Red1

I go without. The car was designed for the narrow European plate, and the blocky domestic plate blocks the intake to the intercooler. At least that's my argument.

I haven't gotten any tickets for that, but I guess since it's usually in pieces in the garage I run a pretty low risk.

Laust Pedersen

Inspired by the Italian front license plates, here is my solution and I have yet to be stopped after 20k miles. A safer solution may be to just bend the plate.

FSAEracer03

VA here, required to have one as well. I keep the spare plate behind my seat in case I do get pulled over. I doubt the officer would let me off even if I do slip it between the windshield and dash, but it's worth the try

Mike1982

Well, I don't run mine either, I think the car was made NOT to have one. AT most the euro plate not a big boxy plate. I heard of one guy I know with a 944 got pulled over for one, my friend said he just carries it with him so if he does get pulled over he at least has it. I should carry mine and just say that it fell off 2 miles ago, see how that works, but if I get a ticket, I get a ticket. Pay it and still don't put one on. Of course, the cop may not believe me because my front plate is still in the plastic wrap without any dirt, scraches, chips or anything, so I am not sure how that would work out but worth a try.

icat

I've never ran mine, but it is illegal in Texas. I suppose there will come a time when I do get a ticket for no front plate - and when that day comes I'll pay the fine and drive on. But I still will not put the plate on. My thought - and I'll say right up front that this most likely WILL NOT work - is to claim the car didn't have the brackets when I bought it (which it did not) and that the part is no longer in production so I can only get one at a swap meet and I haven't found one yet. By the way, officer - the plate IS in the car. I keep it in the hatch wrapped up in the sunroof cover. What the heck - it's worth a try.

MPD47

Ive had a cop ask me about it once. I told him the PO never ran one down in PA and I didnt have a bracket yet. No ticket, no problems. I dont care how many tickets, I WILL NOT run a front plate.

porshhhh951

Mike I have told that story twice now and it has worked fine.

The only reason I got that ticket the one time is because the cop just had a hard on for me and decided he would look over my car with a fine tooth come and try and write me up for anything he could put his pen too.

I will never run a front plate. I don't care if I do get a ticket one a couple of year's. It alsolutely kills the great looks of our front end's.

Looking at the poll number's it looks like most of us feel the exact same way about it.

josephsc

In California, the vehicle code (CVC 5201) only says that it must be securely mounted and visible from the front and mounted less than 60 inches (5 feet) from the ground -- it doesn't actually say that it has to be on the bumper.

Also

5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear. (b) When only one license plate is issued for use upon a vehicle, it shall be attached to the rear thereof,....

So if they only gave you one plate, you only need to display one plate. The code only says you need a front plate if they issued one to you. Interestingly, when you order new plates or regular plates (REG 156), they automatically send you two -- but when you order a replacement vanity plate (REG 17), there's a check box for receiving only one plate. This is the loophole someone mentioned to me earlier.

sweanders

In Sweden we have to run with them but since they ruin the look of the car I have a sticker with the license plate number. Still illegal but most cops don't mind it.

Dash01

What would the cops say if somebody used "Photoshop" or similar to make and attach a copy of the front plate, but with dimensions distorted to fit the car?

License plates are designed to be excellent radar and lazer reflectors, which is why the cops want them on there in the first place. A "Photoshopped" version would not have the reflecctive material, so would not reflect radar or lazer energy nearly so well.

Bill

My car has never had a front plate. Never been ticketed. It will never have a front plate because the plate is a great reflective target for radar. The plastic bumper will not reflect radar nearly as well. Think of my car as a "Stealth 951".

skene

Funny story 'bout running without a front plate in VA. My dad did it in his M3 for a couple years with a custom front splitter. When he was pulled over, he pulled the plate out of the back and said it just fell off and he hadn't put it on yet. It almost worked, until the officer saw the front with no holes or anything asked where it mounted....

84black944

It seems that most people agree that no plate is the way to go.

gregeast

I found a couple of places that will do custom european style plates with whatever letters & numbers you want.

www.europlates.com
www.europeanplates.com

The cost is ~$35, which is about the price of one ticket. Seems to me that the friendly constabulary is going to have a hard time writing a ticket if I in fact have a plate on the front with the right license #, just the wrong shape.

I have an inquiry in to europeanplates.com as they will also do custom backgrounds, which of these two mockups do you like? The first is the standard Colordao plate and the second is more of a EEC style but with the right Colorado colors.

EDIT: I just heard back from Europeanplates.com, they quoted me $50 to do the custom plate for the first one and then less to do susequent plates. Any Coloraod Rennlisters interested?

Brett

I am in colorado and I run the euro plate. Not leagal but havent been stopped. The front plate reads TYP 951