John NY-Naples

After 1 year of ownership, and after trying various options, last week I decided to go with the Show n Go plate holder, where you can stow the plate underneath the bumper, and display it by merely pulling it out. It works great. Pics are below.

In any case, after not once having any trouble with the police for not displaying the front plate, I get pulled over on 684 by a state trooper. I was not speeding, and in fact, because of traffic, probably was travelling below the speed limit. I pull over, and the trooper asks for my license and registration. I give them to him, and I ask him why he stopped me. He says that I did not have a front plate. I told him I did, and I pulled out the plate. He then told me that I need to have it up all the time, and that stowing it underneath the bumper doesn't work. He let me go with a warning.

I guess timing is everything. I"m sure I would have gotten a "fix-it" ticket if I wasn't able to simply pull out the plate. It's not a perfect solution, but a workable one.

Phil G.

Sounds like a cop with too much free time on his hands. Maybe if he was off fighting real crime instead of hassling BS stuff like this....

AP997S

Mention that to the officer while you've been stopped and see how far that gets you. You'll hear words like "Please get out of the car sir".

I know . . . Been there . . . Done That!

Phil G.

Believe me, I would be thinking it - not saying it. Thank goodness, here in PA front plates are not required. New cars to dealers all come through without brackets.

Tone

Does that plate recude your ground clearance when stowed?

Edgy01

I still don't understand the issue so many here have with front plates. In a day when the police will look for any excuse to pull you over why essentially rub their noses in it? I have to agree with the officer that 'possession' isn't enough,--it has to be displayed at all times. If you take that logic a step further perhaps you can stuff the REAR plate in the trunk, too, and then pull it out only have you have been stopped and forced to prove the car is registered.

Every European nation requires front plates to be displayed at all times, so this issue has never been a problem over there. Why it is happening in the USA is beyond me.

Rather than drill holes in a painted surface I mounted mine a little lower and avoided that.

RF5BPilot

Too bad the Show n Go mount isn't electric with a remote.

Nicolaasdb

we are not in Europe Edge01.....believe me I have lived there and passing other cars on the left is a HUGE no no as well.....Lucky for you that your P is the same color as your license plate...but it still doesn't look very good. ( I am talking about the license plate infront...not you car...love the color!!)

John NY-Naples

It reduces it by the thickness of the plastic mount, which is about 1/4 of an inch.

John NY-Naples

For me, it's pure aesthetics. I don't like the way the car looks with the front plate. My solution is to display the plate when driving out of town, but to stow it in town, where the local police are friendly, and aren't bothered by the missing front plate.

jnx

Dan, I like your idea. Care to show how you did it.

Thanks,
Jay

clif

i used larry the mower axle guys method. they take a tow hook , cut off the loop and drill it out. you put it in the tow hook hole and can remove it at any time. i did not want holes in the car as i will be moving to delaware at some point which has not front plate

axhoaxho

I am hesitate to share my trick, but here it goes...

After I took delivery of my car, I never put my license plate on. Instead, I kept the new car dealer-name paper license on the rear, and kept the temperary DMV new car sticker on the front windshield.

I kept the DMV license in the trunk of my car. In case if the police stops me and ask why I didn't put my license on the car. I would act dumb politely, and told them that I didn't know how to put the plate on my car, plus I will promise to go to the dealer the next day to have them put the license on the car for me.

I have been doing this on my cars for years. From the police point of view -- my car looks like I just purchased it days from the dealer, and haven't received the DMV licence yet.

Normally, if I just drive politely and within traffic limits. Police didn't even bother stopping me. I always volunteerly wave and smile to the police when I see them, and they always ***, smile, or even wave back.

ADias

WHOOA!

rmillnj

That is not going to work in NJ. Our temporary registration plates are a license plate sized piece of paper that has to go on the back windshield or front windshield for a cab. And that thing is uglier than any front plate.

It is just not worth giving the police an excuse to pull you over anytime they want. And telling them you don't know how to attach a plate or that you didn't realize the temporay registration had expired months ago is likely to get you in even more trouble.

I heard that here in NJ one of our legislators has introduced legislation to discontinue the front plate. It would supposedly be a cost savings to the state, but the police are against it. All of us NJ guys should find out where that piece of legislation is and start writing letters.