Driving automobiles

Removing Front Plates

I live in Massachusetts which recently began issuing 2 plates
(front/rear). My old car has 1 green on white plate, but my new car has 2
read on white plites (the new plates are red on white). Is it illegal to
remove the front plate? I remember a while ago there was a similar
discussion, but the state was different.

-Alastair

Comments (8)




8 Responses to “Removing Front Plates”

  1. admin says:

    In article <CrB53s….@world.std.com>,
     on Sun, 12 Jun 1994 23:26:15 GMT,
     Alastair M Bor <b…@world.std.com> writes:
    >I live in Massachusetts which recently began issuing 2 plates
    >(front/rear). My old car has 1 green on white plate, but my new car has 2
    >read on white plites (the new plates are red on white). Is it illegal to
    >remove the front plate? I remember a while ago there was a similar
    >discussion, but the state was different.

    >-Alastair

    This stuff is a little confusing to me… I’m getting ready to sell my
    current car, and when I was at a local dealer’s looking at a new (’95
    Maxima) car, the dealer mentioned that the "new rules" in MA are that
    you gotta have two plates… and that it’s against the law to not have
    both plates.

    However, I also, just recently (like last week) had to renew my
    registration, and I got a new plate.  NOTE, singular… PLATE.. not
    PLATES.  So I don’t get what the algorithm is.  Probably our best bet
    is to call the Registry and ask them.
    *—————————————————*
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  2. admin says:

    In article <CrB53s….@world.std.com> b…@world.std.com (Alastair M Bor) writes:

    >I live in Massachusetts which recently began issuing 2 plates
    >(front/rear). My old car has 1 green on white plate, but my new car has 2
    >read on white plites (the new plates are red on white). Is it illegal to
    >remove the front plate? I remember a while ago there was a similar
    >discussion, but the state was different.

    I live in Washington, where you have to have a front plate.  I drive without
    one, but keep it in the glove compartment.  I’ve never been pulled over for
    this, though a lot of police have seen it.  I don’t think they really care.
    And if I do get pulled over, I’ll grab the plate out of the glove compartment
    and put it on the dash before the officer walks up.

    "Object-Oriented Retrieval System for the Johns Hopkins Autopsy
    Database," by G. W. Moore, G. M. Hutchins, and J. J. Berman, Medinfo 92
    [Conference proceedings].  | godzi…@seanet.com

  3. admin says:

    Kai Kaltenbach (godzi…@seanet.com) wrote:

    : I live in Washington, where you have to have a front plate.  I drive without
    : one, but keep it in the glove compartment.  I’ve never been pulled over for
    : this, though a lot of police have seen it.  I don’t think they really care.
    : And if I do get pulled over, I’ll grab the plate out of the glove compartment
    : and put it on the dash before the officer walks up.

    I can easily believe the police haven’t bothered to harass you for not
    following the letter of the law and having two plates. But if you think
    the officer won’t notice you pulling something out of your glove box and
    placing it on the dash… then I’ve got a rust free 1966 Jaguar to sell
    you cheap!

    You can bet the officer will be watching you like a hawk. People
    who have contriband to hide or a weapon to retrieve will do so as they
    are being pulled over. My advice is… if you are pulled over ask
    permission to open the glove box and then show the plate to the
    officer. Chances are you will just get a warning. If you try to trick
    him (or her) you can be certain you will be cited.

  4. admin says:

    In article <1994Jun14.211455.6…@tin.monsanto.com> wch…@alex.monsanto.com (Bill C Hutton) writes:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    >Kai Kaltenbach (godzi…@seanet.com) wrote:

    >: I live in Washington, where you have to have a front plate.  I drive without
    >: one, but keep it in the glove compartment.  I’ve never been pulled over for
    >: this, though a lot of police have seen it.  I don’t think they really care.
    >: And if I do get pulled over, I’ll grab the plate out of the glove compartment
    >: and put it on the dash before the officer walks up.

    >I can easily believe the police haven’t bothered to harass you for not
    >following the letter of the law and having two plates. But if you think
    >the officer won’t notice you pulling something out of your glove box and
    >placing it on the dash… then I’ve got a rust free 1966 Jaguar to sell
    >you cheap!

    >You can bet the officer will be watching you like a hawk. People
    >who have contriband to hide or a weapon to retrieve will do so as they
    >are being pulled over. My advice is… if you are pulled over ask
    >permission to open the glove box and then show the plate to the
    >officer. Chances are you will just get a warning. If you try to trick
    >him (or her) you can be certain you will be cited.

    Yeah I agree, you definatally do not want to be reaching into your glove-box
    when a cop pulls you over, you should keep your hands on the steering wheel.

    The cops in NY seem hellbent on enforcing the front plate law. I have only put
    two thousand miles on my car and I have been pulled over twice for no front
    licence plate. In both cases I got off with a warning (I finally put the front
    plate on, but it really looks goofy on my car).

    Hasit Mehta                              ****************************
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  5. admin says:

    In article <godzilla.9.000B0…@seanet.com>

    godzi…@seanet.com (Kai Kaltenbach) writes:

    >And if I do get pulled over, I’ll grab the plate out of the glove compartment
    >and put it on the dash before the officer walks up.

    At which point you will say "My that is a nice gun you have pointed
    at my face.  Mind if I get out and change into clean underwear?"

    It is not advisable to make a sudden grab into the glove box when
    a cop is approaching your car, even if it is to get the registration
    out.  A significant fraction of cars on the road keep guns there.


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  6. admin says:

    j…@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr) writes:
    >In article <godzilla.9.000B0…@seanet.com>
    >godzi…@seanet.com (Kai Kaltenbach) writes:

    >>And if I do get pulled over, I’ll grab the plate out of the glove compartment
    >>and put it on the dash before the officer walks up.
    >At which point you will say "My that is a nice gun you have pointed
    >at my face.  Mind if I get out and change into clean underwear?"
    >It is not advisable to make a sudden grab into the glove box when
    >a cop is approaching your car, even if it is to get the registration
    >out.  A significant fraction of cars on the road keep guns there.

            I’ve done it, I just make sure I don’t move my body. They don’t see it.
            By the time they walk up my hands are on the steering wheel.


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  7. admin says:

    In New Hampshire they only started requiring front plates a few years ago.
    The police do look out for violators, and (if they are bored?) will ticket
    you for not having one.

    I received such a ticket a year ago, but with a twist.  If I showed up
    at the state police with the ticket, and a mounted front plate within
    3 days the ticket would be void.  I did – it was.

    I just bought a new car (Miata) which has no front plate mounting point.
    I’m waiting for the next bored officer to notice!

    Mike

  8. admin says:

      MF> I just bought a new car (Miata) which has no front plate mounting
      MF> point. I’m waiting for the next bored officer to notice!

    Sure it has mounting points for front plates. I’ll grant you that front plates
    on a Miata look spectacularly ugly, which is why I took mine off two years ago
    (so far with nothing more than a couple of parking tickets). But the mounting
    points are there all right.