As I stated before, the hit and run is but one scenario. There are so many reasons that it is beneficial to have a front plate. I don't have enough time to explain the many, many instances that it would have and has aided me (DUI arrests, warrants, suspended drivers, unlicensed drivers, drugs, gang members, violation of restraining orders....). I have yet to hear one good reason not to have a front plate. So it makes the front of your car ugly. Why not petition auto manufacturers to make an attractive front end that incorporates a front plate?

Personally, I could care less if a front plate is on a car or not. I'm not the "official voice" of law enforcement regarding the issue. I'm just telling everyone here what I would assume LE's point of view might be on the issue. But I think we've gotten way off track from the original thread.

 

Why not petition the DMV to make nice license plates like in Europe instead of these bulky ones we have in the States.

 

oooo That would be cool. I wouldnt mind sticking one of those on the front. Especially if it comes in black.

 

^^^ That would be nicer for sure.

Quick question, I know this has gotten off topic, but what about ppl who sport their front plate on their front dashboard? Legal??
It is visible and can be seen through the front windshield. Or is their a law about that obstructing your vision while driving. Seen a lot of ppl do that with plate on passenger side dash.
Chippie, any reason why we can't do that? Thanx.

 

We can go back and forth on this topic all day long, but it really comes down to vanity vs safety. Bottom line: if we do what we wish to/with our cars, then we will/shall take responsibility for those actions.

ps. I like the petition idea...

 

Chippie:

My question regards what LEO can pull up when they run a license. Does it pull up stops, convictions, parking tickets, what?

For example, if someone received a parking ticket (but paid for it within alotted time frame), does that come up? Or how about prior traffic stops (that did Not lead to tickets or citations). Do Officers see that, oh John Doe has been pulled over twice in the last 123 days/weeks/years for xyz offense(s), but was let go without a ticket.

Or are the only things Officers can pull up are actual convictions (eg: at fault non-contested speeding - or contested-and-lost; rolling stop; etc)?

 

you can cut the plates. i was going to do that to my turbo teg to get some better air flow.

 

I head that you can get busted for that because you are destroying government property. Anyways, our plates look ugly.

 

Overload! I'll get to these one at a time, I hope.

06CPV35: 5201. License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground, except as follows: And the bazillion expemtions continue no of which apply regarding this topic. Note the words, "fastened" and "mounted." Placed on the dashboard in no good. I just cited this yesterday among a host of other violations.

5202. Every license plate issued by this State or any other jurisdiction within or without the United States shall remain attached during the period of its validity to the vehicle for which it is issued while being operated within this State or during the time the vehicle is being held for sale in this State, or until such time as a vehicle with special or identification plates is no longer entitled to such plates and no person shall operate, nor shall an owner knowingly permit to be operated, upon any highway any vehicle unless the license plate is so attached. Special permits issued in lieu of plates shall be attached and displayed on the vehicle for which issued during the period of their validity.


26708. (a) (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows. (2) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows.


calcul8: Convictions, Failures to appear, and accidents show up on driver's license checks. And if they are suspended and why. Endorsements as well (M1, Class A, B, tanks, triples, hazmat...) Verbal warnings, the DMV doesn't know about those. But each agency might keep track of verbal warnings in a database. That's all the more I will discuss on that. Policy prevents me for any further info.


kris79 and sfgr415: 4464. No person shall display upon a vehicle a license plate altered from its original markings.

Meaning no altered plates.


Hope this all helps. When you read the vehicle code, you have to understand a few things. There are shalls, shoulds, and mays. If it says "shall" in the section, that means it we can write tickets for it. I have my own feelings about certain laws like everyone else. I'm just showing everyone what is required per the vehicle code.

 

Do you usually go by the letter of the law or the spirit of the law when citing people, or that just depends on each officer? Say you run a plate just to run a plate, not pulling the person over and it comes up recently impounded, are you more likely to pull them over?

 

I actually cut the california off the front plate I had on my '72 BRE 510 and
made a frame to fit. Installed it on an angle so it picked up air to guide it
thru my grille. In todays world that is against the law so says my brother
in law.....aka sheriffs dept commander (retired). I also tried the double
sided tape to hold my front plate on one of my cars. The sheriff asked me
how it was attached, I told him and he sent me home to install it correctly.
Hey, win some lose others......HAHA

 

From this clause I don't see how putting the license plate on the front window violates it. I can securely fasten/mount the front license plate to my front window, which is a part of the vehicle and it is clearly visible. Is there a clause that states the license plate must be securely fastened to the exterior of the car? At least to my understanding of the clause the front windshield is not out of the question. I mean technically I can prop it up on my hood like the benz emblem and it should be fine. I mean I would never do that, but it appears legal to me.


Now this is on is a bit confusing? I mean people are given parking stickers that they must stick to the front of their window to park in a parking lot. When you purchase a car from the dealership they affix the temporary registration to the front of the window. According to 26708 (a)(1) this is illegal. It looks like it is stating the the front window must be clear of everything. Or maybe I am reading it incorrectly. It also says side and rear windows. So those people out there with the sun shades on the side windows or the garfield sticking to the side/rear window, or the soccer moms with the big soccer sticker on the windows are all breaking the law?? I am confused. Now 26708 (2)(b) makes more sense, but again this clause seems rather subjective. I mean I don't think a front license on near the windshield obstructs my view of the road. Nor does my girlfriend pikachu beanie bear that sits on her dash. I mean it seems like a rather vague clause.

I am not trying to challenge the law or anything. I am just trying to get clarifications on the clauses. Because the first one doesnt really seem to suggest a license plate cannot be placed on the windshield. The second one seems extremely general about placing anything on the windshield and the third one is rather vague.

 

26708 was in response to 06CPV35's question regarding obstructing a driver's view out the window, not so much where the plate is. If a plate is sitting on the dashboard, I wouldn't necessarily call that attached or securely fastened. How are you going to securely mount a license plate to a windshield, with tape? And, how many dashboards are angled at such a way that makes it easy for us to read a plate if it is sitting up there? What's the angle of a windshield on a G35? If you mount it to your windshield, most likely it's difficult to read due to the angle. Given certain times of the day, I could easily testify in court that from my position inside a patrol car, the reflection of the sun made it impossible to read the plate sitting in the windshield? See where I'm going with this? Read the rest of 26700-26712, it will have all the exemptions for putting things on windows and windshields. I didn't want to post the whole thing because it's very long. Challenge your reading comprehension skills, cause it's boring. After reading it, things won't be so vague (hopefully). Welcome to my world.

Those fuzzy dice or garters you have hanging from your rear view mirror falls under 26708

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...le=26700-26712

 

What about all the states that require no front plate? It means nothing. The front plate law is a joke.

 

That's what I thought about having the plate on the dash. Knew there had to be something saying basically it's not okay. Thanks for the 411