I removed my front plate today, is that legal? I dont want to be pulled over haha, although I have seen tons of cars without the front plate.

 

Technically, no, it's not legal. *USUALLY* cops don't hassle you about it though unless they're looking for a reason to pull you over. i.e. if you're driving through a speed/revenue trap and they want to have probable cause to stop you and search your car.

But... If you're going to any import meets or other events that often attract cops, you'd better have the plate on the car or on your dashboard. They WILL write you a ticket for it just because they have a reason to.

That said, I've been pulled over twice in six years because I didn't have a front plate. both times, they were just fishing for real violations. both times they looked at my tint, tire tread, turn signals, and headlights. when they couldn't find anything else to write a ticket for, they bitched about the plate and send me on my way.

 

Yeah like matt said it is TECHNICALLY illegal. But so is tint darker than 35% in MA, for example. Mine's darker than that, but it isn't really stressed unless cops are looking for a reason to gitchaaa. Same goes for the front plate.

My boy has pitch black tint and no front plate, and hasn't gotten bopped yet, and it's been like that for a while now, so im sure you'd be fine too lol

 

Technically illegal here in Texas.

I've been pulled over twice, both during this most recent school year in Austin at UT. Both times were at like 2am I believe on weekends, one time I was heading back from downtown with like 6 people crammed in my car hhaa.

They were just looking for drunk drivers I think, just looking for a reason to stop me. First time I got a verbal warning (and a little sheet of paper offering me a $25 gift card to fill out a review thing about my being stopped hahahah) and the second time a written warning.

I now keep my plate in my glove box in case I need to grab it real quick or prove to the officer I have it but am "waiting for the bracket to come in"

 

thanks for the info guys, I think I'll carry it in my glove compartment like you said popcornten and use that same excuse haha.

 

I actually have the bracket in my trunk. The first time I got pulled over I told him I had just gotten it and hadn't put it on yet, I asked him if he wanted to see it in my trunk. He's just like no.... i guess i'll believe you.

 

I've been sdtopped for it several times over the last 5 or 6 years in TX. ticketed twice. both times was told by SAPD to have it installed and it would be dismissed. both times I installed it and the court told me they no longer dismiss tickets. lesson learned - if it's not on the front of the car (on the dash isn't legal just commonly accepted) they can ticket you (then blatantly lie about it being dismissed). i just leave it on for now to avoid being papered until my car's sold and replaced by something better

 

I got a court date tomorrow for no front plate. Im just going to take a few pictures to them with the front plate off, me installing it and it installed. See how that goes...

 

My brother did that and they let it go

 

Not having a license plate displayed to the front of the car is illegal.

You must always display the license plate to the front of the car, it DOES NOT have to be bolted onto the front bumper. Having your license plate on the dashboard IS LEGAL.

If you keep your plate in your glove box then you are basically asking to get pulled over, and the cop can give you a ticket for not displaying your front plate. Having your plate on the windshield is not illegal and if he gives you a ticket, you can take it to court and win all day long.

TX DOT code says your plate MUST BE displayed to the front of the vehicle, but it does not state as to where you should mount it. So mounting your license plate anywhere on the front is perfectly ok, as long as it is visible and not covered up by something else. It is illegal for a police officer to pull you over simply because he can not see your plates, this is harassment. He must have a valid reason for pulling you over and not seeing your plate is not a good enough reason.

This being said I would not suggest you get into a pissing contest with a cop on the side of the freeway, he will probably find some other reason to give you a ticket. I would just take the ticket and take him to court later where you can get the ticket dismissed.

 

I would highly recommend NOT putting your plate on your dashboard. If you get in an accident or the car jerks sharply, that thing could be deadly if it comes flying at your head/neck. The edges are pretty dang sharp.

Can you clarify - is it legal for him to pull you over for not HAVING plates. You said because he can't see them, not having a front plate is a reason he can't see them. I've heard that they can't pull over for a secondary offense such as no front plate or expired stickers.

 

I've been pulled over for just no plate and once for expired sticker, wether they are allowed to or not it happens. the plate on dash situation seems to depend on the officer's interpretation of the legal code. I agree with rabbit in that displaying it from the dash, inside the vehicle or attached to the sunvisor (as a co-worker does) suits the legal code, but a Bexar county sheriff said he's ticketed people for that. as with so many other things, the elgal codes are left intentionally super vague in these situations. agree with popcorn that the plate can become a painful projectile in an accident as can anything else loose inside

 

Got it dismessed, just showed them a paper of my car with no plate, me holding the plate near the front bumper & the plate installed. Maybe a little more than what was needed but it was funny!!! Riding around with no plate is well worth the $10 fee....

 

^^congrats on getting it dismissed.

I've been ticketed for being an idiot and having my front license plate in the trunk of my car, the old excuse of "I just got my frame yesterday" does not work. I took a pic of my car with the plate mounted on the bumper and got it dismissed. That was all before I knew about this Texas Administrative Code. Now I have my plate on my windshield and if I get pulled over again, I'm going to fight it in court.

If I get pulled over for having my license plate on my windshield and I get a ticket I won't fight the officer. (fighting with him will only make him behave like more of an A-hole) 9 times out of 10 the officer will just think I'm being a smart a$$ and give me a ticket anyway. So I'll be polite and take the ticket without a fuss.

I would prove myself in court where I have a much better chance of winning. Read this:

Texas Transportation Code section 502.404(a) requires that a motor vehicle "display two license plates, at the 'front' and rear of the vehicle." Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 502.404(a). The code does not define the "front" of a vehicle.

In State v. Losoya, 128 S.W.3d 413 (Tex. App. - Austin 2004, pet. ref'd) the Court of Appeals decided an issue very similar to that of my callers. In Losoya, the police testified they had noticed a pickup did not have a license plate mounted on the front bumper. Instead, the plate was wedged between the dashboard and windshield. As a result, the police stopped the vehicle believing a traffic violation had occurred. At the suppression hearing the police officer added he could see the license plate in the truck's front window.

The court found the term "front" ambiguous and looked to other factors to determine the meaning of the code section. The court said:


"While a place to display the license plate is usually found on the front bumper, the statute does not expressly require the use of this location. The display of the plate in some other place or manner is not inconsistent with the language or purpose of the statute. The officers testified that they could see the license plate in the windshield. We conclude that Losoya's display of his front license plate in the manner shown here did not violate section 502.404(a) as to give the officers grounds to reasonably suspect a violation of that statute."



This link should clear things up pay close attention to section F

http://secure.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pu...=1&ch=15&rl=54

 

Been pulled over well over 10 times for having no plate. Only got one ticket. Went to the court house with a picture and it was dismissed. No court fees or anything.