Ok, Yes I live downtown and have to deal with all of that... I think it was Don that posted a topic a little while back about them ticketing cars with no front plates... I can now back that up.. This afternoon we were of course in the Pearl at Cafe Umbria outside enjoying the great weather. Low and behold up walks a meter maid and stops at the Ferrari. My first reaction was to grab my parking voucher to see how much time was left on the car, I had 20 minutes left so good there. I watched her walk around to the front of the car (of course, no plate) and she whips out the magic ticket machine and start to go to work. So at this point I walk over of course smiling and asking her how she is doing. Since she saw the cavalino on my shirt she put 2 and 2 together and said this must be your car.. I said yes with a big smile, and she said hey, there's no front plate and we are now giving tickets to car without front plates.. She then mentioned that she would just record it as a warning this time around... The moral of the story??? It pays to be Dashingly Handsome!!! Oh, and we need to figure something out about the plates, I saw her ticket a Toyota four runner a few minutes later....
That's rather like shooting ducks in a water barrel. Catch you sitting and out of the car and nail you for no front plate. There is a hidden plate for street rods that drops down and is displayed when the car is running but that won't help when they catch you sitting. I've thought about a flipdown slide back out of side plate operated by an actuator but I don't know if there is enough room on most of these cars to place one. There has to be some way to build a bracket that fastens to the car in a way that it doesn't mark up the front of the car nor have any holes show when it is removed for display purposes.
I was thinking of having a static film copy of my plate made and slapping it on when I park...I'm sure it would get it's own ticket, but at first glance a meter made might not be the wiser! LOL LOL I know I won't be drilling the front end of my car to accomodate the ticket...it is a non moving violation and a fix it ticket to boot...take the ticket and walk in to pay it, show a photo of the car with the plate on and they drop it, no fines. It is an interesting tactic though...good old Portland...as if the 10,000 cops they seem to currently have aren't generating enough revenue! LOL
Here is what I have done in the past. Have four flat/round magnets installed behind your nose cone in the locations the plate screws would normally be. Then place four additional magnets in the plate frame so that the magnets attract each other. Slap the frame/plate on when you need it. Since most of us have some sort of film protection on our nose cones, the magnets don't damage anything.
It is illegal in WA state to pull you over for no front plate. Supremem court. They can pull you over for a light and and ADD a ticket for no front plate, but they cannot pull you over for just not having a front plate. Apply for an exemption. If having a front plate "drilled in" will interfere with the performance of your car, you can get a waiver.
Note she said apply. If memory serves, the law says more than 12" and less than 5' for the front plate. I don't know about your car but on mine it would less than 12" in the front.
Small price to pay for not running a front plate. Seattle has ticketed for years. I got one on my Miata once for no plate. Got one a couple months back on my Golf R32 for having a German plate. $35 or so each time. Bah, financially, they can have it. On principle though, yes, this is just another way to milk more money from people. I got a speeding ticket (of all things) in my Golf the other day. "Evil Kinevel snuck up behind me when I wasn't lookin'." Said nothing about the front plate. Fed me some bull**** though about not using my turn signal on a right hand turn (on a green light). #1, I'm the biggest turn signal-use nazi you've ever met. And #2, do you really need to use your turn signal when you're turning right on a green light when no one else is around? I mean come on. Yes technically you do, but in a practical sense, who would I be signalling for? Anyway, I digress. I totally dig the idea of the removable plate. That's the way to do it. Just don't forget about it when you leave. You'll lose it for good.
Rovente said, "Apply for an exemption. If having a front plate "drilled in" will interfere with the performance of your car, you can get a waiver." Do you have a waiver? If so, do you have a copy of your letter? Do you have more information on how it will be granted? Found this information already: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.16.240 ----------------------------------------------------- To request an exemption from attaching a front license plate to your vehicle, a letter, articulating why you feel you should be exempt from the law (a picture of the front of the vehicle is also helpful) should be sent to: WSP/ESR UNIT PO BOX 42614 OLYMPIA WA 98504-2614 The information will be reviewed and a letter with the decision will be sent to you. In the letter please also provide make/model/year of vehicle and an address the letter should be sent to. ----------------------------------------------------- Intersting side note, the law was changed recently and it seems they changed a few things. It used to say something like the front plate must be at the "front" of the vehicle" and in the same RCW they also used the tearm "rear most". I got out of a ticket because (plate on dash) because it was argued that the front of the vehicle is from the front bumper to the middle of the vehicle and that the industry used terms such as FRONT SEATS, FRONT WINDSHIELD therefore the front windshield was the front of the car and the backup to the argument is that the RCW also used the tearm "rear most" and if they meant more than just front such as front most, they would have written the law that way. It seems they also added a part that obscuring the plate is illegal.
All of these temporary, stick-on, whatever solutions don't work for me. When I park, I want to get out of the car, lock it, and do whatever I came to do. Not mess around with a stick-on license plate or something. I predict this will have an impact on the car-spotting in the Pearl, and arguably on the retail climate there. I'm no longer planning to take my Ferraris down there unless I have off-street parking, which is typically expensive and a hassle. Maybe someone has some contacts at City Hall? Sam Adams might be amenable to doing something about this, if he were approached in the right way.
Last yr while driving back from C beach an OR state police car driving west passed me ,hit the brakes,turned around and pulled me over for no front plate on the Vantage. Ticket=$97.Reduced to $80-(hardship since I'm on a fixed income!!) One ticket in all these years for no front plate-Will continue same.
i recieved several no front plate tickets when i owned my rx7 several years ago. i just zip tied it to the front of my car and took a picture of it and mailed it in and it was dropped each time. it was kinda a pain going through the process of mailing in the picture each time i recieved the ticket but i didn't want to drill any holes in my bumper so it was worth it to me. i also kept the plate in the car and just showing it to the cop got me out of the ticket a few times
I might have to go with SP plates myself. I sort of hate to give up the plates on the 365, as they've been with the car since 1980.
Which case is that? The RCW requires front and rear to be attached: RCW 46.16.240 Attachment of plates to vehicles -- Violations enumerated. The vehicle license number plates shall be attached conspicuously at the front and rear of each vehicle for which the same are issued and in such a manner that they can be plainly seen and read at all times. However, if only one license number plate is legally issued for any vehicle such plate shall be conspicuously attached to the rear of such vehicle. Each vehicle license number plate shall be placed or hung in a horizontal position at a distance of not more than four feet from the ground and shall be kept clean so as to be plainly seen and read at all times. In cases where the body construction of the vehicle is such that compliance with this section is impossible, permission to deviate therefrom may be granted by the state patrol. It shall be unlawful to display upon the front or rear of any vehicle, vehicle license number plate or plates other than those furnished by the director for such vehicle or to display upon any vehicle any vehicle license number plate or plates which have been in any manner changed, altered, disfigured or have become illegible. License plate frames may be used on vehicle license number plates only if the frames do not obscure license tabs or identifying letters or numbers on the plates and the plates can be plainly seen and read at all times. It is unlawful to use any holders, frames, or any materials that in any manner change, alter, or make the vehicle license number plates illegible. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any vehicle unless there shall be displayed thereon valid vehicle license number plates attached as herein provided.
I don't know how it works in Or. but in Wa. you can use a "year correct" plate for the car in a similar manner as the SP plates. At least thats the way I understand it. Kinda. You'll have to see how Or. has it set up there. Cheers!
"permission to deviate therefrom may be granted by the state patrol" ... seems we just need to cultivate existing friendships with the state patrol.
I believe in Oregon you have to get a special plate. My 365 plates aren't year correct for the car (built in 1969), but rather are from the year it came to Oregon-- 1980.
I don't mind running the "collector vehicle" plate on my car. I love the fact I don't need a front plate! The plates in 1978 had no special look to them anyway. Cheers!
