MY legal question

[SpeakersGoBoom]

Whats the rule with front licence plates? Â*I know they're required, but are they required to be on the front of the car? Â*I was always under the assumpsion that they were, but I see a hell of a lot of cars with the plates just in the windshield. Â*If thats legal, I'd probably end up doing that and getting a new nose. Â*the plate holder is on so tightly its cracking the nose, and it looks like crap anyway.

[Savage_Messiah]

eh, looks just as tacky if not more so in the window IMO

[Fasterthanyou]

Funny you should ask. I still haven't gotten a clear answer from any of my legal friends BUT I've been told by more than one person that it's legal to put the plate in the window IF your car was purchased new in a state that didn't require a front plate. Now I'm not sure how legit that is and have not found the law that says this but it's worth looking into. I personally hate the front plates on all sports cars. For a truck, sure, but a sports car .
I actually got off with not having my front plate on the car by telling the cop that it fell off after the person backed up into my car (front end paint damage). He bought it and I hate the plate and the holder in my back seat to prove it to him. For inspection they told me I had to have it on so in line I screwed it in with 1 screw, lol.

[GrandmasterCow]

i kept getting pulled over for no front plate, even if i had it in the windshield. I had to go to court for it because i just kept refusing to put it back. i was saying the bracket broke and the cops said i'm just another lawbreaking kid and they're ticket me for it. =\

[curt86iroc]

in nj, you must have a plate mounted to the front of your car. in the window does not count. i was pulled over for this as was my friend.

[ar0ck]

Im still waiting for a new frame/bracket

I just know that theirs alot of people running around without their plates mounted and I know they have never been ticketed for it. The few people I know who have, were pulled over for doing something stupid, and that was tagged on.

Ive driven past ALOT of cops in the past week since I took the front plate off, and none of them have done anything, I even parked next to a beat cop in Ridgewood and he said nice car.

[jims69camaro]

yes, the law exists. it reads:

39:3-33. Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment
The owner of an automobile which is driven on the public highways of this State shall display not less than 12 inches nor more than 48 inches from the ground in a horizontal position, and in such a way as not to swing, an identification mark or marks to be furnished by the division; provided, that if two marks are issued they shall be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle; and provided, further, that if only one mark is issued it shall be displayed on the rear of the vehicle; and provided, further, that the rear identification mark may be displayed more than 48 inches from the ground on tank trucks, trailers and other commercial vehicles carrying inflammable liquids and on sanitation vehicles which are used to collect, transport and dispose of garbage, solid wastes and refuse. Motorcycles shall also display an identification mark or marks; provided, that if two marks are issued they shall be displayed on the front and rear of the motorcycle; and provided, further, that if only one mark is issued it shall be displayed on the rear of the motorcycle.

The identification mark or marks shall contain the number of the registration certificate of the vehicle and shall be of such design and material as prescribed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1989, c.202 (C.39:3-33.9). All identification marks shall be kept clear and distinct and free from grease, dust or other blurring matter, so as to be plainly visible at all times of the day and night.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle which has a license plate frame or identification marker holder that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate or any part of any insert which the director, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate or marker.

The director is authorized and empowered to issue registration plate inserts, to be inserted in and attached to the registration plates or markers described herein. They may be issued in the place of new registration plates or markers; and inscribed thereon, in numerals, shall be the year in which registration of the vehicle has been granted.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle the owner of which has not complied with the provisions of this subtitle concerning the proper registration and identification thereof, nor drive a motor vehicle which displays a fictitious number, or a number other than that designated for the motor vehicle in its registration certificate. During the period of time between the application for motor vehicle registration and the receipt of registration plates from the division, no person shall affix a plate or marker for the purpose of advertisement in the position on a motor vehicle normally reserved for the display of the registration plates required by this section if the plate or marker is designed with a combination of letters, numbers, colors, or words to resemble the registration plates required by this section.

A person convicted of displaying a fictitious number, as prohibited herein, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500.00 or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days.

A person violating any other provision of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100.00. In default of the payment thereof, there shall be imposed an imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 10 days. A person convicted of a second offense of the same violation may be fined in double the amount herein prescribed for the first offense and may, in default of the payment thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 20 days. These penalties shall not apply to the display of a fictitious number.

notice above that it has to be displayed on the front of the car, no less than 12 inches from the ground and no more than 48 inches above it. that does not include the windshield, as it is not being displayed on the front of the car, but, rather, being displayed in the passenger compartment, and, further, that part of it can be obscured, which is also against the clear language of the statute. as much as you either don't want to hang the plate or want to be beligerent, the law is clear. while a cop may not have stopped you yet, or even noticed that you have it in the windshield, why take the chance that one does stop you? it's $100 that you could use to make that thing faster instead of feeding the court coffers.

hell, if you want to buck the system, why not sign the petition? get the law overturned instead of bitching and griping about it?

[SpeakersGoBoom]

SIGNED!

[Mike]

well my car came from the factory with the plate lower than 12 inches.........

btw its getting changed, or so i friend in a squad car tells me

when i buy my TA G F/X im not putin my front plate on unless theres a way to not drill holes in a brand new bumper cover lol

[00BlackZ]

I have had 2 Camaros in the past 7 years, and both of them did not have a front tag. There was no way I was going to drill holes in my babies. The result: 1 $44 ticket in seven years; cheaper than buying the mount and drilling the holes. (Knock on wood)

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by 00BlackZ

I have had 2 Camaros in the past 7 years, and both of them did not have a front tag. There was no way I was going to drill holes in my babies. The result: 1 $44 ticket in seven years; cheaper than buying the mount and drilling the holes. (Knock on wood)

Yea, it's all about getting lucky. My uncle has a '93 vette and he has never installed the front plate, or even had the car inspected. He still has the new car dealer inspection sticker on it. Not that it wouldn't pass, (it is 100% stock, down to the tires and air filter) he just likes the look of the dealer sticker. FWIW, the car has less than 12k miles on it, so he's not on the road very often to actually get pulled over (plus he lives on a dairy farm in Sussex County, very few cops and lots of twisty roads in his area).

- Justin