wait, there's no CHP in la canada...there's only the sheriff's station [they themselves differentiate between the 'sheriff's station' cops and the CHP].. do you mean the altadena CHP or the sheriff's station on briggs?

 

lol ok.....yeah the CHP by watershed. I could **** on it from La Canada if the wind was right.

 

you should try.

we all should.

that REALLY makes me glad i didn't go to the CHP though... i rigged up my plate to look like it's bolted on but the bracket's actually zip-tied... if a cop did more than look at it he'd figure it out.

eesh.

 

keep in mind, it's no longer just a "sign off"....the ticket needs to be stamped by the office of the dept.

i had an uncle of mine sign off on mine and when i took it in they said from now on they only take tickets that are signed AND stamped by the department, NOT just signed.

 

As long as they dont make me pay some rediculous amount because I don't have the car anymore I should be okay.

 

Ignorant question - do they really harass you in CA if you don't have a front plate? Is it just something that happens in the LA area, or are they sticklers for this violation in San Diego? Do you get parking tickets or is it considered a moving violation? Is there no way to just pay the fine and move on? My new car actually doesn't have a place for a front plate, and there's no way in hell I'm drilling into the bumper.

 

well it's a california law, not an LA-only law. i've gotten the plate fix-it ticket twice. the first was up in berkeley. i had a 'cal' logo plate on instead of a # plate on. it was written by a meter maid, which SUCKS... those b1tches are one angry posse of ticket-writing ******. plus the bay area LOVES to suck the soul [and money] out of you with parking tickets and 'city ordinance' tickets galore.
the second one was a piggyback onto a speeding ticket, happened a few months ago. i had dealer plates on but i also had my registration so the cop didn't believe my silly little fib that the plates were lost in the mail [truth was i was waiting for my vanities].

i've heard of a lot of people getting pulled over for something else, but the cop letting them go with just a plate fix-it ticket, if applicable.
depends on the cop's mood, ticket quota fulfillment, your rapport with the cop, etc.

for both of my tix i "fixed" the plates, got the ticket signed/stamped by a meter maid/cop [there's a place on the back for this] and payed a $10 processing fee to the court.

oh yeah.. it's not a parking ticket, nor is it a moving violation. it's a "correctible violation" which is indicated by the box they check under...well..."correctible violation."

 

yea man, i was thinking the same way. yea, for the Z there is a spot for the front plates but when i bought my Z there wasn't anything drilled.

when i fix mine, i'm just going to zip tie it on and if they hassle me i was just thinking of telling them i don't have a place to put them without drilling and zipties are my only option. i don't know, if they ask me...i'll let you know my outcome...


...which brings me to my next question. do the plates HAVE to be mounted with a bracket??? is it the law for them to be drilled to the front? anybody know?

 

the law states that the plates need to be "securely fastened" so i think it really depends on what kinda mood the cop is in, and whether or not he considers zip ties to be secure.
what i did was zip tie the bracket onto the plastic crap under the bumper [you know, where the tow hook is, that cheapo gray plastic 'grill' thing] then bolt the plate onto the bracket.
i'll post pics when i get home, it totally looks clean.

 

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd3c1a9.htm

"5201. License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible."

"5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear. (b) When only one license plate is issued for use upon a vehicle, it shall be attached to the rear thereof , unless the license plate is issued for use upon a truck tractor, in which case the license plate shall be displayed in accordance with Section 4850.5.
Amended Sec. 27, Ch. 594, Stats. 2003. Effective January 1, 2004."


oh yeah, and go sign this petition to eradicate cali's front plate law:
http://www.petitiononline.com/caplate/petition.html

 

While it sounds like I'm splitting hairs, the above clauses don't state it has to be affixed to the front bumper?

 

um, yes it does. if you had 2 plates issued to you [ALL cars in sold in the past like, 20 yrs in cali have had 2 plates issued] then you must have BOTH plates fastened to the car.
if you click the first link you can get more details on where they're supposed to be positioned, for instance, how high up from the ground, etc.


edit:
i see what you mean... no it doesn't say it has to be affixed to the front bumper. but it states a certain number of inches up off the ground... hold on let me look.

edit 2:
The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground"

that's all it says about positioning.

 

Front window it is?

 

sure if you want that sharp piece of metal to go flying if you get into an accident or have to hit your brakes hard

hmmm.. maybe if you "securely fasten" it inside the window...

 

I've had friends get **** for having it in the front windshield. Maybe you should carry around a copy of the DMV manual or vehicle code or whatever.

Although it does sound "technically" ok if it is secured.