# Front License Plate... texas



## darkblue325 (Aug 29, 2008)

So I was driving today and got pulled over.... 

The officer walked to the front of my car with a flashlight since it was dark and shined it across my bumper. He was definitely checking to see if I had a front plate. Good thing I hadn't removed mine otherwise I would have gotten a ticket for that too. 

There's tons of cars around here that i see without a front plate but I guess they want to start milking money by ticketing people for it. 

Just a heads up to all of yall


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## sdai2 (Aug 15, 2007)

darkblue325 said:


> So I was driving today and got pulled over....
> 
> The officer walked to the front of my car with a flashlight since it was dark and shined it across my bumper. He was definitely checking to see if I had a front plate. Good thing I hadn't removed mine otherwise I would have gotten a ticket for that too.
> 
> ...


I'd like to know, in all the years it's been required to have a front license plate, how useful it has been to police in catching people?

(because I don't think it does anything but adds another piece of ugly to a car)


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## Ishniknork (Aug 22, 2005)

He-he, been there... done that!

Sucks, doesn't it? We've had to have a front plate as long as I can remember and I've lived here a l-o-o-o-o-ng time. I'm surprised they don't require them on motorcycles too


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## sdai2 (Aug 15, 2007)

Ishniknork said:


> He-he, been there... done that!
> 
> Sucks, doesn't it? We've had to have a front plate as long as I can remember and I've lived here a l-o-o-o-o-ng time. I'm surprised they don't require them on motorcycles too


how useful are they? Or is this one of those law-enforcement feel good measures. I am in Ohio right now and I gotta tell ya, I'm not digging the front license plate.


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## Ishniknork (Aug 22, 2005)

sdai2 said:


> how useful are they?


That I couldn't tell you, at least factually. My best guess would be there's a better chance of catching the plate number on security cameras, police car video, etc., if there's a plate on both ends. Kind of like having your VIN number etched on all the windows of your car. Might make it easier to identify in case of a 'wrong doing'.

Some states use to have photo-radar speed traps on highways that took a picture of the front of the car for the license plate number and driver. I think I got my picture taken in Mississippi once, late at night. I knew because I saw the flash.... but it wasn't my car! 

At least the X3 has a decent front plate mount, the one on my 300ZX is flimsy stamped sheet metal that flops and REALLY looks bad. Plus it broke off one time while I was driving! Somebody stopped, picked it up, and caught up with me to return it too! How's that for a courteous motorist :thumbup:


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## MonsterLoad (Sep 26, 2008)

I keep the front plate and bracket in my trunk. If questioned, why officer, I just had body work done to my front bumper to fix a dent and haven't put the plate back on. But I do have it. 

I guess depending on how many old ladies and soccer moms he has hassled that day, he might let me slide.:rofl:


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## dtkw (Sep 1, 2003)

I have an IN plate on my car, but no front plate here. I guess when out of state cop see my IN plate, they'd might not bother to check since we don't get one here. If you asked for one at the BMV, they would ask you why.


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## Bill325Ci (Jul 17, 2002)

I never had my front plate installed. I just didn't want them drilling holes in my bumper. I've been stopped for speeding a couple of times, and the cops never mentioned the missing plate.

The was a bill attached to some other proposed legislation as few years ago that would have removed the requirement for a front plate, but the primary bill was killed.


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## gokartmozart (Oct 6, 2006)

Same here as Bill, no holes drilled. Used the NoHoles tow hole plateholder on the Z4, since my wife and now my son are the drivers. They didn't need the possible hassle. As for me, Ive been stopped twice for no front plate. Ticketed once for the 325i back in the late 90s and a warning on the other (the warning was on a speeding stop, but he didn't have evidence of the speed, so he warned me to keep it lower).


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## big-tex (Jan 25, 2008)

I don't mind the front plate, but here in oklahoma we don't have to have them. My truck still has both texas plates on it. It's a little law, why worry about it?


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## Bmwcat (Jul 30, 2004)

If Texas has red light photo cameras like we do, then the front plate IS a big deal to law enforcement!! :eeps::tsk:


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## hockeynut (Apr 14, 2002)

I was pulled over 3 times for no front plate (and no other reason). The last time they threatened me with "the chair" so I finally gave in


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Bmwcat said:


> If Texas has red light photo cameras like we do, then the front plate IS a big deal to law enforcement!! :eeps::tsk:


They do have red light cameras here in Texas. 

For years police have argued before the TX legislature that they cannot do their job if front license plates are not required (even before cameras became popular). Yet our neighboring state Oklahoma has no front license plate requirement and does not seem to be an issue there as well as many other states that do not issue them. :dunno:


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

hockeynut said:


> I was pulled over 3 times for no front plate (and no other reason). The last time they threatened me with "the chair" so I finally gave in


I was stopped and ticketed only because of the lack of front license plate. I had the license plate on my floorboard and produced it to the policeman. Went before the judge and she said it was not a "fix it" ticket unless the policeman told me so, then I would have to go trial. I was told if I pleaded no contest than the ticket would be reduced to $5 plus court costs. The bottom line is that I still ending up paying $60.


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## PhilipWOT (Feb 26, 2006)

I live in Ga, and this is my front plate...


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## jetter2 (May 28, 2007)

PhilipWOT said:


> I live in Ga, and this is my front plate...


The only E36 I would buy is that Blue that made for that year on the M car..is that the rare blue they made only one year that is on ur car??


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## PhilipWOT (Feb 26, 2006)

jetter2 said:


> The only E36 I would buy is that Blue that made for that year on the M car..is that the rare blue they made only one year that is on ur car??


Yep. Avusblau Metalik, available only on the M3 coupe in 1995, and on a very small run of 323is M-packages in 1998-1999.


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## chivas (Aug 31, 2002)

i have a story lined up for not having front plates so when i get pulled over in Jersey (only twice), it already jives and makes a lot of sense.

i think dark colored cars are less likely to get pulled over since kaptom540 has the exact setup as my car but his is silver and he gets pulled over constantly for front plates.


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## RedBread (Jan 3, 2003)

I lived in Texas for nineteen years, got dozens of tickets, and never had a front plate. I don't have one in CA now, and also have tinted windows, which are technically illegal too. If you're pleasant and honest with the officer, you usually won't get any excessive tickets. I did get pulled over once in west Texas and he used the excuse of no front plate as the reason, but I didn't get a ticket out of it.


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## Ishniknork (Aug 22, 2005)

PhilipWOT said:


> I live in Ga, and this is my front plate...


Actually in Texas the plate does not have to be the one issued from the DMV. It can be practically anything such as a Euro plate or a BMW logo plate. We just have to have a front plate.

That's really :loco:


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