No front license plate, driving from WA to CA?

[UnknownSoldier]

So thus far I've been ignored by cops in WA while driving without a front plate which is nice.

Do you guys know what the cops in OR and CA will do if I drive through there with a WA back plate and no front plate? Especially the cops in CA where they require CA residents to have a front plate and they will ticket and fine you if you don't in a very hardcore manner.

Should I get something like The Bandit just to mount a front plate to drive outside of WA? That seems a bit overkill but I don't need trouble with the law outside my home state.

 

[cwerdna]

Do you guys know what the cops in OR and CA will do if I drive through there with a WA back plate and no front plate? Especially the cops in CA where they require CA residents to have a front plate and they will ticket and fine you if you don't in a very hardcore manner.

I live in CA so I can't speak to OR but FWIW, most of the Teslas at my work (dozens show up each day) have no front plates.

Many folks in a (non-brand specific) car Slack channel at work refuse to install front plates. Most of the participants in that channel tend to be German car folks (mainly Porsche, Audi and BMW).

As I posted in another forum, there's been a nutty red 3 driver w/his CA HOV stickers applied but no plates at all (only the "zero emissions" rear placard" and no front plate nor holder). I first saw him at free public L2 charging in April 2018 and I saw the same vehicle earlier this month and numerous times in between. To apply for CA HOV stickers, you need the license plate #. Tesla's not been known to provide that early (before the plates arrive) so that you can fill out your CA HOV application form early. And, CA plates don't take more than a few weeks to arrive.

I've never owned nor leased a car w/no front plate installed. Only times were when the car was new and didn't have plates yet or one 1 case, was used and my registration was in limbo for a few weeks. (Paid reg/license fees at time of used purchase, had plates but with expired tabs until the new tabs arrived.)

 

[Graffi]

What? California requires a front license plate installed? Mine still has the "Zero Emissions" plate on the front, after over 1.5 years, 33,000 miles, and two coast to coast trips, along with other regional trips. So far no problem.

 

[Dans208]

Relax Calif..MANY drivers do not have a front licence plate...If the highway patrol stops ya for something like speeding etc, they just say note no plate. Any just move on.

 

[cwerdna]

What? California requires a front license plate installed?

It's required per Vehicle Registration and Title Information:
"Note: California law requires vehicles to display a front and rear license plate, California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 5200."

But as I said, lots of people run without them. For me, I don't care about enough the appearance (or whatever) to risk being hassled by the cops.

 

[liuping]

Especially the cops in CA where they require CA residents to have a front plate and they will ticket and fine you if you don't in a very hardcore manner.

Some cities and location are worse than others in CA. I drove around for years without one permanently on my front bumper, but I put it on (magnetic mount) when traveling, just in case.

Parking on the street in San Francisco without a front plate is almost guaranteed to get a ticket. Also, I've hear parking at LAX without a front plate will get you one. I'm sure there are others, since it's easy city revenue to give out parking tickets and there is usually someone checking cars anyway.

 

[Kuhz]

Biggest no plate problem you’ll have is when street parking in a big city. But that happens in Seattle too....

 

[PLUS EV]

It's required per Vehicle Registration and Title Information:
"Note: California law requires vehicles to display a front and rear license plate, California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 5200."

But as I said, lots of people run without them. For me, I don't care about enough the appearance (or whatever) to risk being hassled by the cops.

It's required in WA too. But as evidenced by many threads, people find all sorts of justifications for not installing the front plate. I still don't get it.

 

[Vinc]

My 2014 MS CPO still had no front plate after 4 years of living in California. I installed because I read that cops in LA have been told to pay more attention to it. And being the lucky guy that I am...

 

[ewoodrick]

You shouldn't ever get a front plate ticket if out of state. We don't have front plate requirements in Georgia or most other states.

 

[Silicon Desert]

It's required per Vehicle Registration and Title Information:
"Note: California law requires vehicles to display a front and rear license plate, California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 5200."

But as I said, lots of people run without them. For me, I don't care about enough the appearance (or whatever) to risk being hassled by the cops.

Yes, I have been one of those pesky drivers with no front plate for a year with nothing said. I kept it in the frunk. Regularly driving around Nevada and California and my neighbor is even a highway patrol guy, but maybe he is just cutting me some slack and not pestering me. Then I went cross country coast to coast on business and vacation 4 times and didn't have any issue. Maybe just lucky. Finally I got off my tail and put the plate on the front.

Aside from the above. I might be wrong, yet I thought that the front plate requirement only applies to the state in which the car is registered. Thus, if your state does not require it and you are driving through a state that does require it, then you are ok. Surely, someone will correct me if that is wrong.

 

[PLUS EV]

You shouldn't ever get a front plate ticket if out of state. We don't have front plate requirements in Georgia or most other states.

Why would you say that? WA has front plate requirement. CA has front plate requirement. When driving WA car in CA (or vice versa) with no front plate, I don't see why they couldn't ticket you.

 

[NikeWings]

CA highway and local police have more to do than hunt plates, but if they pull you over for something else, the plate is a fixit ticket. Govt and muni parking whether street, airports etc are policed by meter maids and they will write up tickets while parked with no plates or expired tags. Just enjoy yourself and behave.

Last year at a CA SC, a motorcycle cop pulled into the parking lot and cruised slooooowly past 15 of us, all backed in like sitting Tesla ducks, most with no front plates. We could have made his ticket quota but apparently not worth his time. When he was gone, lots of winking and smiling among owners.....haha.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Why would you say that? WA has front plate requirement. CA has front plate requirement. When driving WA car in CA (or vice versa) with no front plate, I don't see why they couldn't ticket you.

He might be thinking what I am thinking. If a car with out of state plates from a state that doesn't require a front plate, then they may not be able to ticket it. Just something I heard which might be incorrect.

 

[donv]

The only law enforcement in Oregon who care about front plates are the City of Portland Parking Patrol. I don't know if they would ticket an out of state car with no front plate, but I kind of doubt it... but park in downtown Portland and you'll find out pretty quickly!

 

[PLUS EV]

He might be thinking what I am thinking. If a car with out of state plates from a state that doesn't require a front plate, then they may not be able to ticket it. Just something I heard which might be incorrect.

Well sure, but that's a much different scenario than what the OP is talking about.

 

[Dans208]

Relax Calif..MANY drivers do not have a front licence plate...If the highway patrol stops ya for something like speeding etc, they just say note no plate. Any just move on.

I should add: Alameda County has those intersection cameras for red light enforcement.

 

[Seattle Tom]

Done the drive from Seattle to Palm Springs, LA, and around town. No plate, and no problem.

If you get a ticket, pay it, but you’re more likely to get it added on if they catch you for speeding.