# Did you run your Euro plates back home?



## eksath (Apr 4, 2003)

Robert A said:


> *Keeping your expired EU tourist plates on your car after your U.S. plates arrive is very ersatz. It makes you look like a showoff -- as tho your car is more "european" than the rest. *


*"ersatz"*...now that is not a word in common use ...kinda off sounds like if u use it in conversation that "*It makes you look like a showoff -- as tho you are more "intellectual" than the rest.*


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

I take that as a compliment!



eksath said:


> *"ersatz"...now that is not a word in common use ...kinda off sounds like if u use it in conversation that "It makes you look like a showoff -- as tho you are more "intellectual" than the rest.  *


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

Jon Shafer said:


> *Wow! Cool! Robert A!
> 
> Nice to see you over here...
> 
> ...


thanks but i took it off after hearing of a fellow fester's chp troubles, i certainly don't need any additional reason to be pulled over.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> *thanks but i took it off after hearing of a fellow fester's chp troubles, i certainly don't need any additional reason to be pulled over.
> *


Really? I never got any crap for mine.... and I know the CHP in back of me one day was giving it a good look one morning on my way to work.... but he just went along his business. :dunno:


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## CalvinH (Apr 5, 2003)

*Euro Plates ...*

Am I jinxing myself by admitting to all of you that while I wait for my California plates I continue to run with both front and rear German (tourist) plates from my Euro delivery? ~ 2 months now although I didn't put them on for a week or so after I picked up the car.

I've had a few additional head turns and one or two oddballs who thought I would respond to their discourteous behaviour (because of the car or the plates or the driver??). I'll keep running them until I get the new Calif. plates or I'm told not to. It seems to make sense that some identifier (beyond the temporary window sticker) is better than none. With the foreign plate an officer can radio the ID in to others; without he has to say that there are no plates or no ID. Which do you think would be easier to track and spot?

CalvinH
2003 540i6 Black Sapphire Metallic on Sand
The last of the great Bimmers!


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

i always thought the zoll plate for the us spec e39 looked kinda funny cuz it's so tall!


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## CalvinH (Apr 5, 2003)

*Euro Plates*

Different strokes for different folks ... I guess. 
While the rear plate is a bit too tall, the front looks good and I would rather run both than just the front - until I get my local plates. Afterward I'll be snobbish as one poster above noted and place the Euro front plate under the California plate (I'll at least try it on for looks).
CalvinH
2003 540i6 Black Sapphire Metallic on Sand


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## Chaaaosss (Feb 9, 2003)

Holy crap, Calvin!

Do you commute in the Bay Area? I'm going to be doing some heavy driving between San Francisco and San Jose using 280 mostly and I'd love to keep my German plates on. That would be wicked.

No problems, eh?

I heard someone else on this board was told to take his off immediately but then I think he had a rear California plate. [Edit: and uh... turns out that was on this thread.]


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## CalvinH (Apr 5, 2003)

>>>>>>>>>>>>.
Holy crap, Calvin! 

Do you commute in the Bay Area? I'm going to be doing some heavy driving between San Francisco and San Jose using 280 mostly and I'd love to keep my German plates on. That would be wicked. 

No problems, eh?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

No problems... I drive almost exclusively in the east bay - Concord/Martinez/Hercules/Berkeley/Oakland/Walnut Creek/Pleasanton and all points between. 

Haven't been on 280 with it (although that stretch used to be quite the crusin route!)

Of course, if I get stopped I'll be sure to post it to the board.
CalvinH


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

i got bored of having a blank space with only the vin sticker in the back so i put the euro plate back on yesterday, when i was out last night, i was stopped at a red light, and this cop car stopped behind me, and i'm wondering if he's going to pull me over cuz he has a damn good view of the plates, where as it's not like both his and my cars are moving and he gets a glimpse but he's stopped right behind me so there's no mistaking it.. i know there's nothing he can do except maybe tell me to take the plate off, but i have 3 other people in my car and i'd really rather not get pulled over.....

so i start moving and he follows for about 10 seconds then he pulls a u-turn, an illegal one mind you, but anyway just wanted to tell you guys about my encounter with a cop directly.

it could be that he didn't want to bother since it is memorial weekend and he's looking out more for drunk drivers and the like.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> *i got bored of having a blank space with only the vin sticker in the back so i put the euro plate back on yesterday, when i was out last night, i was stopped at a red light, and this cop car stopped behind me, and i'm wondering if he's going to pull me over cuz he has a damn good view of the plates, where as it's not like both his and my cars are moving and he gets a glimpse but he's stopped right behind me so there's no mistaking it.. i know there's nothing he can do except maybe tell me to take the plate off, but i have 3 other people in my car and i'd really rather not get pulled over.....
> 
> so i start moving and he follows for about 10 seconds then he pulls a u-turn, an illegal one mind you, but anyway just wanted to tell you guys about my encounter with a cop directly.
> 
> it could be that he didn't want to bother since it is memorial weekend and he's looking out more for drunk drivers and the like. *


I had a CHP follow me on the freeway once for a while... I know he was staring at the plate he was behind me for some time.... after a while he just took the next offramp. Maybe he was just curious.... :dunno:


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## JEM (May 3, 2003)

I've never had both the export plates and the California plate on the cars at the same time. 

When we got the CA plates the export plates came off; they're framed in a sort of montage with a couple pictures of the trips and will go on the wall when we move back into our house.


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## Robert A (May 18, 2003)

Jem: Believe it or not, some folks keep their tourist plates on their cars underneith their U.S. license plate (in the rear), or in place of their U.S. plate in the front. To me this is like saying, "hey look at me, I bought my car in Europe."


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Robert A said:


> *Jem: Believe it or not, some folks keep their tourist plates on their cars underneith their U.S. license plate (in the rear), or in place of their U.S. plate in the front. To me this is like saying, "hey look at me, I bought my car in Europe." *


When they keep the Euro plate underneath the US plate, I think it looks stoopid... :thumbdwn:


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## mbr129 (Aug 23, 2002)

I need two plates in Mass, and frankly I don't see how I could drive the car off the lot without them. But I do have a euro plate (they only let me take one) which I kept.


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## CalvinH (Apr 5, 2003)

*Euro plate under us plate...*

Some think it looks "stoopid", another comment was "Hey, look at me, I bought my car in Europe."

I think it looks good. and so what if some don't like it. Here in the good ol' USA we can enjoy our differences and, hopefully celebrate the privilege of being able to express ourselves freely.

May you enjoy Memorial Day and remember why we have it.

CalvinH
2003 540i6 Black Sapphire Metallic on Sand


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## Lansing (Jul 11, 2002)

*Crazy Question: Running Euro and CA Plates*



eksath said:


> I got the same holes on my 330ci,too..


I know this is going to sound a little anal, but I am following the lead of a fellow-ED friend who runs his Euro plates, but mounted his CA plates over them (in the rear). You can make out the ED plates and it's a great souvenir that makes the car a little unique. No problems with law enforcement, too...

Anyway, the plates mount with dark screws (over my bright white CA plates). The ED plates came with the same screws, but were thoughtfully covered with little white plastic covers making them indistinguishable and less of an eye-sore.

Here's the question... These white "caps" that cover the screws are cool, but now cracked and falling off. Can I get more? Where?

Thanks, all...

Lansing


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Both German plates were on the car when we picked it up. Put a 30 day tag on the back and will keep the front plate until I get it licensed here in MO...we need two (Or we have to have two for some strange reason) The Euro plate goe's on the wall after I get legal, would not keep it on that's silly.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

Lansing said:


> I know this is going to sound a little anal, but I am following the lead of a fellow-ED friend who runs his Euro plates, but mounted his CA plates over them (in the rear). You can make out the ED plates and it's a great souvenir that makes the car a little unique. No problems with law enforcement, too...
> 
> Anyway, the plates mount with dark screws (over my bright white CA plates). The ED plates came with the same screws, but were thoughtfully covered with little white plastic covers making them indistinguishable and less of an eye-sore.
> 
> ...


I had a baggie with 6 of the white caps in my car at re-delivery, give me an address and I'll mail them to you.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

CalvinH said:


> Some think it looks "stoopid", another comment was "Hey, look at me, I bought my car in Europe."
> 
> I think it looks good. and so what if some don't like it. Here in the good ol' USA we can enjoy our differences and, hopefully celebrate the privilege of being able to express ourselves freely.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately a certain oil-boy from Texas is doing everything he can to prevent us from "enjoying our differences and expressing ourselves freely" And it's not a privilege...it's our right by law as written in the Constitution of the United States of America.


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## johnf (Sep 16, 2003)

MD2b said:


> as long as the car is insured and 'real' plates are on the way, does it really matter? to be safe, why not get a temp sticker (or whatever they use elsewhere) until your real tags arrive?


It would be interesting to continue the European Delivery in the U.S.!

Assuming you had paid and registered for more than a month, will Gerling resume the insurance and give coverage for the U.S. once the car is off the boat? (Both become invalid when either the export registration or insurance expire.)


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## JT - '02 330i (Dec 29, 2001)

I've been running my euro plates under my California plate on the rear end for nearly two years. Never been hassled by the cops.

Yes it does scream that, I got my car in europe (or I'm a total poser), and has been a great conversation starter with many people wondering how the car got here from europe.

Hint if you're going to do this, the order it worked best for me was:

Car
Euro plate (with some self stick foam to the back side of the plate)
Plastic plate holder
State License Plate

I'm really happy with the way it makes the car a little different, and reminds me of my days racing down A8 at 135 mph! (GPS verified)

Later!


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## mrbelk (Dec 5, 2003)

Fortunately here in Georgia, we don't have to have a state-issued front plate, so I have my front ED plate on there. Kind of like a college alma-mater plate. I've seen probably 5 or 6 other bimmers around Atlanta with their ED plates on the front, too. I think it looks neat, and gives the car a bit more character.

-MrB


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## rruiter (Feb 10, 2004)

Kartman said:


> You guys have all the luck. I picked up my car this past weekend and was only about 2 miles from home when I pulled over by CHP! Reason: Running the euro plate. He told me that I needed to remove it immediately.
> 
> To make things worse, after pulling off the rear euro plate and the front license plate frame, I discovered that I have 4 holes in my front bumper vs. two. Apparently the guys in Munich used screws that were a bit too long and ended up drilling into the bumper when mounting the temporary German plate.


What is it with these Peoples Republic of California License plate nazi's ???


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

rruiter said:


> What is it with these Peoples Republic of California License plate nazi's ???


Maybe it was dumb luck. I had my replica EU plate on the back for something like 3 months and never got stopped for it. I once even had a CHP on my tail for quite a while and he didn't do anything. I did notice the curious look on his face though in my rear view mirror.


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

mbr129 said:


> I need two plates in Mass, and frankly I don't see how I could drive the car off the lot without them. But I do have a euro plate (they only let me take one) which I kept.


Too bad you don't have the old white with green single plate - i know lots of folks who'd hate to have to go to the new plates!


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## cpat (Mar 13, 2004)

mrbelk said:


> Fortunately here in Georgia, we don't have to have a state-issued front plate, so I have my front ED plate on there. Kind of like a college alma-mater plate. I've seen probably 5 or 6 other bimmers around Atlanta with their ED plates on the front, too. I think it looks neat, and gives the car a bit more character.
> 
> -MrB


Same in Indiana. Still use front plate for wifes XC (ED) and brings questions and allows education to others on the joy of ED. Planning new ED BMW and will also run front Euro plate when home.


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## johnf (Sep 16, 2003)

cpat said:


> Same in Indiana. Still use front plate for wifes XC (ED) and brings questions and allows education to others on the joy of ED. Planning new ED BMW and will also run front Euro plate when home.


Out of curiosity, do people choose the rear, state license plate number to match the European front one?


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

johnf said:


> Out of curiosity, do people choose the rear, state license plate number to match the European front one?


I've seen a couple of cars whose owners have done that....


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## cpat (Mar 13, 2004)

johnf said:


> Out of curiosity, do people choose the rear, state license plate number to match the European front one?


never thought of that option but I guess possibly


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## BillKach (Sep 22, 2003)

ED plates on front and back for over 6 weeks, lots of comments and questions. None from CHP.


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## bbkat (Oct 27, 2002)

Been running the front plate for six months w/o incident. Lots of stares at my front end. But that was happening before I got the car :yikes:


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## johnf (Sep 16, 2003)

BillKach said:


> ED plates on front and back for over 6 weeks, lots of comments and questions. None from CHP.


What? No tickets yet for expired plates?  America still is the land of unlimited possibilities.

I know a guy in Houston who has been running export plates on his car for years because they look better. He keeps a valid set in the trunk, but so far no one has asked to look at them.


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## cronimi (Dec 6, 2003)

I ran my ED plates for about 3 weeks after redelivery. No problems until a sheriff clocked me speeding and pulled me over. Wrote me up for speeding and failure to register. The latter, he said, was an arrestable offense! :yikes: Fortunately, he didn't cuff me, just told me not to drive without NC plates. Then he proceeded to chat with me about the car. :tsk:


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## Roadhawk (May 21, 2004)

I'm awaiting redilivery and have kept my front plate - asume my back plate will be on the car when it arrives. My dealer has told me something to the effect that the Euro plate is good for 30 days in the States - don't know how true this is. Anyway I intend to run it with the Euro plates (if possible) until I get the car registered and get my Virginia plates. Since my dealer is in Maryland they have left all that to me...so it may take a few days till i get around to it - in the meantime I'll run Euro plates - but I don't plan on displaying them on the car after I get VA plates.

BTW - I had the greatest license plate # in Germany - M 3308 Z (for a 330 dropped of and [hopefuly] to be redilvered sometime in August (OK maybe September....)


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## CalvinH (Apr 5, 2003)

M 3301 Z would have been quite cool for a 330i, alas mine was M 69 Z for the early delivery in January. When my 540i arrived in California in March of 2003, I ran both German plates until recieving the Californial plates (plus a few days  . I still run the German plate on the front of my 540i and the California plate on the back. There have been looks/stares, but no officer problems to date. (Hope that my statement doesn't jinx my luck). Maybe it has something to do with the area or my driving while in view of officers or just my number isn't up yet. Whatever the case, I'll post here if that luck runs out!

Cheers,
CalvinH
2003 540i6 Black Sapphire Metallic on Sand
most of the options and a DZ CDV, too!


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## jrubens (Aug 14, 2002)

I re-installed the european plate on the front as soon as I got the car home from the dealer (the dealer plate is still in my trunk, a year later). Louisiana does not require a front plate, so I haven't had any problems.

I did want to run the plate on the back, but the dealer had the temporary tag ready for me and I just couldn't see putting it in the convertible window and blocking my view.

I do have plenty of pictures from Europe with both plates on the car, though!


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## johnf (Sep 16, 2003)

Roadhawk said:


> I'm awaiting redilivery and have kept my front plate - asume my back plate will be on the car when it arrives. My dealer has told me something to the effect that the Euro plate is good for 30 days in the States - don't know how true this is....


The plates are valid until their stamped expiration date as far as the city of Munich and the German insurance are concerned. How your local government and Polizei view decorative bumper filler is another matter.  Unless you requested and paid for a longer running insurance policy, the plates become decoration slightly less than a month after you pick up the car in Munich.


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## Roadhawk (May 21, 2004)

johnf said:


> The plates are valid until their stamped expiration date as far as the city of Munich and the German insurance are concerned. How your local government and Polizei view decorative bumper filler is another matter.  Unless you requested and paid for a longer running insurance policy, the plates become decoration slightly less than a month after you pick up the car in Munich.


makes sense...so yeah mine will be out of date by the time the car arrives..shame....no matter - I may run them a few days before I get my VA plates anyway...


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## Jever (Apr 16, 2003)

Here in KS we don't require a front plate. When I bought my Talon, it had the front plate arleady installed but had one of those dealer advertisement plates in there. I hated it so I figured hell, why not stick my Euro plate up there? It was quite interesting to be in a parking lot or something and someone ask why/how there is a Euro plate on a car that to the best of my knowledge was never sold in Europe.


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## Fuenfer (Apr 24, 2004)

I ran my "Zoll" tags for a month here in NJ without any problems. It typically takes up to a month to get your NJ license plates, and in the meantime, you get to run this temporary paper plate in the rear window -- so I had this in the window and Zoll tags on the car. I got a lot of curious looks from other drivers, but never had an issues with cops until they set up a DWI roadblock in front of my condo. I was coming home rather late from work (so drinking wasn't an issue -- it never is when I'm driving, I won't even have one drink), and given the propensity for Jersey cops to give motorists a hard time (Fort Lee PD loves to sit around and give tix for not coming to a full stop at a stop sign!) I figured I'd be toast for having these plates on the car. 

So at the roadblock, I have a sergeant talking to me through the window, while a rather young looking cop (I'm assuming he was a rookie) walked around the car to check out inspection stickers and registrations. When he got to the rear, he called out to the sarge and asked him to take a look. Sarge walks back there and says, "Oh, that's fine. He's got the temp tag in the window." Then he looks at me and says, "Nice car!" and tells me to be on my way. 

I left these plates on the car until my NJ plates arrived.


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