Front License Plate

[Say Watt]

I haven’t had a front plate on a half dozen vehicles since 1996 when I put a winch on the front of a Land Rover Discovery. Since then, I’ve had five parking tickets and one radar ticket on the ION highway out of Winnemucca - but NO citations for no front plate.

If you get one, it’s a “fix-it” ticket so no points. Keep the plate in the car and some cable ties for “emergency” compliance.

They want the front plate for red light cameras.

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[HuntingPudel]

Thanks for the information and the pictures - My GTPE does not have the 6” of height that the wrap site says you need. But it doesn’t look like your Mach e does either“ I assume putting on worked out well / easily?

Thanks

Yeah, it’s my one cheat that the local police don’t seem to care about. Install wasn’t hard but does require the use of a heat gun and a decal squeegee (much different than one meant for water) in order to stretch and shrink to get it to conform. The install certainly isn’t anywhere near as complex as putting a bird on the hood of a Gen2 Trans Am.

 

[ChasingCoral]

You can find another 17 pages of discussion on the topic here:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/what-are-peoples-plans-for-front-license-plates.1295/

 

[markboris]

I don't and won't run a front plate on either of my cars (GTPE, GT500). In my area in CA they don't seem to care about front plates, at least haven't had any issues in the last 8 years. I do travel all around NorCal and expect at some point will be pulled over and if that happens will gladly pay the fix it ticket but that plate will never stay on permanently.

Edit: My dealer of 20+ years knows I won't buy the car from them (all have been special ordered) if they put a front plate bracket on when it gets delivered to them.

 

[david_quick]

California law says that if a vehicle comes with two plates, then a front plate has to be mounted (in addition to the back plate. Do those living in California mount a front plate?

Thanks in advance

Washington also has the requirement. But the dealer asked if I wanted them to install it. There was some discussion and they indicated that most people don’t want the plate installed. LEO around here will not pull you over for not having one but if they get you for something else then the plate will be added to the tickets. In any case it will just be a fix it ticket.

 

[Pony's Clare]

Thanks for the information and the pictures - My GTPE does not have the 6” of height that the wrap site says you need. But it doesn’t look like your Mach e does either“ I assume putting on worked out well / easily?

Thanks

Yep, I went with the License Plate Wrap too. A bit off center, but it works. Legal in California.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I think what you meant to say is if the vehicle comes with a front license plate bracket, you have to put a plate on it. Nevada is the same way. Thank god my car got delivered without one. For clarity, the DMV always issues two license plates.

California cars are supposed to have the front bracket installed prior to delivery to customer, per the dealer from whom I bought my car. The dealer I bought my MME from made me sign a release. I let the dealer know prior to converting my reservation into an order that I did not want the bracket installed. The law makes no distinction about the bracket, just that both plates must be installed. The license plate wrap is a legal substitute for the metal front plate.

 

[RKinWA]

Front plates are required in Colorado, as well. But the vinyl wrap plates are not legal here. However, I would say that less than 50% of the Teslas around (and there are a LOT) don't have any front plates. I went with suction cup mount in the front windshield, which isn't technically legal in Colorado (the laws specify that the plate has to be mounted vertically), but should stop them from using it as an excuse to pull me over... (he says... optimistically...)

A lot of people seem to like the Sto-n-sho holders, which make it easy to remove the plate. I believe there were some issues with the original mount blocking some of the front sensors, but they've apparently worked that out. $100, or so for the mount...

Same here in WA, required, vinyl not legal. Not only 1/2 the Teslas are without, but I see a lot of other vehicles without as well. I debated long and hard about risking it and going without a plate. It's a primary offense here (meaning they can pull you over for it) and a pretty expensive ticket. I saw a Tweet one day from the Bellevue police with a picture of the front end of three Teslas and a BMW with the caption; "Guess what these 4 have in common, they're all getting a ticket for no front plate." Ultimately I decided to just put the plate on.

 

[Almondtree]

California law says that if a vehicle comes with two plates, then a front plate has to be mounted (in addition to the back plate. Do those living in California mount a front plate?

Thanks in advance

I do but I notice that most MMEs and Teslas do not have front plates.

 

[david_quick]

Washington also has the requirement. But the dealer asked if I wanted them to install it. There was some discussion and they indicated that most people don’t want the plate installed. LEO around here will not pull you over for not having one but if they get you for something else then the plate will be added to the tickets. In any case it will just be a fix it ticket.

Scofflaws! I pulled in and these were here. Right next to the LEO reserved parking spaces.

 

[keithnteri]

Im in Cali, I dont have a front plate and I’ve had the car over a year. Generally where I am, it is not something they would pull you over for. They’d pull you over for speeding and if you start sassing back, they’d add requiring a front plate on to your ticket

You have been very lucky. They will pull you over for that and window tint. Yes it is a fix it ticket but it is still a PITA.

I just went with licenseplatewrap.com. Looks ok and is legal in California.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

You can find another 17 pages of discussion on the topic here:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/what-are-peoples-plans-for-front-license-plates.1295/

It’s the great Mach-e forum way Mark. Why continue a perfectly good thread when another identical thread can be made. Or another identical 97 threads!

They will pull you over for that and window tint

HPD (the other HPD) rolls through the west side county parking lots once an hour. They ticket cars without front plates, cars with expired registration, cars with expired safety inspections and cars illegally parked (as in not in a designated spot). They ticket cars in handicapped spots that shouldn’t be there and will tow the next hour.

What they don’t do is ticket for tint, unless it’s on the front windshield and is obvious. The safety inspection people will put a meter to it every year though.

And I’d wish more states did the vinyl wrap plates.

 

[buzznwood]

And I’d wish more states did the vinyl wrap plates.

Or maybe just get rid of them all together as it is perfectly legal to drive a non front plate state vehicle in a front plate required state it obviously is not that important, as CA want to seen as being green then they could save material not producing front plates .

There are plenty of places in the world that do require front plates so it shouldn't really be an issue, the problem is generally down to a lot of car designs tend to favor euro plate dimensions not the tall plates we get over this side of the pond which end up not working well with most front end designs and even on the back they just about fit.

 

[woody]

Front plates are required in Colorado, as well. But the vinyl wrap plates are not legal here. However, I would say that less than 50% of the Teslas around (and there are a LOT) don't have any front plates. I went with suction cup mount in the front windshield, which isn't technically legal in Colorado (the laws specify that the plate has to be mounted vertically), but should stop them from using it as an excuse to pull me over... (he says... optimistically...)

A lot of people seem to like the Sto-n-sho holders, which make it easy to remove the plate. I believe there were some issues with the original mount blocking some of the front sensors, but they've apparently worked that out. $100, or so for the mount...

vinyl wrap plates are not illegal in Colorado. If you have a vinyl wrap plate you are in compliance.
To the best of my knowledge only in la la land of Boulder is the only place a policeman would write a ticket if you have a (vinyl) license plate displayed in the front.
After all, the bad guys are not going to bother you if you have a vinyl wrap.
A front plate, for unknown logical reason, is required in Colorado. No plate is a violation. So no plate Teslas would be in violation, but what copper is going to waste his time with that. In spite of the propaganda, most cops are good and honest and they are there to serve and protect.

As another footnote, Colorado gave me a $70 credit for reusing my old, long held plate. Initial registration only. But still offset first year EV tax.

 

[mluton]

I'm in California. No front plate on my Mach-E. I took at look at other cars in my neighborhood and there are lots of other cars of various makes and models (not all EVs) that don't have front plates.

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