texas front plates

Some here in texas put their front plate on the dash behind the windshield. Recent court ruling found this is against transportation code. Happy reading: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-appeals/1374255.html

 

We'll that just blow's - I run my 96 Impala SS (22K original on the clock) with no front plate cause it looks like crap with it - IMHO.

I usually slide it on the dash when I see a LEO!

 

well, it just gives the police a justified reason to pull you over. my guess is that only a true dick would issue a ticket.

 

i've run with my front tag off for almost a year and no heat as of yet (knock on wood)

 

Its stupid to have to run a front plate, but have you seen the Blk and white retro antique plates around?

 

I've seen a silver second generation Tacoma at the movie theater with the plates that you speak of. looks very clean and tasteful imho.

 

The problem now days is that every town and dot-on-the-map is using their cops for revenue. These podunk cops are handing out tickets left and right trying to raise money for their town from the people passing through.

 

Doesn't sliding a rough edged piece of metal haphazardly into place on the dash when seeing a LEO scratch it up? IMHO that would be worse than just having a plate on the front. Yeah, it sucks but thems da rules. This battle ain't worth the time, money or hassle so I just comply.

 

It's a retarted law. I know the cops complained about it when you didn't have to have one on the front. They didn't have anything to aim at for laser radar from what I heard from a cop. Lazy cops go bust real criminals.

 

I didn't/don't run front plates on my Cts-V or the Taco because I refuse to drill holes in the fascia. I got pulled over a couple different times(usually for another offense). First course of action would be to blame the dealership which worked one time in the Caddy and one time in the Taco. This however did not work a couple times and I left with tickets. I got both of them easily dismissed by going home, attaching suction cups to the license plate and sticking it to the fascia, I then snapped a couple low-quality phone pics and took that to court(I made them low-quality so you couldn't make out the mounting hardware). Both tickets were dismissed without a problem.

 

It's not a probable cause offense... meaning, the cop probably will not pull you over for that alone. Even if you were doing everything correctly and the cop pulls you over, its your word against the officer's and its a whole lot more drama than what its worth.

With that being said, if you run without a front plate, then go for it. Just don't bitch when a ornery cop pulls you over and gives you a ticket.

 

i may jinx myself, but i have never run a front license plate.

i have had vehicles in TX since 1981

 

Yeah but the big pissoff is the scratch the plate leaves. I didn't even have it on for two weeks and it dug into the paint

 

Your sooo wrong, an offense against the traffic code is probable cause.

 

x2. the court case that was in the link in my first post reaffirms that a police officer can stop you for not having a front plate. the court also set guidance on what the front of the vehicle is, so plates on the dashboard can't be mistaken for being on the front of vehicle.

 

Go talk to an attorney (not your paralegal buddy) and then tell me that.

-edit-
Focus: Find someone who has gotten a ticket for solely the missing front license plate. Chances are, you aren't going to find anyone; if they DID receive a ticket for the missing license plate it was more than likely piggybacked on some other violation is IS a probable cause offense eg speeding, driving recklessly, etc.

 

i'll agree that probable cause was the wrong term used. maybe more like reasonable suspicion, not even sure if that's the correct legal term.

 

Probably. Its been awhile.

I'll ask today if I get a chance.

 

What's funny, is being in Texas most of my life, that was the first thing I noticed when moving to Missippippi. No front lisence plates anywhere. I like sport'n my plates. Texan Proud!

 

True!

But they can pull you over for also having anything covering the plate (front or back) in any way - Which means everyone running around with those dealer frames are breaking a law. If like you said earlier the LEO wants to be a "dick"


Last year a lady t-boned an old car I was using a daily driver. I had clear plastic covers on the plates-nothing more. When the HC Sheriff investigator came to write the accident report, he looked at the vehicle and commented “ya know, I could write you tickets for having a cover on that plate even though they are not obstructing the view of the plate”.


Not that it would help in a defense of not having no-front plate. But it just shows that there are a lot of people breaking some kind of law on the road - big and small.