Front Plate & Maryland Cops

[sonnyjack]

I picked up my tags today and I think I'm going to run with just the rear one for the moment. The thought of drilling into a perfectly fine bumper just seems wrong. For anyone in the Washington D.C. area, have you had any run-ins with police over the missing tag? If so what was the hit? I have heard $50-60.

Somewhat related; Isn't the front tag where the state troopers aim their lasers?

Off topic: After 2000 miles I have to say that this is about the sweetest ride I have ever driven in terms of performance and daily driving. One funny note is that one of the neighborhood kids told my daughter that he really liked my car but he wanted to know why I didn't get an M6!! :dunno:

I briefly flash-backed to the "money-tree" speech we got as kids, but I decided just to let it slide.

Kids!!:)

[bren]

Some cops care...some don't. IIRC $60 sounds about right.

[bzap]

I dont have a front tag on my M3 either. If it had a bracket already, then I would have put the tag on. But it didn't have the mount, so I just keep the front plate in the trunk in case of an issue with the police. I think the fine is like $60, but don't quote me on that. Someone once told me that if you have no place to affix the tag to the front of the vehicle (ie- no indent area, plate bracket, etc) you could get away with not having one, but I doubt this is actually true.

A funny side story, got pulled over once late at night, about 20 over limit. Cop asked for license & registration, but never looked at the front of the car because we pulled over in such a way he could not see we had no front plate. Got off with a warning, and no citation for the missing plate. So, in my opinion if you dont piss off the cops too bad with crap driving, then you will not have any issues. Most of them won't blame you for not wanting to srew up your beuatiful M3. :D

[Pinecone]

IIRC it was only $45. :)

[sonnyjack]

IIRC it was only $45. :)

Sounds like a bargain to me!

Many thanks to everyone for their input.

[Estoril]

I've been running without one - but no complaint if my time comes. Others have not been so fortunate. Some folks have gotten (no) front plate tickets while parked.

And yes, the front plate is their primary target for laser.

[SP330]

Thank God I Live in PA :angel: .

Lol @ "why not get an m6?" I'd simply reply "Are you going to pay the near $40-50K difference for me to get one?"

I think you should just drive without them, the tickets can be considered as a "cosmetic cost" lol.

[AzNMpower32]

And yes, the front plate is their primary target for laser.

So if it isnt there, what do they use?

With the ugly nose mask isn't on the X3, I also lack a front plate since I took it off to better accomodate the nose mask. So far, MD cops haven't said anything. I think it'll be a secondary offense or something they'll tack on after they catch you for speeding or somethin.

[von_zoom]

My son drives an M3, lives in Virginia, has his front tag fitted to a front bumper tag mount, but keeps it in the car on the floor somewhere in easy reach! He refuses to drill a hole in the bumper too. I kid him about it, but he doesn't mind sweating the ticket. Sez he will show it to the officer when asked, explaining the truth, he does not want to drill a hole in his bumper. So far, he has been lucky.
vz

[Nuklhedxdc5]

i asked a cop if i can get in trouble for not having front plates, and he admitted himself there isnt a set rule on whether you should have them or not. corvettes and some bimmers and such dont come with a lil slot for the plates, and most cops wont care. and i quote him, "only rookies, thinking they the **** for being a cop, would give such citations."

[ThatOneGuy]

We have the same law in CA, but it's $110 fine or a $10 fix-it ticket. I won't drill my bumper either. I was pulled over a few weeks ago. The cop asked me why I didn't have a front plate. I looked him right in the eye (ok, his mirrored sunglasses) and told him I did, in the trunk, but I could bring myself to drill holes in the bumper and that I thought the plate looked terrible. He stared at me for about 15 seconds and said, "ok, I think you should have one, have a nice day." That was it.

Honesty is the best policy.

[Estoril]

So if it isnt there, what do they use?



Depending on the car - a headlight or the windshield.

[ThatOneGuy]

Depending on the car - a headlight or the windshield.


Have your plate on the dash/windshield is like having a flying razor blade in the car in the event of an accident. You can order the OEM plate holder from any dealer.

[peoe2]

I've seen a few cops in MD without a front license plate on their own police car even with the black license plate holder mounted on the bumper.

More and more MD cars on the road don't have a front license plate.

[mjm3]

I got a ticket in MD for failure to display my front tag on 83 coming back from PA. $60. I think the bracket costs more than that, plus front tags are fugly.

"A plate on the dash is like a flying razorblade in an accident"?? That's an urban legend told by cops to scare you into drilling through your bumper. If you hit something and the plate is on your dash, the only direction it's going is forwards towards/ against your windshield just like everything else in your car.

[jesimmons]

Only slightly off topic... But Don't red light cameras need to see front plate? Or do they focus on rear plates? Given the rise in use of Red light cams - if they depend on a front plate being mounted, I wouldn't be surprised if front plates become more mandatory.

In Virginia we are supposed to have both plates mounted. I never realized BMWs didn't come with front license plate mounts. Hmmm. My new 535i arrives in a few weeks so I guess I'll have to deal with it.

[UFANS]

I wouldn't care as much about the $60 ticket than the excuse for the cops to pull you over whenever they wanted to. Some cops just need the excuse to pull you over so they can catch you with other stuff or just to occupy their time. ... that's my Monday cynicism for you

[pseto]

Only slightly off topic... But Don't red light cameras need to see front plate? Or do they focus on rear plates? Given the rise in use of Red light cams - if they depend on a front plate being mounted, I wouldn't be surprised if front plates become more mandatory.

In Virginia we are supposed to have both plates mounted. I never realized BMWs didn't come with front license plate mounts. Hmmm. My new 535i arrives in a few weeks so I guess I'll have to deal with it.

Your car will only come with mounted front plates if you pick up your car from a dealership in a state that requries it. for example, I'm sure both MD/VA require front plates, so those dealers will put those front mounts on for you upon delivery. However, I picked up my car from the PCD in SC where they do not require front plates, so they werent installed :)

[bknauss]

Only slightly off topic... But Don't red light cameras need to see front plate? Or do they focus on rear plates? Given the rise in use of Red light cams - if they depend on a front plate being mounted, I wouldn't be surprised if front plates become more mandatory.

In Virginia we are supposed to have both plates mounted. I never realized BMWs didn't come with front license plate mounts. Hmmm. My new 535i arrives in a few weeks so I guess I'll have to deal with it.

My closest answer from experience is that the speed cameras will take a picture of the rear plate. I don't know exactly how the red light cameras work, so don't know if its front, rear, or both.

And slightly on topic... anyone else in MoCo a bit enraged that cops are refusing to pay for their speeding camera tickets? They're claiming the car belongs to the state, therefore they don't have to deal with it.

[Z4 Steve]

In California we have the same law about front license plates. However I don't have a front plate on my Z4. It came without the bracket and I refuse to drill holes in the bumper. I have yet to receive a ticket.

[DRKREVRND666]

im in md and i have a front plate but i want to get a euro plate think that would surfice and where do you get them with the same numbers on it as the md tag

[GBauer]

im in md and i have a front plate but i want to get a euro plate think that would surfice and where do you get them with the same numbers on it as the md tag

Don't do it. You'll get a ticket faster than no plate at all.

[tc in md]

I received a warning last week while entering the arrival (lower) level of BWI Airport. Cop was directing traffic and pulled me over for no other reason than the missing front plate!

Jerk couldn't spell "Lincoln" either. I was driving a Lincoln Navigator, which hasn't had a front plate for most of the ten years and 250k miles I've owned it because it has a ****ty front plate bracket that has broken twice, so I gave up bothering with it.

Anyone else had any strange problems with airport nannies?

[jabdelja]

just got a ticket for no Plate on the front in hanover Virginia i was driving back to DC...i was going to the speed limit and everything....cop just didnt like how beautiful my car was so he was mean.....

[Rolling Guy]

I received a $65 dollar citation for no front plate. If they see/notice it, they will get you. I went months without being seen, but the first cop that did see it, tracked me down a block down the road.

[Elias]

My CA asked me if I wanted them to drill holes in my bumper to put the front license plate on. I took one look at my nice clean bumper and said no way its too nice looking to put holes in it, so I left the front plate off. We'll see what happens!

[Neon01]

I drove my 2004 M3 in NoVA (not every day) for 2 years and never had a problem without a front plate, despite the usual draconian nature of NoVA cops. I moved to MD (not even near a city) and got 4 tickets in about 2 years. Each one was $40-60. One of these included a ticket from a federal jurisdiction when I had to drive my front plate-less car onto Aberdeen Proving Ground for work. Those military installations will get you every time.

Ultimately I got fed up and bought one of those Skeet "low profile" brackets that don't drill into the face of the bumper. You do have to make two small holes, but they're under the front bumper, and can't be seen unless you really contort yourself to find them. Even a detailer might miss them.

[tricura]

I was told by a police officer, they look for no front tags because of stolen vehicles. I would rather them be pulling people over for that then not checking at all. Ever since I have put mine back on I have not been messed with.