$100 No front License plate violation
 

Guess what came in the mail today? A delinquent notice from "DPT" (Department of Parking & Traffic" for $100. I bought a used Brickyard (Base) and the previous owner/dealer didn't put the front license plate bracket. I've only had the car 10 days when they issued the ticket. Funny thing is that they didn't put anything in my windshield.

I just got the letter today since DMV didn't get the paperwork from the dealer till a few days ago.

I'm sure I can send them a copy of my invoice with the date of purchace to show them proof or a letter saying that I'm in the process of BUYING a bracket.

I put my front license plate in my passenger side windshield for now (is this legal?).

I guess I need to save up $$ to get that bracket from courteseyparts since i'm not drilling ANYTHING on my Z.

This happened in San Francisco BTW. My car was just parked.

hey man, i think you've mistaken. when i was cited for a no front license plate ticket, they just told me to fix it (put on a license plate), show it to ANY cop that i can find and ask him to sign the back of the ticket to verify that i have corrected the violation. then i can mail the signed ticket along with $10 processing fee to the DMV or wherever place.. (u'll have to check on your ticket for the place to mail it to, i forgot) and that's it... i think the $100 is the price you have to pay if you DONT correct the violation or it's overdue. By the way, all i did was ziptied the plate onto my grill and after i turned in my papers, i took it right off :D

hope this helps.. i live in san jose by the way.

-w.dN*

just re-read your post.. missed the delinquent notice part =P i guess just prove them wrong with your paperworks at court then? btw, its illegal to put license plate on ur dashboard... i heard that from a cop in person.

-w.dN*

Sorry, on the dash inside the windshield isn't legal, at least in CA. It is supposed to be mounted on the front of the car. I heard in CA they've been cracking down on the no front plate thing but, they usually don't give you that ticket unless you are getting a ticket for something else.

Conversation usually goes:

Cop: Do you know why I pulled you over?
Driver: No I don't officer.
Cop: Want to explain to me in 25 words or less why I shouldn't give you a ticket?
Driver: Well, uh um yah ... yaddah yaddah yaddah
Cop: Sorry, you used up all 25 of your words and I'm giving you a ticket for ((WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE, INSERT HERE.)) Oh, and by the way here are tickets for NO FRONT PLATE, TINT >70% and no CARB sticker for that supercharger.
Driver: (Quiet grumble) (Calculating ticket cost and new insurance rate.)
Cop: Ya'll have a good day now and drive safely.

Front plate laws suck! I have been running without a front plate since I bought the car last February without getting cited. (Knock on wood!) The car looks so much better without the front plate!

I have my plate up on the dash and I'm in SF all the time... I acknowledge that I've been lucky for a long time now though. When you're outside of SF, other areas don't really enforce the front plate laws as strictly... no probs in Marin and the East Bay.

As far as that ticket, guess you can look forward to a court date to get out of this one. :(

BTW Ninetysix, where in SF were you parked?

Car was parked on Folsom Street. I doubt I'm going to court. I can just show them my temp registration or a copy of my invoice. It'll clearly show that I just got the car and it's not my fault for not having the front license plate. I'll tell them that I'm in the process of ordering a Zee-Bracket.

Good luck with the DPT. They are out for whatever they can get. I was parked on California St and exceeded my parking meter by just a few minutes because I was trying to get change for it. I'm not too upset that I got a ticket for the meter because I could of went out there earlier to put money in but I procrastinated. While I was talking to the metermaid, I didn't notice that someone's excellent parking abilities had busted my license plate frame. The frame is broken and the plate is still laying on the street in front of my car, the other cop gives me a ticket for no front plate even though I said that I would get another frame on the way home and mount it. DPT ignored my request to waive the fix it ticket so I still had to pay for ticket processing and get it signed off.

oh god. SF sounds like a sh*tty place just bcuz of tht. My G35 only has a front plate because the dealer was COOL enought to drill the bumper FOR me...

As a retired cop (a large CA city) I can assure you that I never would ask anyone if they knew why I stopped them. I would tell them straight up, I Stopped you because I observed that (for example) you don't have your front license plate on your car. I would then ask for an explanation and if it was reasonable, then merely a warning to correct was sufficient or the actual "fix-it" citation.

Personally, I don't like the way the front plate looks on the Z but I do understand that there is a valid law enforcement purpose for it. If you want me to I can go into it in depth and cite numerous instances where the front mounted license plate resulted in the apprehension of serious felons.

My dealer did that to me too :mad: Check to make sure that the screws that affix the plate to the plate holder weren't too long. Mine were and they gouged the bumper, this in addition to the holes :mad: Got the dealer to fix the gouges, but not the holes.

If you are interested in a quick fix to the holes:
Someone on the board suggested using nylon plugs to seal the drilled holes, so I measured the holes on my car (3/8" dia) and bought two nylon plugs of that size. They were about $.39 each. I painted the plugs (even though they were black and I have a SB) with the touchup paint and then later clearcoated them. They fix into the bumper perfectly and it looks a WHOLE lot better than the big plate holder or gaping holes in the bumper (whichever you chose to do... I did the holes).

Now if I need to put on the plate, I can get the Z-Bracket or use some of the zip ties that I bought to take the plate from the dashboard and quickly affix it to the grill. Just some FYI :)

Not flaming or anything here Zcool, but can you please explain a valid law enforcement purpose for the front plate? Do the powers that be truly believe that more felons are caught with 2 plates on a car than with just the rear? We can "cite" instances of where not having a seat belt on saved lives, but we all know that you're better off with one in a crash.

Like I said, no flame here, but I do wonder why the front plate law is enforced in some states and not in others. It seems pretty subjective.

This may be true, but why stop there? I bet you if you put 4 plates on a car (front, back and each door) that they would result in even more "apprehension of serious felons." One plate works for most states. I am certain that California could live with just one.

FRONT PLATES SUCK! I ran without a front plate for a little while.
Of course the Z looks better without it but it's not worth the hassle. Here in SoCal thay will bust your chops about it.
Several guys I know here that dont have the plate have been ticketed. I have the Zee-Bracket. it took just over 5 minutes to install and I can remove the plate anytime I want, just unscrew 2 screws. The inventor of the bracket is a forum member too.

You can get it here
http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...Category_Code=

I highly recommend it.

I'd agree with Yobri. I did exactly like he said, plugged the bumper, touch up paint the plugs then bought a ZeeBracket. Hate the front plate, but IMHO I think doing it that way is a way better option than how it looks mounted to the bumper.
TB

Since I've been seeing a plethora of new red light runner cams in SF, I'm guessing that's the reason why they're so strict about the front plate enforcement. Big revenue maker IMO :icon8: It sucks... there was a thread about this subject before and someone noted that if you are stuck in the intersection, the camera will snap you with an offense :mad:

I've used that same exact argument before in a thread too ;) :)

MY Z has an alumium grill. Will I be able to install the ZeeBracket?

Need for Front License Plate
 

As awful as they look, there is a legit need for front plates.

Front plates are not for traffic cops, they are for the rest of the force. Police need to run plates before they do raids and what not, and a lot of the time the back of the car may not be visible. If the cops don't know who's in the house, they could be putting themselves in danger.

It's really a small price to pay.

No front plate required in Kansas

i did not get a warning when the CHP stop me for not having a license plate in front of my car on a freeway and i have to go to court for it.... the guy from the other forum got a warning at first then the second time he got caught he has to show at court.. why do i have to show at court for the first offense....