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I got stopped by DPS yesterday while returning from Lake Buchanan. Windows all rolled down, sunglasses removed, hands on the wheel. Handed him my DL & CHL, asked permission to get insurance from glove box. He never said a thing about the CHL - just gave me a ticket for speeding and a warning and lecture about lack of a front plate.

why don't you have a front plate?

PappaGun wrote:why don't you have a front plate?

I suppose it was a mid-life crisis. The front of my car looks MUCH better without it. Three LEO's and a bunch of others, run without plates. I've had 3 warnings over the last 3 years, so mine's going back on this afternoon.

davidtx wrote:

PappaGun wrote:why don't you have a front plate?

I suppose it was a mid-life crisis. The front of my car looks MUCH better without it. Three LEO's and a bunch of others, run without plates. I've had 3 warnings over the last 3 years, so mine's going back on this afternoon.

I think the front plate on my Z is hideous as well, but I got so much flack from my coworkers I put one.

That's something like a $120 dollar ticket (at least around 2004 it was), though usually they won't ticket you unless you were asking for it. I used to have a Toyota Supra that came with no front plate/holder, and I didn't worry about it 'til an unhappy officer wrote me up for everything little thing he could find one day.

Almost nobody with a newer Corvette has a front plate. I can see why, it looks like a billboard. It makes a beautiful car not so beautiful.

I had a professor in college (UNT) who owned a sports car. He kept his front plate - slightly dinged up - under his front seat.

Whenever he got pulled over for it, he'd produce it from under the seat and say, "Yep! Darn thing just fell off!"

YMMV.

I have a convertible with the ugliest license plate holder you have ever seen.

It sticks out like a tumor on a hairless cat.

I think it reduces my top speed by about 15 MPH!

I moved to TX from NM where I took the thing off cuz I bought the car in CA and you don't need one in NM.

As soon as I moved here, I put the big ugly thing back on. Glad I kept it LOL.

I am more than a little surprised at some of the the responses.

Why give LEO an excuse to stop you?

I hate being stopped.

Some of these guys are more car enthusiasts than gun enthusiasts. I can't afford a new Corvette but if I had one I would probably get rid of it before I would put a front plate on it.

driver8 wrote:Almost nobody with a newer Corvette has a front plate. I can see why, it looks like a billboard. It makes a beautiful car not so beautiful.

My wife has an '08 vette, it does come with a plastic plate holder thing that can be mounted on the front, but I have not and will not mount it unless I am forced to.

redlin67 wrote:

driver8 wrote:Almost nobody with a newer Corvette has a front plate. I can see why, it looks like a billboard. It makes a beautiful car not so beautiful.

My wife has an '08 vette, it does come with a plastic plate holder thing that can be mounted on the front, but I have not and will not mount it unless I am forced to.

OK...

I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS DECENT AND HOLY TO PUT THE FRONT LICENSE PLATE HOLDER ON YOUR WIFE'S CORVETTE!!!

There. That ought to do it.

Anyone whose vehicle doesn't have 2 license plates is
giving any LEO probable cause to be stopped.

Sure - a lot of people do it, but why give a LEO an
open invitation to stop you?

I have mentioned to people who run w/o their front
plate that they are liable to be stopped.

They have given me stupid responses such as
"My <Audi, BMW, VW, Corvette> doesn't have a front license
plate holder and my dealer told me it was OK to just run
with the one on the back.

Car dealers who are too lazy to equip a new car with its
legally required equipment do not make the law - the state
of Texas does. You don't get a pass on the "2 license plate"
rule just because you drive a such and such brand vehicle.

Of course I have patriotic vanity plates, so I always want to
run 2 for another reason besides complying with the law. :-)

SIA

Interesting - there hasn't been a single comment about the main message of this post.

So, in that vein, I'll continue: The trooper had probable cause in this case because I was doing 64 in a 50 about 50 feet before the 60 MPH sign. I've been stopped for the plates before, all by DPS, all on 21 near Lincoln. I got two warnings, and one told me that having the plate on the dash was OK, but he didn't think it was safe. That was two years ago. This is my third warning, so the plate went on yesterday. I've gotten two tickets in the last three years, both by DPS and both the same situation. I was at or slightly above the speed limit a little before the sign. Both were out in the middle of nowhere. Its irritating, but I can only be angry at myself for not paying more attention. Its really hard to keep a car with a top end of over 170 down at 50.

I was a little surprised that he didn't even ask if I had a weapon. He just took the DL, CHL and Insurance and went back to his computer. It's a relief to pass that little milestone.

davidtx wrote:The trooper had probable cause in this case because I was doing 64 in a 50 about 50 feet before the 60 MPH sign.

You could probably argue that given the performance and quality of your vehicle, and the lack of other motorists that 64 mph right before the 60mph speed zone began is reasonable and prudent.

Radar or Lidar?

Getting ready to go out, but when I get back I try and find the statute. I do not have the front plate on my truck because with the dealer mounted push bars it cannot be attached to it's proper place. I think that the statute says that if this is the case, that it cannot be properly mounted to the place it is designed to be mounted, then it is not required. I've had this truck for almost 6 years and never had one LEO question it.