fetalsono

I live in California and the law requires the front license plate to be on the car, as well as the back. I have had the car for one year with no tickets, etc regarding this issue. I got one yesterday. They said that if I place the license plate on the front, they will disregard the ticket. I don't want to have to drill holes into the front to put this thing on temporarily. Any ideas?

Thanks

tfischer

Chewing gum????

Ohio still requires two plates also, although bills to change that to one have been kicking around the legislature for 5 years or so.

I have never had a plate on the front of my SC400 (10 years) or my SC430 (3 years), and only got one ticket about 10 years ago when a whole lawn full of cars was ticketed for being in a place not authorized for motor vehicles.

Even when stopped by local cops for various infractions, I have never even had a question. Of course, it may help that I live 3 miles from Kentucky and 10 miles from Indiana, neither of which require plates on the front, so it's not unusual to see no plate on the front.

To answer your question: I think I got a front bracket from my (Ohio) dealer, who hasn't installed a front plate ever on an SC. You probably could use little bitty screws or wires to affix this to the front somehow as a temporary fix. You are not clear how they will verify attachment in order to disregard the ticket -- are you just supposed to drive by the station and wave, or is a burly member of the Highway Patrol going to come out and tug on it?

Even if the bracket were to be affixed with the appropriate bolts, it could be later removed and the holes filled and painted with touch up paint, which would not be noticable way down there on front. If you do a messy job, it will just look like a bug splatter.

You will have to weigh the cost of the ticket against the hastle and make up your mind. Even with my one ticket, I left the plate off and have had no trouble in many, many years.

I bet that cop was a rookie.

Doc C

I know laws vary from state to state, but I asked a Colorado state trooper about that very thing. He said that he's pulled people over because of it, but never issued a ticket. He said even if a ticket is issued, it's only a $10 charge and not a moving violation. He said if he had an SC430, he definitely would not drill holes in the front bumper. I know that doesn't help you, but maybe troopers from state to state have a similar mindset.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

search for my post in the GS forum about this issue. i ended up using L brackets and drilled two holes at the bottom of the bumper, so when y ou take the licence plate off you wont' see any marks at all

antigeek

Like tfischer, I haven't had a plate on my SC400 or 430 ('96 to '01, '01-).
Heck, I haven't even had a ticket. (Please, no wood-knocking. It's almost as annoying as those who tap on the roof & dash when they run through a yellow light.)

Driving home yesterday on a large residential street, I passed two cops standing on the corner with (probably) photo radar guns. I can understand why they want to enforce front plates, but I was glad that I didn't have one. Of course that makes me a violator.

1NICESC430

I wouldn't mind attaching a front plate to my SC if I had a decent bracket, but that sorry piece of plastic Lexus supplies as a bracket is not fitting (literally and figuratively). I've never been stopped for not having a plate partly because I, too, live just three miles from a state where front plates are not required (PA).

I came upon a checkpoint one summer that was manned by State Troopers in the northbound lane and County Sheriff deputies in the southbound lane. A trooper simply said, "You better get a plate on that." I replied, "You're not going to make me drill holes in this beautiful car, are you?" He just smiled and waved me on. The checkpoint was still active on my return trip. The Sheriff's deputies didn't even notice the missing plate - they just ooohed and aaahed over the car and wanted to know what make it was.

JCtx

I've NEVER put a front plate on any or my cars for over 20 years, and never a ticket. I also live minutes from NM (a no-front-plate state), which I'm sure helps, but the few times I've been pulled over in 20+ years, only one cop said I needed a plate. Where I get asked almost every time is at the international bridge (which I seldom cross), but I only say I bought the car in NM.

I'd NEVER drill my bumper; period. One of the above mentioned tricks would work, but since it's a cheap non-moving violation, I'd just put a check on the mail and forget about the incident. Think of it as an extra full tank of gas... once every 'xx' years.

dsimo

WARNING: If you're squemish about drilling holes into the front of your SC 430 don't look at the following picture!

I got pulled over for a speeding violation and the trooper was rather upset that I didn't have a front plate (he was probably upset that I was driving an SC instead of him!). I took the following picture to court and the judge gave me probation for both offenses.

dsimo

Prepare yourself!

tfischer

That looks much worse than I thought it would.

How long do you think you will leave it on there?

dsimo

Ouch!

As long as it's registered in Maryland. I've gotten too many tickets to give the troopers any additional reasons to pull me over.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

read read READ my diy on how to not make holes on the front of the bumper but mount the licence plate!!!!!!!!!!!