Hey guys, I don't know if this is a state thing or a county thing, but here in Houston you have to have a plate on the front. I want to rework the front bumper and I need to find any and all options concerning plates for the front. Not just mounting, but can you have a smaller version of the factory plate on the front? Kind of like a motorcycle plate, but just for the front. Notice how small it is?


What about one of the long Euro shapped plates?
Like this:


Here's a miniture version of the Euro plate:




I wonder if I could get away with something like that for the front of my car?

Use a format like this: "TX BBA-48Q"
Of course I'll still have the stock plate on the back. Think I would be pushing the limits of the law with a custom shapped front plate like that?
What about the smaller version (motocycle sized) front?

The only other thing I can think of is to mount the stock plate in the front window on the drivers side, but that seems a bit tacky.

 

Here is another option. It's a hide-away plate. Click the pic.



It can pop out when you crank up and then tuck away when you park.

Another option I thought of was the old flip plate like the James Bond cars. When parked it would flip and the body shape would blend in like there was no plate. Then crank it up and the whole panel flips to show the plate.

 

I want to run something similar to this front.


How can you possibly mount a front plate that looks good?

I guess the Solstice has the same problem.
I don't really like this:


And this looks like crap:


Maybe I should just leave it off and pay all the tickets I get and just call it the price of beauty?

 

Here's an example of the big plate in rear, little plate up front idea I was thinking of.

 

i say run it with out it, ive onley gotten pulled over once for it and i got a warning

 

I tend to get pulled over a lot.

I guess I could just build my front end however I want and then just add that hideaway motor. Then keep it tucked away. If I get pulled over for no front plate, fain disbelief. "What, it's not there? Let me take a look. Oh, the dang motor thing didn't pop it out like it's supposed to" Then I manually pull the plate out and flip it up. "I'll just leave it like that Officer. Thanks for pointing that out to me, take it easy." Vroooom!

 

I got the "failure to display front plate" added onto my speeding in Feb 2006, and the judge got so tired of me being in his court to argue, it was all dismissed. At the time I was issued the ticket, I cited the license plate reduction bill under the misconception it had been made law and even was going so far as to carry a copy of the bill around. OOPS! Once the officer pointed out to me, the bill never got approved, I put the plate into my front window since I had it in the car. I've since put the plate into my front window up high using 4 suction cups as such:





D

 

I thought about putting it in the window, but I don't want to see it from inside the car or outside the car.

Does anyone know where to find the laws online? I'd sure like to see what I can and can't do.

If they don't have to be visable when parked, I'll make both of them flip so I don't see them when I park and get out of my car. Then crank it up and both pop back into view. I guess this just bugs me more than most folks.

 

No you can't run smaller or euro style plates. It has to be the state issued plate.

I have seen people mount it on the airdam under the chin, but that is an iffy place as far as legality.

 

No smaller plate, must be full size. Must be on the front of the car not in the windshield or on the dash. That is a ticket also if the cop wants to be a d$ck. That being said I have not had a front plate for about 4 years with no problems. I'll just pay the fine.

 

How much is the fine? Depends on the jurisdiction?

 

Probably depends on where you are. I thought someone had said Houston was $75? Not sure

 

Oh, you mean like me?



I'm ditching the air dam, though. That's why I need a new place for the plate.

I also ran it for about 4 years without a plate and then a cop pulled me over specifically for that so I mounted it on the dam. You know, they may go back to not really caring and I can just not run the plate at all. I just hate to be wrong, though.

 

I can't quote word for word what the law says but it does say visible from the front of the car. Does not say clearly that it's required to be on the bumper.

 

What kind of front bumper is this?

 

Yea, has to be displayed to the front of the vehicle. Location is not specified, but for it to be "displayed" it must be visible, so I don't think the airdam really meets that requirement since it's pretty much hidden. The windshield is fine IMO.

 

I'm going through a hassle right now about this. The law as it is stated on the DPS website reads that the vehicle must have a front and rear license plate, but mounting and placement are not defined (see below). If you want support for the location being elsewhere on the front end of the car, refer to Lasoya v. the Texas State Court of Appeals. See below:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/Misc/faq/faq_item.htm

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."

 

A nice one?



Seriously, it's based on the old Morgan Motorsports SD 421 Trans Am.


I don't think it is being sold, but I may be wrong. I'm going to buy the E-1 Fiberglass front bumper and mod it to my own unique design.

I think I just over thinking things. Screw the plate. I'll just take my chances and pay any fines. I've got a good lawyer that takes care of all my speeding related tickets (dismissed!). I wonder if he would deal with front plate citations? Ahh to hell with it.

Anyone know if the plates have to be seen when parked? If not, I'll make the rear one disappear.

 

Just leave your stock front end on it and do like I did. Mount the plate in the intended location on the bumper and then put the filler plate on top of it. If a cop stops you for it just say you didn't know and pull the filler plate off. It worked for me. Might be a problem if you get stopped by the same cop though.



Sorry about the mess. She is being torn down for a tranny swap.

 

I'm swapping the front end first and dealing with the plate second, not the other way around.

If I want to leave the stock front end I would just leave the plate like I already have it.