Front Plates on Ferrari in Cali?

A California native, I've lived there most of my life. I've had my sports car for 36 years next month, and it's never had a front plate. A couple of tickets over the years, pulled over a few more times but not cited, and never once did they even look to see if there was a front plate.

Of course, just typing this will probably jinx me....

 

I can't see how they could cite you for no front plates if they are not required in your home state. In fact, I don't see them citing you (in CA) even if they ARE required in your home state, but you fail to have one on your vehicle in CA.

Think about the field day that could be had near large colleges and universities with all the out-of-state students... No, that just wouldn't fly...

 

Out of our 6 cars, 3 of them exotics, none have a front plate. Both of us have been pulled over for a few reasons in the past several years and gotten a few tickets but never for front plate.

Its just a jerk your chain ticket.

 

+1

 

It's possible that cars were let into the country with a commitment from the importer that the dealers would install front plate brackets. In which case, by exposing the dealers, they might elect to change the rules to require brackets to be installed at the port of entry. Just a worst-case outcome.

 

cops dont care when they pulled me over.

but parking cops will ticket you as an add-on.

i got an expired meter and they tacked on a 2nd ticket for no plate.

 

States that require only one license plate,

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia.


There was talk of New Mexico with legislation to require two plates by 2009, I don't know if they did this or not.

What happens in other states if you are using 'Year Of Manufacture' plates and that year only had one plate?

 

In NY if YOM only required 1 plate and you have YOM you're go to go.

 

very good advice also do not have alcohol breath and or smoking pot / cigarettes.

We are from Newport Beach and never ever had troubles before with the law regarding the front plate.

 

Pre-red light camera taxation and rampant local government budget deficits, neither did myself and a great majority of Californians.

 

exactly, it's all about the revenue.

 

In Los Angeles, they usually will cite you when you are parked, even if you have time on the meter.

I finally wanted peace of mind, so I rigged my front plates to a piece of foam that fits into the grill of my Ferrari's. Put them on whenever I park and haven't got a ticket since. Also I always set my phone timer to the meter so I have a fighting chance against the meter maids. They are fierce in Santa Monica and West Hollywood!

(If you want to see how I made my foam plate holders I will show you . Very easy and basically a free do it yourself)

 

What about no plates at all. No rear, no front. Will police think the car is new from a dealer and just not bother?

 

I drove my new Volvo in California for 3+ years with the plates sitting on the front floor.

It drove my wife crazy, I told her I don't get new cars often and every time I see the car I think it's still new.

The car was hit once and the cop asked about the plate, I told him I just got them and had planned to put them on when I got home, a few months later I was pulled over while waiting for a new rear tail light lense, the cop asked about the plates, again, I told him the same thing.

Both times the California cops were content with the answers.

I can't wait to hear what you are going to tell'em...................

 

Although they have never hassled me for my lack of front plates, it is true that they go after parked cars more often. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

I think the use of red light cameras made them focus a little more on this.

Josh

 

This just happened to me, should have listened and duck taped it on as a temp

 

Actually, you are correct, they do have field days at these locations. Once you become a resident, which college students are, you have 30 days to register your car or risk being cited and the penalty is steep. I guess you could drive back and forth everyday but that's rare here in CA.

Fed's have NO jurisdiction over the front plate and it's very unlikely one could even get a case in Fed court. You drive in CA you agree to obey the laws....just that simple.

 

They can hassle you and try to find out if you are in the state for "too long" (I don't know the regulation on "too long". I'm pretty sure they can ticket you and say "tell it to a judge".


I got pulled over "for not having a front plate" recently and my car is an AZ car and was in CA temporarily. I told the officer that and he said "you need to register it here if you keep it in CA more than a few weeks" and then he let me get on with my day.

I've also been on a drive with a few exotics here and all of us got "checked" by a cop and then he pulled over those with CA rear plate and not front. He told the unlucky driver that he let the other cars go because they had either out of state plates or "no plate" (meaning new car temp registration still - which folks leave on for as long as they can get away with it here).

Sucky thing is that I am now thinking about keeping the car here for the next year...and I certainly do not want to drill holes in the front. So, I've got to register it here (sucky time at the CA DMV), smog it (sucky time to meet CA regs), and somehow get a front plate holder that doesn't ruin my car. Good times. Adding to the giant list of "if the government was smart they would" list would be "make us pay some $ to not put on a front plate". That would get them some much-needed additional contributions to the public worker pension and healthcare benefits fund (err, I mean taxes).

 

I knew a young guy when I was in college who got a ticket for an out of state plate. I believe he also had out of state DL. He went to court with his most recent tuition bill showing he was paying out of state tuition. He argued that the state of CA recognized him as out of state and argued for consistency. I believe the traffic judge threw out the ticket.

He had been in state for about a year IIRC and the officer had seen his car and out of state plate over a period of time and ticketed him because CA does require changing registration pretty quickly.

 

Update. I've had a Plateclip on my California for over a year now. http://chairpilotproducts.com/index.php/about-plateclips It has its own clip-on system of course, but since I leave my car in public garages a lot (and don't want to collect no-plate tickets), I often just leave it on the car and use small zip ties to discourage casual theft of the plate and clip.

When doing track/high speed events, I take it off for obvious safety reasons, but I recently did an event and forgot to remove it at first. It remained secure despite >highway speeds and high G-load turns. A lot of Ferrari and other owners often ask me about the Plateclip when they see it on the car, and I recommend it to them without hesitation.