for not having a front plate. We should just do away with them. They really aren’t needed.

$kaycog > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:17

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Colorado requires two plates.

jimz > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:17

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MI. not since the ‘80s.

Urambo Tauro > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:17

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Not required in Michigan, but because of this, some parking garages won’t allow you to back into a spot. The plate must stay visible.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:18

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Wisconsin requires it, but I’ve never heard of it being enforced. It might be added to a ticket if you’re being an ass, but never have I heard of someone being pulled over or ticketed for just that. My wife doesn’t have one on the front of her car and has been driving that way for over 2 years. My dad hasn’t had one on his car for over 6 and neither has been bothered about it yet.

*knocks on wood*

MarquetteLa > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:19

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My state of Colorado requires a front plate, but I’ve never had one on either of my Mazdas (no good place for one on an NB Miata). Got an inexpensive ticket for it from a meter maid when I street parked once downtown, but the cop who pulled me over and gave me a speeding ticket didn’t say a word about not having a front plate.

fourvalleys > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:19

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I’ve got a front plate on only one of my cars (despite living in a state that requires front plates), and it might not be the car you expect.

It’s the track car - one, to give less reason for someone to pull me over... and two, because I like my silly vanity plate.

facw > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:20

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I’m in Texas, so yes. I have them on, not a big deal. Seems weird to me that people get so freaked out over it. Though it would be cool if the state could issue official Euro style plates as they do fit better on some cars (and would be a small extra pool of money). Don’t know if license plate size is federally mandated.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:20

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New York requires it, but might not for classic cars in the near future. Florida doesn’t.

XJDano > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:22

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MO requires it, but when we bought a van last year that was a 1st owner rental car it didn’t have plate bracket or holes in bumper, 2nd owner didn’t put a plate on it and neither have we. I could be ticketed for it but since it’s a van it is kind of invisible at speed limit speeds.

E90M3 > Chariotoflove 01/13/2017 at 12:22

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I agree, I saw a lot of cars without them so I figured I wasn’t going to be the only one. I put them on the explorer because there was a place and I was new to the state.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:23

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Not here in Alberta, still have that gap I need to fill since moving from BC

E90M3 > facw 01/13/2017 at 12:24

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I’m not really sure Texas cares that much, I saw this in San Antonio back in June.

Cé hé sin > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:24

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Yes and yes.

You’ll get fined if you don’t have plates and it’s not a thing people do intentionally - as opposed to having a plate fall off or be dislodged.

E90M3 > Berang 01/13/2017 at 12:25

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They do seem really lax.

interstate366, now In The Industry > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:25

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Virginia does, with one exception: if you have a car with antique plates that physically does not have a front plate mount.

Cé hé sin > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:25

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People do though. Front plates have always been compulsory here, there’s no tradition of not having one. It’s not as if they do any harm or anything.

superhead > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:26

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Not required here in TN, although my FiST has some lovely holes drilled right through the front bumper for one. -_-

Need to get some bumper plugs.

E90M3 > Cé hé sin 01/13/2017 at 12:26

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I guess because we have some states that don’t require it, some people don’t run them in states that do require them.

Cé hé sin > CaptDale - is secretly British 01/13/2017 at 12:26

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Just out of curiosity, what’s your objection to front plates that you go to all this trouble?

Noodles > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:33

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West Virginia doesn’t require front plates. They only gave me one plate per car. And strangely you can put 8 digits on your plates here. Most states only allow 7 digits.

EL_ULY > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:34

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On the XC90 yes, but I took them off the Z4

I’ve been pulled over a couple times. I tell them that the bracket got ripped off then show them a screenshot of an eBay order confirmation for a new bracket (FAKE). They say, “well, when it arrives, you make sure to put it on” Okie dokie officer :]

LOL

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Cé hé sin 01/13/2017 at 12:37

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I think the various embuggerances of a front plate would have mostly to do with being on the more-presented face of the vehicle (the portion of the vehicle most like a curved ogive), and general tendency to attract impacted filth. All compounded by the *taller* profile of a US style plate, leaving it clinging less well to a narrow bumper line. The rear plate is a flat item on a flatter surface and less obviously the visually presented part of the car.

The differences in US requirements mean that some people actually have the option to grow used to a plateless front, and thus have if you will opened their mind to even consider it as an option.

diplodicus > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:38

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Is that a plate for an ambassador or something?

Klaus Schmoll > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:40

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Well, in Europe the first cop to see you will pull you over. A missing plate is seen as being akin to driving without a license/registration/insurance. The fines will hurt you and there will be a suspension of your license, so everybody obeys.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:42

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Ive owned my truck for 2 years, Ive had a front plate on there for a total of 3 months in the time span that Ive owned it. Never had a problem either way in Colorado

TheRealBicycleBuck > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:43

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As more states install toll roads that operate solely by reading the plate, front plates will become a requirement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number_plate_recognition

Roundbadge > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:44

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Required in Ohio. In 2002, I had a highway patrolman pull me over because I had no front plate. I’m pretty sure he was using it as an excuse to ticket me for not wearing a seat belt (at the time the police couldn’t use seat belt as a reason to pull you over).

E90M3 > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/13/2017 at 12:44

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On Texas toll road 130, the one with the 85 mph speed limit, they use the plates to send you the bill. They take a picture of the rear plate.

E90M3 > diplodicus 01/13/2017 at 12:46

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Don’t think so, they just wanted some euro looking plates.

TheRealBicycleBuck > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:47

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Yep. One of the things my company does is design toll roads and tolling systems. The more recent project don’t even have toll booths. They just have a gantry with lots of camera which take pictures of both the front and back plates of every vehicle.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:48

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I am supposed to have both plates.

I only have one on the back. Fuck You, Ohio.

cbell04 > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:50

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NC is a no front plate state ain’t it great? As to people’s objections hard to disagree that a car just looks better without a cheesy plastic plate holder screwed into the front of the car.

kincai28 > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:51

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I try NOT to give cops a reason to pull me over. Front plates on everything 

Probenja > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:54

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Here in Chile it’s mandatory (there is even a stamp on a plate for front and back locations), however people with high end cars usually run without plates and pay the fine.

As you can see most Ferrari’s in that picture have no front plates.

diplodicus > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 12:55

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Huh, there’s a site that sells them. Customeuropeanplates.com They aren’t actually legal though.

smobgirl > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 13:06

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My car was used, originally purchased in Texas, but did not have a front bracket installed. I went with some weird aftermarket part so I didn’t have to drill the bumper. It doesn’t actually meet Colorado legal specs but the fact that I have it is enough to avoid most tickets.

The main reason I bothered is because Denver cops have jurisdiction to ticket people parked at the airport and I’m parked there at least one day a week.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Cé hé sin 01/13/2017 at 13:15

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It ruins the front end, added holes to your facia, and generally attracts dirt and crap. example.

AfromanGTO > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 13:21

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No front plates in my states, and I won’t move to one that requires it.

AestheticsInMotion > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 13:33

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Washington state requires front plates, but I’ve never put mine on. In my opinion it ruins the lines of most cars, running without the front plate is so much cleaner.

I was pulled over once for having a taillight out and the cop mentioned the lack of plates on the front. I told him I didn’t have holes drilled. No problem, we chatted for a bit then I went on my way.

AestheticsInMotion > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/13/2017 at 13:34

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I didn’t realize toll booths were still a thing. All the tolling I’ve seen is via camera for the plates, or some type of pass on the window.

Can’t imagine having to come to a stop on a busy road and paying someone

TheRealBicycleBuck > AestheticsInMotion 01/13/2017 at 13:43

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Many toll roads in the south have both automatic lanes and toll booth lanes.

E90M3 > AfromanGTO 01/13/2017 at 13:51

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I’d get a Georgia plate for my car, but since I don’t know where I’m gonna be living once I find a job, it’s still got Texas plates

wiffleballtony > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 14:23

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No front plates here. I hate front plates.

E90M3 > wiffleballtony 01/13/2017 at 14:23

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Me too.

AfromanGTO > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 14:33

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I own a home in Ga, and that is my permanent resident. Since we are renting in Fl, and don’t own a home here. I am keeping my GA tag. Plus a lot of times I keep one or both of my cars up there, and fly back.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 14:34

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Nebraska requires them. We have them on every car except the Alfa Romeo because that has no front plate bracket.

E90M3 > AfromanGTO 01/13/2017 at 14:35

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I’m trying to get a job here, but in case I don’t, I don’t want to have to get new tags again, although I might just register it here since my parents aren’t moving soon. Although it’d be in Fulton, so emissions.

Nothing > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 15:04

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Colorado, yes. New York, yes.

If you street park in downtown-ish Denver (it’s been 5 or so years since I’ve done that), you’ll get a ticket it you don’t. The “Right of Way” enforcement team tickets for anything they possibly can. I received 2 no-front plate tickets on my RX8. The strange thing...I had the plate on my RX8 both times. The second time I saw them writing the ticket, so I went back to my car. When confronted, he said “you just put it on there”. So I took a picture of him writing the ticket, the car with the plate on it, and got the ticket tossed.

They may have relaxed a bit downtown in recent years, but 5-10 years ago, you were pretty much guaranteed a ticket if you street parked. Outside of Denver, I didn’t have a plate on the Miata or FoST and never had any issues.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 15:47

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Texas doesn’t really care until you run into that one cop that will pull you over just to have an excuse. Never been pulled over in my 4-door, despite fluorescent color and wing. Pulled over in my Mustang 3x for it, they saw I was old, let go with warning. Have subsequently seen the same cops and they recognize the car, don’t stop me now (I never put the plate on).

AbsintheMinded: NeonHeatDreams > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 16:04

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No front plates here, but I have encountered people who pay for a second one in order to have two on their car here in GA. Odd Ducks

pip bip - choose Corrour > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 18:16

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legally required on cars here.

Old Red Wagon > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 18:42

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I unfortunately have my front plate on my GTI. I have it on a tow hook adapter since i didn’t want to drill into the bumper. I’m in San Antonio and i’m tempted to take it off and see how long i can go without getting pulled over.

E90M3 > Old Red Wagon 01/13/2017 at 18:43

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I lived in San Antonio and neither of my cars had front plates. I never had any issues.

Racin'Jason001 > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 19:20

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Yes. Rhode Island has that law.

Seen here on this Mustang.

AfromanGTO > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 20:37

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The Savannah area doesn’t thankfully.

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > E90M3 01/13/2017 at 20:44

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The big cities officers here don’t give a damn. Maybe if you have a really cool car and are pulling obnoxious behavior. I live just outside the city limits in Houston. I went to MSR Houston 55 miles South of me, and on the trip back, got pulled over by an officer in Pearland, Texas and was given a warning/reminder. I drive a frikkin Chevy Cobalt.. The small town cops seem to try to nail everybody for everything since they probably don’t have anything to be distracted with.

E90M3 > AfromanGTO 01/13/2017 at 21:17

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My sister is down there, know about that.

Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious > E90M3 01/14/2017 at 01:31

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State troopers care. On a drive from El Paso to Midland, a scant four hours, I got pulled over by the staties FOUR TIMES in less than three hours to be issued official warnings about my lack of a front plate. By the time the third one pulled me over, I even said to him, “Look, I know you looked me up on the computer in your cruiser. SURELY you can see that I was just stopped TWICE in the last hour for the same warning? Am I expected to turn around and drive two hours back home to get the plate?”

“Sir, we’re required to warn everyone about the plate. You’re not being cited today. But if we see you, we warn you. That’s the job.”

They stopped stopping me when the sun went down and could no longer pull up beside me in the left lane and easily look over to see the missing plate.

The next time I headed out in that direction (this time to Austin), I mounted that stupid front plate. No stops by the troopers. An hour outside of Georgetown, 11pm, I clobber a deer. Almost went over the hood and windshield and into the passenger seat with me. (Top was down.) Destroyed a headlight, fender, hood, and bumper. And took that stupid front plate that I had mounted a scant eight hours earlier. Car still ran, I called State Farm the next morning from Austin.

Three days later, I’m back on the highway, headed to El Paso with my battered, tagless front end. There’s still deer fur in the cracks of the broken headlight and in the gaps between the hood and fender. I get pulled over by Texas state police.

“Sir, the reason I’m stopping you today is because you do not have your front licence plate mounted.”

E90M3 > Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious 01/14/2017 at 11:44

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One of my coworkers got pulled over for no front plate, he was in a bright red mustang. I guess the grey M3 just blended in.

Spasoje > E90M3 01/15/2017 at 19:26

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BC is a front-plate province. Here, they’ll actually give you a bigger ticket for having the plate on the dash versus not having a front plate at all. Reason being, as soon as you brake hard, that front plate is slicing through someone’s head...

Anyway, lack of front plates (legal or otherwise) is only a North American thing! Anywhere else in the world (i.e. not just Europe), not having a front plate just doesn’t make sense to people.

E90M3 > Spasoje 01/15/2017 at 19:28

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It really is a North American only thing. It also seems most people who said they didn’t run front lived in Texas.

Spasoje > E90M3 01/15/2017 at 19:46

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I’ve noticed the same thing. That, together with those fake euro-style plates that seem to be rather common, and I suppose plate laws in general are just not taken that seriously in TX.

All the stories I’ve read from CA amount to “just don’t get caught parked without one.” Here in BC, the most common no-drill alternatives are either a tow-hook mount or this:

Somebody scans your front plate and prints you out a vinyl decal to use instead. I think some of them have even managed to make them reflective. Not legal, results w/ police are hit-and-miss.

The fact that cops here enforce the front plate law is more interesting when you consider that the next province over (AB) has no front plates... With all the AB-plated cars around here, one would think you’d blend in w/o a front plate...

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > E90M3 01/15/2017 at 20:56

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When I moved to Texas (front plate required forever) 20 years ago from Pennsylvania (no front plate required), my Honda had no front plate, no bracket for one, and no holes in the bumper. I never mounted the front plate, and it was in the trunk when the car got totaled. I never got stopped for it.

After that I went through several Datsuns, and never mounted front plates to any of them. Only once did I get a warning for no front plate in my 280zx, but it was an add-on to a speeding ticket. It was never a reason for a stop.

When I bought my 240sx, I didn’t put on the front plate, and got stopped ALL THE TIME. The only reason I ever got for the stop was the lack of a front plate, and they were using that to fish for other violations. Because that car had no front bracket, I mounted the plate to the bottom of the bumper and bent it so that the numbers were mostly visible. No more “missing front plate” stops.

When I bought a Focus new off the lot in 2014 the dealer drilled holes in the front, so I put the plate up there.

My 2017 boostang was delivered with no holes in the bumper and the mounting bracket in a bag in the trunk, so when I got the plates I went with an aftermarket removable bracket so I can take it off for shows/autocross/whatever.

E90M3 > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang 01/15/2017 at 20:58

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It really seems to depend on the cop, but yeah both my BMWs were missing front plates and I never got stopped for it.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > E90M3 01/15/2017 at 21:02

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As others mentioned, bigger cities don’t seem to care about it too much, but the small towns and State Troopers seem to look for it. I think it depends on both the cop and the car. The 240sx is a known car loved by teens so I think they saw the car and then were shocked to have an older guy driving it.

E90M3 > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang 01/15/2017 at 21:04

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I had a work friend get stopped for no front plate in some small town, I forget what town it was.

I guess a grey M3 also just kind of blends in.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > E90M3 01/21/2017 at 19:18

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This what I get for actually putting mine on...

E90M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 01/21/2017 at 19:26

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That’s shitty, looks like it’s time for a front plate delete. Also, I watched some crime show randomly one day and when I see your license plate I all can think of is this .

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > E90M3 01/21/2017 at 20:15

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Yeah, my wife freaked out when she got that plate and almost tried to send it back. I had never heard of the BTK killer, but she had and that was the first thing she thought of when she saw the plate.

E90M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 01/21/2017 at 20:18

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I’m not sure I’d want that plate on my car haha. Also starting with a B, you get that plate in 2013? I only ask cause my explorer had the plate “CNH-9801" and I got that plate in late 2013.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > E90M3 01/21/2017 at 20:38

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Yep. March 13. My Forester is G and it was late 2015. I haven’t been paying a lot of attention but they’re at least into H now.

E90M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 01/21/2017 at 20:39

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My 128i was registered in late 2015 and had “GCM-9022" as you can see from the pictures.