I live in Ohio and they require a front plate as well as back. County info and date stamp are ONLY on the rear plate. The dealer did NOT install front plate as he said it spoils the look of the car. I agree, but I have some questions.

I have the front plate sitting in the trunk. I have heard that while not totaly legal, will satisfy most cops ???

I have also heard it's a $50 fine per stop for not have front plate.

Anyone have anymore info from Ohio or other states.

I can't be the only person running around without required front plate on a 430.

Thanks in advance

JIm

 

LOL, are you serious? So only the front plate has your real cars information? We have the front plates on the silver sc and i dont really think it spoils the look of it, haven't gotten around to getting a better frame but still...i feel its fineee.
But i think you should at least try to sneak the front plate onto the car somehow...mount it low as hell?
lol i dont know i gotta go look at our car to get a better idea
I Think thats its pretty irresponsible of your dealer to not install the front plates, because they are seling the car and should at least follow the laws...But then again this is a lexus Just take notice of your surroundings see what other cars do.

Love and Donuts
-krispy kreme doughnuts

 

I live in Oregon and they require a front plate but I will not put one on the car........... I did not have one on my Corvette either.

 

No, it's the back plate that has all the info. The dealer DID give me the option. They would have put the plate on, no problem, but they thought it spoiled the look and so do I. Given the choice, I prefer to leave it off. Personal preference I guess. I do see other cars occasionally with no front plate, but miss weather thay have a temp tag on the back or are from another state. I am still curious to know if anyone has received a ticket for no front plate and if keeping the plate in the trunk will help if I do get stopped.
Thanks
Jim

 

In Colorado, it's a $17, no point ticket.

I over three years, I've never been stopped (that means I'm screwed on the way home from work this morning...)

 

In the state of New York front and rear plates are required, along with registration and emissions stickers on the lower corner of the drivers side of the front windshield.

On my 911 Carrera 4 i have a EEC German plate on the front and the NY plate on the rear. Ive yet to be stopped for it but now that im writing this i will most likely get stopped the next time i take it out. I have had the EEC plate on for about 6-8months now without so much as a glance from the police. They see i have the reg and a rear plate and be on with themselves. An american plate on the front of the porsche just doesnt look right as the bumper was molded for the euro plates, so i took off the NY plate when i found a german plate to put on in place of it.

My friend had a 1991 Benz SL and i took it out for a spin one day with him in the passanger seat and the cops stopped us for no front plate and a cover(clear mind you) on the rear. the front plate was in the window but that didnt satisfy the donut muncher. When we bought the LX i didnt want to put a front plate on but the dealer demanded to my parents it be DRILLED into the bumper. Ive been thinking about upgrading the front bumper to the newer style, and if i do im not going with a front plate because they are ugly.

As long as your not doing anything stupid to atract the donut munchers you most likely wont be bothered for that minor infraction. However mind you, if you do anything against the law that the cop might be thinking about pulling you over for, not having a front plate just might convince him to stop you, seeing as he can get you for not one but two violations. Most cops i know dont bother with minor things but when people have several things in violation plus either speed or roll through a stop sign they are more likely to pursue them.

For example, you dont have a front plate, not toooo big of a deal. But, you dont have a front plate, your turn signals are "hyper-white', you have blue headlights, dumb washer nozzle LEDs and are going 5mph over the limit, your probably going to get stopped now.

 

I had an SC400 for about 10 years, and almost none of them had a front plate installed because on that car, the front plate really ruined a true work of art.

When I bought my SC430, no front plate was installed, although the front end is not so much sculped as the SC400. I have never had a problem with tickets. However, I live in Cincinnati, which is just a few minutes from Kentucky and Indiana, neither of which requires front plates, so there are plenty of cars on the local roads without front plates, and the local cops, who generally have better things to do, simply don't notice or don't care. Out of state, again the police mostly don't care because they probably don't really know whether Ohio requires 2 plates or just one. (For at least 10 years, there has always been a "bill pending" to drop the front plate requirement, but one has not passed yet.)

If you live in Columbus or some other area where the roads are not filled with out of state cars, the local cops might be more aware of no front plate, so you might take that into consideration. Also, in many instances, if you have the extra plate in the trunk, you might be able to get away with claiming that there was a problem with the bracket and you are scheduled to have the dealer fix the bracket so you can get the plate put back where it belongs. I've heard that this can get you by, depending.

Front plates generaly look bad. I'd like to take it off the front of my RX also, but haven't gotten around to seeing what removal of the bracket involves, but that can wait. In the meantime, I have had 15 years of no plate on the front of my SC400 and SC430 and no problems yet. (Finally, my SC now belongs to my brother, who has no front plate and he parks that on the street all the time with no front plate -- most officers just don't care.)j

Still, it only takes one to ruin your day.

 

I'm so used to seeing cars with front plates here, so I don't think it's a big issue either way, for the cars I've owned anyway, it depends on the style.
The front plates do ruin the looks of some cars though, like the Jaguar XK8 / XKR & the RX-8 are 2 that first comes to mind.

There are cars that looks horrible WITHOUT the front plates - the new Audi's with the new big mouth grill, look at the A8 W12 in the movie Transporter 2, beautiful looking sedan, but no front plates on that bar bisecting the grill where it's supposed to be, it sticks out like a sore thumb

 

Audis new grills only look good with a Euro plate. I told the dealer that when i eventually get an RS4 that he has to get the plate bracket from europe.

Now i know this car doesnt get messed up as much as say a silver car or even a SC or a new GS but anyways. Look at how well the euro plate compliments the porsche. And then look at the front without any plate and then with a basic ny plate

I would have gone without any plate up front but the bumper was molded for a euro plate and there were two holes so no plate would have looked weird in person.

 

In California it is required but rarely will you get cited or pulled over unless you stick out like being young with music cranking,etc.....then the cop can use the front plate issue just to pull you over. Plus the front plate is easier for radar guns. I have a front plate but that is changing shortly once my new front bumper is on. I would use plugs but it has chips and I plan on Expel'n the new bumper anyhow.

 

I also live in Ohio and had a friend get a ticket for her 350Z without front plates. The later found out the OSHP is becoming agressive about enforcing this. I think her ticket was $50.

 

you might want to ask in the regional forum about your state. here in cali, it depends on which area you are in, some areas cops are *** and haev nothing better to do

 

Thanks for all the info. I'll keep you posted.

 

I just got a ticket yesterday in SF for not having a front plate. 100$ ouch ouch!!!!

 

Florida (my home state) has no front plates. Yet, being in Mexico where every Mexican state has front and back plates, both myself and other Americans that have Florida vehicles (great since the state has no state income tax and no type of emissions/safety testing) get stopped and the police want to fine me because I have no front plate even though out of their jurisdiction. They claim since the cars coming from Texas have one, that I also must have one. I have had to call the embassy a few times on the spot to take care of the issue.