Front licence plate in California
 

How many of you in Socal (LA to be precise) bother to install the ugly front plates on a 997, which requires drilling into that smooth bumper?
How often do you get hit with that $20 ticket? I've gotten away withone on for the 964 but I figure it's an older car so the cops don't bother. But a friend of mine get's hit twice a month in Santa Monica/Brentwood area. $20 is nothing but the pita check writing just rubs me the wrong way.

In Maryland we just say "Screw It" - in fact I took off the license plate on the Boxser as well and used some of Eric's world famous "Bumper Plugs"....

No tickets yet on either cars - but the daily drivers (Cayenne and A6) both have their front plates just in case.

Put a dent in your front plate and keep it in the car. If anyone "asks", tell 'em someone backed into it and knocked it off and you'll get it fixed right away.
:icon107:

I told the dealer not to put holes in the bumper.....and I carry the plate and frame in the trunk, if I get stopped I plan to explain that I need to drills holds, etc.....who knows?

What I do find interesting is that I have not carried a front plate for at least 12 years (on my bmw, jag, and the p-car) and I have never been stopped. Yet, the police blotter in my town's paper reflects many intialely stopped for failure to display a front plate, and without exception they have also been fined for a suspended license, failure to carry insurance, or other infractions. I don't know?....just seems wierd to me.

In any case, not carrying a front plate is reason enough to be pulled over, so if that's the only law you're breaking, you should be fine.

I live in West LA and work in Santa Monica. I don't have the front license plate and so far have not been ticketed (I've had the car since Sept.). I keep the front plate in the car, but don't intend to attach it.

I live in LA and don't have a front plate - never been ticketed for it. i do keep the plate in the trunk though.

FYI to all - i got a couple of tickets for no front plate on the cayenne a couple of times, but only when i parked it at the LAX parking lot over the weekend, where those freaking cops circle around looking for citations to give. i'd avoid parking there if possible, and instead parking at the third-party parking lots where cops can't just go in and circle around.

In West LA, Culver City, Bev Hills and Santa Monica, where there are lots of red light cameras, the cops specifically look for no front plates to ticket. Also, be aware that in many places, such as debt ridden California, there is always a push for increased traffic fine revenues. Therefore traffic pokice are routinely looking for am excuse to pull you over and check you out. If you go out for a nice dinner in your shiny new Porsche and have sometimes as little as one drink, that missing front plate could get you stopped, hassled, amd maybe more. Not worth it to me - I put the plate on and it looks just fine.

Having been pulled over and ticketed three times in 3.5 years, I have never been cited for no front plates :)

So if they were not going to give me a ticket for no front plates while they were already ticketing me, I doubt they would pull me over for no front plate!

I hate the front plate and would prolly rather pay the fees.

Talk about a 'wart'!!!

Greg

ps. if you wanna learn how to beat a ticket in california, PM me. I have a system that works 25% of the time. :)

Knock wood I never had a plate on my 996 or my 911. I had been stopped in the 996 2 or 3 times and the lack of front plate was never mentioned. No matter what I will not put one on the 997.

If I get a fix it ticket my plan is to 3M double side tape it on get it signed off and remove it.

jinx, we posted at the same time with basically the same message.

[i have a 996 as well]

Enforcement of the FLP law is inconsistent in Southern California, and varies between jurisdictions. In West L.A. and Santa Monica the parking police will cite you for NFP if they give you a parking ticket. Parking at the public lots at LAX will get you cited for NFP. However, getting stopped by the CHP or LAPD doesn't always mean you'll get ticketed for not having a front plate. It seems to depend on the officer.
One thing I do know - if you get cited, then put the plate on for inspection (at CHP), then take it OFF again and get caught without it a second time, the fine goes up bigtime.
Having said all that, neither of my Porsches are wearing their front plates. They're carrying them, but not displaying 'em.

I got hit once on my Benz for NFP when I got a parking ticket in West L.A. Never had anyone question it elsewhere or otherwise. I never did bother to fix it...just paid the $20.00. I think it depends on the economy of the community. The better tax base they have, the less likely they need the revenue from the extra violation!

There are high risk locations or times when you will be pulled over or even get a ticket while parked for no front plate,
lax, sunset blvd on weekend at evening, in front of a night club etc... i dont think you will ever get pulled over in a low traffic area.
there is a benefit of no front plate besides appearance, i have had friends get pulled over for speeding or some other legitimate reason and then get that reduced to a warning and had a front plate or tint fix it ticket instead.

In Houston I keep no front plate, and am not stopped because they know how much property tax I pay! I guess that I have just been fortunate.

I got one in La Jolla in what is I'm sure a money grab. I want to do the fixit on it. Has anyone documented a cheap temporary way to mount it to get the ticket fixed? I have the bracket that comes with the car but I don't want to drill into the car.