Anyone know what the standing is for front license plates in Connecticut? I don't want one when i get my car A. because it looks stupid, but mostly because lots of cars i've seen have simply two screws going through the bumper holding it on. This looks terrible as well as ruins your front bumper. Thoughts?
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Front license plate rules??
- Thread starter silbeej
- Start date
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I don't know, but a couple weeks ago an Illinois DOT officer told me my plate was "Improperly displayed" and he could either give me a verbal warning, a written warning or a ticket. I told him I would zip tie it to the grill when I shut down for the night and he let me go.
I guess the windshield isn't "proper" in Illinois, even though the other states didn't care. Silly rules...
I guess the windshield isn't "proper" in Illinois, even though the other states didn't care. Silly rules...
My idea...buy a cheap front bumper bracket for you license plate, break it so it can't be mounted, then put that and your plate in the trunk. Then you can just explain to the officer that your bracket broke and are in the process of getting a new one. 
Check CT's DMV website.
I'll bet though that the rule is simple. One plate issued, display on the rear. Two issued, display front and rear. No real variations on that nationwide. It's just a plate, there are bigger things to fret about. Unless you're just lonely and like talking to people in uniform...
I'll bet though that the rule is simple. One plate issued, display on the rear. Two issued, display front and rear. No real variations on that nationwide. It's just a plate, there are bigger things to fret about. Unless you're just lonely and like talking to people in uniform...
My idea...buy a cheap front bumper bracket for you license plate, break it so it can't be mounted, then put that and your plate in the trunk. Then you can just explain to the officer that your bracket broke and are in the process of getting a new one.
All that work for what. You still probably would get a fix it ticket. Thats all you would ever get for not having a front plate.
If you do get a ticket you usually have to get proof of correction from a officer or court vehicle inspection officer. Just put it on then take it off again.
Most officers view the front plate law as a excuse. To pull suspicious people over. Just don't be causing trouble and it wont be a problem.
When I was younger. I was pulled over 2 or 3 times for no front plates usually it was very late at night.
I agree. If you drive at normal hours (ie not 3 in the morning) and you don't drive a flashy car you probably won't be hassled. I'd recommend you keep in your trunk and have an excuse ready, though, and realize that law enforcement has every right to give you a ticket for not having it mounted.
it is really not worth the trouble. If you get pulled over for some other violation like speeding you can kiss any hope of getting a warning good bye. That is how I got a ticket once. My inspection sticker was out of date and the cop flat out told me he was writing me a speeding ticket for speeding instead of a warning for that very reason. it sucked.
I do agree it screws with the front bumper and personally I do not like having it on my car. Bugs get in it.
Windshield display is not proper because it is more difficult to read in a moving car and very hard to see at night.
I do agree it screws with the front bumper and personally I do not like having it on my car. Bugs get in it.
Windshield display is not proper because it is more difficult to read in a moving car and very hard to see at night.
I wonder how you get around this if you're from a state that only requires a rear plate, yet have to drive late at night through the small towns in states that require both.
California is front and back. I only put my license plate on the back.
Here's what you do. If you ever get pulled over, just say "You know, I thought I might need to put it on the front, but I couldn't bear the action of drilling two holes into my car's bumper." They won't get mad and they'll either let you off or give you a fixit ticket. In my case, I've gotten 3 fixit tickets. Once you get one of those, here's what you do.
Keep your front plate in the trunk. Get 3M double sided tape and very shallow screws to put through a cheap frame. Put the cheap frame on and tape it to your front bumper. Go to the DMV, have them check off on it (takes 5 minutes), drive out of the parking lot. Rip off front license plate and enjoy the look of having a clean, nice looking front of your car until the next time you get a ticket. It costs like $10 in CA and I find it totally worth it.
Good luck.
Here's what you do. If you ever get pulled over, just say "You know, I thought I might need to put it on the front, but I couldn't bear the action of drilling two holes into my car's bumper." They won't get mad and they'll either let you off or give you a fixit ticket. In my case, I've gotten 3 fixit tickets. Once you get one of those, here's what you do.
Keep your front plate in the trunk. Get 3M double sided tape and very shallow screws to put through a cheap frame. Put the cheap frame on and tape it to your front bumper. Go to the DMV, have them check off on it (takes 5 minutes), drive out of the parking lot. Rip off front license plate and enjoy the look of having a clean, nice looking front of your car until the next time you get a ticket. It costs like $10 in CA and I find it totally worth it.
Good luck.
States are required to honor driving laws from residents of other states. I live in Oklahoma and we only need a rear plate, Texas however requires front and back and I've never had a problem when in Texas (except for their horrible drivers).
Connecticut requires both a front and back license plate.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=801&q=244520&dmvPNavCtr=|#30348
FWIW, the states that only require one plate are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=801&q=244520&dmvPNavCtr=|#30348
FWIW, the states that only require one plate are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
I believe that's the rule here too, yet I still see a fair few cars with back only.
My car already had holes in the front bumper for the license plate, and all a cop has to do is see some on your own bumper to find out whether the "oh noes I don't want to drill into my bumper cover" line is BS or not.
In Mass, you can run only the rear if you have the old green-on-white plate, but newer plates require both.
In Mass, you can run only the rear if you have the old green-on-white plate, but newer plates require both.
Same here in the UK. Although my front plate is only held on with heavy duty velcro so it could fall off quite easily...
All that work for what. You still probably would get a fix it ticket. Thats all you would ever get for not having a front plate.
If you do get a ticket you usually have to get proof of correction from a officer or court vehicle inspection officer. Just put it on then take it off again.
Most officers view the front plate law as a excuse. To pull suspicious people over. Just don't be causing trouble and it wont be a problem.
When I was younger. I was pulled over 2 or 3 times for no front plates usually it was very late at night.
And in Palo Alto with those cameras that photograph the front of the car if you run a red light, will make cops there get more anal about a front plate. I live to the south of there and the cops really don't care since we don't have the photo system set up at stoplights to catch red light runners. I was up in the area for nearly two years, at the hospital on and off, and locals told me to simply put a clear, shiny, plastic cover over the front plate to dodge the cameras. The glare throws off a good view similar to shiny laptop screens in certain light
Of course, where I live, rural, lots of things are non standard with cars such as no mufflers, people constantly not wearing seat belts and using cell phones due to very small amounts of police officers in the region. Palo Alto and the bigger cities in silicon valley are crawling with cops and that probably accounts for the relatively low crime rate of the San Jose area. Rural areas in Norcal have little need for lots of cops due to low crime rate. I guess no gang wants to take over any town of fewer than 2000 people and Norcal is dotted with lots of those small towns in the middle of nowhere.
I've already answered this. The standard rule is you display what is issued, regardless of the state you're in or from. And you can be cited in any state for violating that, in addition to current registration, etc. Nobody "honors" driving laws cross-border.
Very interesting situation. They should get a magnetic front license plate. And if there are issues about driving in the diamond lane, for more than one passenger, keep a blowup doll handy.
Very interesting situation. They should get a magnetic front license plate. And if there are issues about driving in the diamond lane, for more than one passenger, keep a blowup doll handy.
Then again getting caught driving nude in the diamond land with a blowup doll across your lap can be a bit embarrassing.
License plate laws or blowup doll laws while driving? Man, get clear on this, it's very, very important.
Who said anything about being nude? That's your idea, mine was to make it look like there were enough passengers on board to fool the cops. How could they tell if the car has a driver and passengers, or a driver and blow up dolls, especially if they are HIGH quality dolls.
Yes they do. For things like this anyways. If your state only issues/requires one plate and you are in a state that requires two you will not/can not get in trouble for only having one plate. Thus the host state "honors" the rules of the person's home state.
Another example is window tinting. In Illinois you cannot have your front windows tinted, however, in some states you can. So if you are from somewhere like Florida and Florida allows you to tint your front windows and you drive into Illinois with tinted front windows ISP can't touch you for it.
Of course, then there are exceptions to this as well. For example, in Illinois it is illegal to pull a double livestock trailer (i.e. truck <- trailer <- trailer) unless the first trailer is a gooseneck. So, if you are coming from a state that allows this double trailering and enter into Illinois you CAN be stopped for this violation. This one is a bit extreme too, because usually they will impound the second trailer until you can get someone to pick it up for you, but that is neither here nor there.
Still, that really sucks. I would be pissed if anybody stole/impounded/confiscated my second trailer in the name of some gooseneck law I didn't know about. I think I would drive around that state.