Recall of Texas Front Plate Law

[CAMAC]

Hi,

If you live in Texas you maybe interested in a petition to recall the law on front plates.

Check out the petition at

[Dave@Moon]

It'll never happen. You'll be told that it makes the law enforcement officers' job easier in being able to record and identify vehicles from either the front or rear. You won't be told that front plates make laser based speed detectors much more effective. (That's also why virtually every plate in the country now has a white background, and why there's suddenly a "need" among professional speeders to cut glare from plate reflections using polarized plastic plate shields .)

[rocketraider]

And might explain why our friendly Commonwealth made plastic plate covers illegal last year. Tinted ones had been verboten for several years, but last year the law was expanded to include any and all- even factory installed ones.

Virginia has nearly 200 specialty plates available, and the law grumps about almost every new one that comes out. But the Commonwealth makes a pile of money off them, so they stay. The cops did manage to get the "Autumn Leaves" plate changed, but that one was hard to read as originally issued.

As I have mentioned before- the police lobby is very powerful in Richmond. Second only to the insurance lobby.

[grisrenard]

I drove a Jaguar for 4 years without a front license plates. I have been stopped numerous time and received a ticket - for speeding, but never for a missing front license plate. If pulled over as long as the front license plate is laying on your dash board it is considered a legal placement of the plate.

[Guest SalG (Sal Grenci)]

the link did not take me to the plate petition, just to the petition web site and gave me several unwanted ads. Come up with a better link.

[ex98thdrill]

In New York I could see them doing it just so they can increase their profit margins without having to increase the price on their plates.

[6219_Rules]

In Colleyville, Texas (just outside Ft Worth), my son was arrested in a 1988 Camero (very red) by an over zelous police officer of the same town ( a small unincorporated township just north of Euless-Bedford with an average income of +$300.000) where his mother and he lived.

The cop said he stopped him because there was no front license plate. Then proceeded to pull his gun and rough up the boy. We still do not know what percipitated the arrest other than the officers excuse that he thought he saw something being thrown out of the car. Or was it the missing front plate? Well, the up shot of this little episode was an apology from the mayor, the car being sold and the officer losing his job...he had a reputation apparently.

Oh...and by the way, my son was innocent of any wrong doing...he just looked out of place in an old Camero, red of course, in a rich neighborhood. Hmmmm.

Did I forget to mention the missing front plate?? The police car did not have one either.

The experience led me to look into it for a bit and found that this law is used more often than not as an excuse or throw away to stop a vehicle when the officer is suspicious. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt (I support many Police organizations and have for years).

In my view, this law should either be repealled or policed properly but not used in this fashion.

Colorado has the same law and I suspect use it the same way. Bottomline...get that front plate or you too may be stopped one windy night for no apparent reason and later learn that "Well you did not have a front license plate, so...". <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

[CrestaMan]

Hi,

Like most vehicle laws they are made with good intent for public safety or curbing illegal practices, which most time they fail, and just make life difficault for joe public.

For instance an EU directive from the penpushers in Brussells means to to get a number plate made we have to produce the cars log book, drivers license etc.. This ment that when I hired a trailer and van I couldn't get a rear plate made as I obviously didn't have the van's logbook..

Whilst chatting in the local car accessory shop an old boy came in wanting a plate made up for his son who was stuck in southern France with a broken plate and the local cops wouldn't let him go untill it was replaced. Of course the log book was in his sons name so the shop could not make one. I wonder if his son ever got his car home or did he end up walking......

As for speeding cameras the cops now more interested in catching people doing 33 in a 30 zone or no road tax which all generate huge incomes for the police and government than checking for cars with no insurance, no MOT certificate or even worse drunks as these only cost lives......

Looking of the bright side though at least unleaded is back below 80p ($1.40) a litre... End result taking both a '50 Cad and '56 Ford to car show 120 mile away cost about £90 ($160) plus £10 entry £4 for the toll bridge...And I still didn't sell the ford........

[ted sweet]

that won't cut in NY, try a 75 buck fine.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I drove a Jaguar for 4 years without a front license plates. I have been stopped numerous time and received a ticket - for speeding, but never for a missing front license plate. If pulled over as long as the front license plate is laying on your dash board it is considered a legal placement of the plate. </div></div>

[Guest Skyking]

Florida is the only state I know of which only uses a rear plate.....How many other states use only one plate ?????

[Dave@Moon]

PA only uses a rear plate, ditto for Indiana.

[Dave@Moon]

Just found this web page [color:\\"red\\"](see note in red!) :

<span style="font-weight: bold">License Plates

States that require front/back license plates:

Alaska, American Samoa, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, British Columbia, Manitoba (newly issue plates), New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

States that require only a rear license plate :

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba (New plates are front/back in 1997), Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Yukon Territory

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Info:

Some states have attempted to require front license plates. Those states include Indiana and Louisiana.

Colorado and Montana legislature has attempted to becoming single plate states but have met strong resistance from the law enforcement community.

Connecticut and Massachusetts is in transition from being a single plate state to requiring front and back plates. On older cars, only a single plate was issued, therefore, those cars would continue to display a single plate. When dual plates were issued, they are required to display dual plates.

[color:\\"red\\"]When registration laws are enforced most states that require 2 license plates will enforce the front license plate law on out-of-state motorist if their state requires a front license plate.

Manitoba issues 2 plates but the front plate is optional on the old issue but are mandatory on new issue. </span>

[EdA]

Not only does North Carolina not require a front plate, but it allows us to drive our antique autos with an antique license plate on the rear as long as it is a North Carolina plate issued the same year as the car was built (so I drive my 1934 Rolls Royce with a restored, but original 1934 NC plate on the rear). The car must be registered and you must have a current NC license plate in the car, but it doesn't have to be visible. We also get a property tax break - any car registered with an antique auto plate is taxed at a maximum value of $500. So not all states are against old cars. Cops seem to know this law as I've never had one question my 1934 plate - they just wave and smile as the pass me.

Ed A

[Guest Skyking]

Dave, that web page was interesting. I was unaware so few states have safety inspections........Rhode Island should outlaw them, instead they ought to inspect the drivers!

[Dave@Moon]

You should see the joke that passes for a progam in PA. Approx. $58 <span style="font-style: italic">if</span> your car passes, <span style="font-style: italic">and <span style="font-weight: bold">then</span> you can use your equally expensive plates</span> (until <span style="font-style: italic">next</span> year). All that and few cars driven beyond 25K miles can pass w/o work given the strict standards used,.....

....to say nothing of the inherent corruption. The media can pretty much have a ball any time they want by sending lemons or perfect cars in to be inspected. The only thing more shocking than the good parts that "fail" so the garage can make an extra $400 off of you is the frightening number of truly dangerous defects that are missed because they don't fall into the garages' $400 "can do" file! (i.e. A brake shop rarely looks at a car's frame, but will wear out a set of calipers checking your pads.) And don't even think about taking in your car for inspection yourself if you're female!

Some things got much better when I moved to Ohio!

[Guest Skyking]

Dave, I agree with it mostly being a joke. Here in R.I. it cost $47 every 2 years. One of our local News stations recently ran an article on the faulty state school busses that were in service. They certainly don't practice what they preach........This is one of the most corrupt states in the country. The problem being, it's too darn small..........

[Guest Stephen Lyons]

California is a "two plate" state, but this is pretty much only in theory. My informal observation is that at least 10% of the cars being operated on the roadways here are not in compliance with the statute. In a state this size, that's an awful lot of violators! Law enforcement's contention that having two plates on every car is essential to carrying out their duties is a joke, since it obviously is not important enough to enforce.

As you are probably aware, California is still experiencing serious fiscal woes. I recently wrote our new governor suggesting that the gap could be closed somewhat by either directing the state Highway Patrol to start issuing citations for this infraction to generate the fine revenue, or to follow the lead of other states & go to one plate issued & required (which would result in a huge cost savings for the Department of Motor Vehicles, having to have just one plate fabricated for each vehicle instead of two).

I also suggested that since California has a legislative initiative process, that if any such measure ever got on the ballot, I would expect it to pass overwhelmingly.