Does Your State Require a Front License Plate? Ask Mr. Traffic.

We're not motorists...we're *revenue sources.*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jun 13 2007, 05:43 PM) [snapback]461140[/snapback]</div>

Why would that be an revenue source when they must make 2 plates? One plate MUST be cheaper than two.
Even if they are made by Paris Hilton.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ Jun 13 2007, 02:56 PM) [snapback]461150[/snapback]</div>

The revenue comes from the ticket they issue you (~$75) for not having a front plate. I got a front plate affixed immediately thereafter.

 

oops. [shrug]

 

I object to having two plates. I once saw two cars pass me with the same plate. Obviously they had taken the front one off of one car and put in on the other.

The same thing could happen with a thief. If they steal your front plate, or replace it with another one, then affix the front plate to the back of their car, it would be a while before you noticed.

If there is only one plate on the back of a car, everyone assumes the front plate is back in someone's garage.

If there is only one plate, it becomes THE plate. States with only one plate don't have this swap and switch problem, the plate becomes a unique identifier.

Nate

 

It's amusing that someone got a ticket for no front plate, but in the city where I live, the Police let people parallel park *facing the wrong way on a two way street,* and don't ticket them.

Seems to me that this is significantly more of a safety issue than whether my car has a plate on the front or not.

As I said, it's primarily about revenue generation...and actually serves to cheapen the legitimacy of laws which have actual purposes over and above that.

It's also amusing that this is a 'state's rights' thing...like it's really important to allow some Americans to live in an area where they can have one plate...while others have the choice of living where two is the norm.

 

My most beloved live and let live (yeah right) state of California would be a three plate state if they could figure out where to require a third plate, but at least the Oakland contabulary lets pass a vintage Mercedes I see in the BART parking lot on weekends with the best (but technically illegal) plate combination I've seen:

Front plate: A facsimile British license plate that reads "SELL HIGH"

CA Rear plate: (Authentic, the real McCoy) "BUY LOW"

The owner of that Mercedes must have jumped for joy when he found "BUY LOW" still available at the DMV.

That British plate may be authentic too, but I don't know the British provisions for vanity plates so I'll assume it's a facsimile (a good one).

I've seen it in the BART lot on many weekends, never with any telltale unwelcome pink flyer tucked beneath the wiper blade.

Mark Baird
Alameda CA

 

When I went to pick up my new Prius, the dealer was about to drill the holes in the front bumper for the license plate frame. I live in Indiana.... I nearly had a heart attack. They look SO much better when the front is without plate. (I told the dealer, they about lost the sale...)

 

So I presume that if I drove to California with my one-plate Prius that they wouldn't ticket me because where the heck am I going to get another one? Michigan only makes one of each plate.

 

Duh, they will only ticket you if you are from a state that requires two plates.

 

And this has been today's edition of Answers To Questions Asked Two Years Ago. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the HD vs Blu Ray debate.