Front License Plates in US

For those 328 owners in states that have a front license plate requirement, what do you do?

Leave it off and pay a fine if pulled over?
Put it off center to one side?
Put it low and in the center?
Bend it under the front spoiler so only the numbers are showing?
Throw a loose plate on the dash in some sort of way?
Other creative solution?

Do you get pulled over because of a lack of a plate. I have received a ticket or two in the past when I moved to a new state that had the requirement, but my car did not have the front mounting.

I think they look crappy. Just curious about your luck and creativity.

Robb
Denver

 

I've never had a front plate and knock on wood, have never been pulled over.

 

Same with me, but I am thinking of making a temporary plate mount that I can put on and off easily for long road trips on the highway. I think the local police don't really care, but the state police may. At least that is what I have been told.

 

S E A R C H

been beaten to death in the past...

 

I just use 2 tie wraps on the front grill, I put felt on the back of the plate, so it won't scratch the paint, the plate is tucked under and barely visible. (It doesn't make a noticeable difference in temp)

 

Steve,

Gorgeous car. Thanks for the tip.

Found some more threads on this - thanks AMA. Didn't look at page 2 and 3 on my other searches.

I will probably use the suggestions in the NW section. No plate, keep it with you, and see how it goes.

Robb

 

When I was in Ferrari of Seattle some years ago, one of the cars had a license plate that was a sticker. The owner had it special made. It was smaller than a regular license plate and it looked as good as one could look. Just a thought.

Gene

 

Front plate :: curb feeler. Plate is low point on the front overhang. Let the bureaucracy hardware take the abuse.

"No mandatory registration markings on the bow. Make sure we cite them for that." -- Firefly
(Even 500 years in the future, bureaucrats are all alike.)

 

The reason that I use a front plate is that I don't want to give the cops any EXCUSE to pull me over. Ferraris stand out as it is, I don't want to be hassled while on a nice cruise.

 

+1 Seven years and counting.

 

Tie wraps off to the LH side of the grill.

Has to be "permanently mounted" here, dash and loose in car is no good.

Texas would see "sticker" as "replica and/or fraud"........

 

In NJ the local cops feed on this, like advertising you have fresh Dunkin Donuts in the car just waiting for them.

 

Got 328 Front License plate holder from my bro...who worked at ferrari dealership. It doesn't ruin lines/block flow etc.
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That does not look too bad. How is the bracket connected to the car?

 

14 posts in 5 years... how soon did you need an answer?

I agree, that doesn't look bad.

 

+1

 

EH.....IMHO it looks better without it.

 

6 different cars over 15 years. No problems yet.

I suppose this will catch up to me eventually, but until it does, my plates are on the back-end only.

 

Here in Nevada they don't seem to care about the front plate. Came here from Kansas (only rear plate) and never remounted the front plate bracket. Every new car I bought here has been delivered by the dealer without a front plate bracket.

 

I'll take some pictures and post later. It's made for the car, came in a nice plastic bag with lots of pieces. Got it from my Brother when he was sales mgr at Continental Mtrs in Ill. I had it put on when the car was in for service out here. My search on this site had turned up nothing real helpful on this issue.

 

Ok, here my "homebaked" Version Rev 1.0.A
Homedepot..All plastic..can be removed/installed with the carkey, fits between the Grill,covered the back with thin rubberpieces. And it looks like it's screwed on!! (CA wont allow straps,tapes,rubber)
Yea I know not the most pretty one....but hey!
"Click it..or Ticket"....
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NH requires permanent plate (no tie wraps) so, I used a plate holder from a Mazda Miata. If you search my posts - you should find a couple of different plate options (it's been an on-going quest for improvement)

 

When I registered my 86 Mondial in Nevada.I told DMV there was no provision for a front plate.They told me if the car has no provision for one ,its not required.

 

I have a warning for anyone who drive or park at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport).

The "license plate police" are in full force there. Even if you park at Lot C, they have a guy who drives around and tickets anyone without a front plate on the car -- just SITTING the parking lot. It turns out that Lot C is owned by the city of LA so they can legally do it (they can't on private property). I got a ticket on a Alfa Spider after coming back from a business trip. I complained the the attendant just shrugged. It looked like she got the same complaint a lot. That was the last day I parked in Lot C again!

The cops at LAX (who I suppose are there to prevent terrorism or crazy drivers or look for something suspicious) pull cars over who drive through without a front plate.

I did my own inpromptu survey once and I estimated that about 2 to 3 percent of the cars in LA don't have the front plate. That means for every 100 cars that pull into LAX, they ticket 2 or 3 cars.

So, avoid LAX if you don't have a front plate you want to avoid paying the fine.

Now, I was stopped and not ticketed once (the cop was looking for drunks) and he didn't ticket my lack of front plate. I was stopped 2 other times and ticketed for speeding in my Maserati and they didn't tack on the additional penalty.

But, my feeling is that as they continue to add these "big brother" cameras, the word will go out to crack down on a lack of front plates in LA. It's easy money and it's easier for the computerized, cold, impersonal camera to identify the "culprit".

 

I attached some pictures of the front licence plate bracket I got from my brother. He worked at a ferrari dealership from 1984 - 2003 and sent told me the bracket was what they used back then (80's). I'm not sure if was a ferrari item, a dealer item or a universal fit item from the period, but the mechanic I've used out (also worked at the dealership in the 80's) here recognized the bracket and knew how to install it. It works great and is very sturdy. I couldn't take photos of the back of the bracket because it looks like I now need a special screwdriver to reach a screw to remove the grill...

I'm glad I have it on. There is no doubt police in my area will be ticketing people for no front plates, since they also have an aggresive (and illegitimate, but that's another story) red light camera program and are also building a new headquarters. It shouldn't be too hard to recognize times are changing.