Washington law in regard to front license plate

[slyphen]

So several of my 86 buddies has been pulled over for not having front plate, some got off lucky with a fix it warning, some not so much.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of this issue, and those of you who has a law degree or a firm knowledge of the subject please chime in, since my interpretation of the law could be wrong.

According to RCW46.16A.200 article 5.

(5)(a) Display. License plates must be:

(i) Attached conspicuously at the front and rear of each vehicle if two license plates have been issued;

(ii) Attached to the rear of the vehicle if one license plate has been issued;

(iii) Kept clean and be able to be plainly seen and read at all times; and

(iv) Attached in a horizontal position at a distance of not more than four feet from the ground.

(b) The Washington state patrol may grant exceptions to this subsection if the body construction of the vehicle makes compliance with this section impossible.

most of us has been issued 2 plates from the dealer. however, unless modified, the stock vehicle does not have a visible/obvious location to mount the front plate. I know there are plenty brackets/mounts on the market that would utilize the tow fitting and use it as a mount, but this does not come with the vehicle.

My question to those who are more knowledgeable in the subject is, are we obligated to purchase aftermarket part, or modify(drilling, gluing etc.) the stock vehicle to comply with this particular law, or is article 5(b) pretty much says we do not have to. If there is such a law, can you please provide the documentation please.

Thanks in advance.


Edit: Conclusion. article 5(b) only grant vehicles on a list hidden somewhere in a police cash cow safe. driving without a front plate is illegal although not always enforced. time to invest in a plate holder, i think i'll do the magnetic DIY.

[vroom4]

There is an oem front bumper bracket. No excuse hoss. It was in your trunk when you bought the car or the dealer forgot

[slyphen]

Originally Posted by vroom4

There is an oem front bumper bracket. No excuse hoss. It was in your trunk when you bought the car or the dealer forgot

doesn't that still require you to drill holes on your vehicle?

[m.box.design]

All plate brackets are drilled into the front bumper by the dealership. Some were not installed at the request of the buyer. Personally, I requested them not to drill mine as I bought the tow hook mount once my temp tags were up.

[m.box.design]

I did however eventually sell off my tow hook mount and just flipped the stock bracket upside down and drilled it into the grill area with some screws.

[TheDrkNite]

There are two dimples in the oem grille where you drill for the bracket. No exception, have to have a plate. I got a fix it warning.

[NW86]

Yeah the dealer is supposed supply you with one to put on front of car. But i have not had my front plate on since i had my car and don't plan on putting it on anytime soon.

[Ragua007]

Originally Posted by TheDrkNite

There are two dimples in the oem grille where you drill for the bracket. No exception, have to have a plate. I got a fix it warning.

This is what the dealer did for me but I've since bought a tow hook one. They asked me if I wanted it drilled into the bumper and told them no way that's gonna happen.

[Chen]

I've gotten pulled over for it once, got a fix it ticket and now I had taken it off again.

[fanaticalz]

I haven't been running a front plate since may of this year and haven't even received a second look from a cop. It's all luck, and I'm sure it's really local area dependent. I have a feeling the cops south of Seattle might care more. I'll still run without one even if I get a fix it ticket. If I get like 2-3 in a short period I may reconsider

[Ammunition]

The law is pretty straight-forward. I know you (nor I) want it to be that way, but it is what it is, and there isn't a sort of hidden stipulation that is going to change that. The license plate needs to be affixed to the front bumper of the car - if you don't want to have a front license plate, then go without it, but that doesn't change the fact that it is something you can get ticketed for. Some people try to argue it a technicality, and stick the license plate in the dash, etc., but that is still incorrect and ultimately something that can get you a ticket or hassled.

I went through this as well when I first got my car - trying to research what the exact wording was, what the chances were of it being an issue, etc. I had people tell me that they've never had a front plate on any of their vehicles and have never had an issue with it, and I also had a manager with a M3 that got ticketed for not having a front plate so many times that he was mandated to put it on (couldn't even get away with just paying the fee).

I know you want it to be different, and are being responsible in wanting to find a way for it to work "legally", but the law is what it is - even if you found some means of dancing around it, the cop that might pull you over for it likely won't see it that way, and it isn't worth the time, nor headache trying to argue something like that in court.

Therefore, you just need to make a choice. I felt that my odds of being pulled over were low, and cops had better things to do in a larger city than pull me over for that (so long as I'm not driving like an ass) - then three weeks later I had a meter maid ticket me for it (the ticket explicitly stated that the front windshield is not a proper place to display the front license plate, FYI). To this day, I still feel that I wouldn't have to worry about a cop pulling me over or ticketing me for this, but I park in downtown Portland too often to hope to avoid another hyper-vigilant meter maid not nailing me for it again.

I've since installed the GrimmSpeed relocation kit, and it's grown on me - it even protected my car from sustaining significant damage in a hit and run I had earlier this year. I know that's not what you want to hear as I went through the same feelings, and asked similar questions when I was trying to decide what to do about it. The week after this all happened, I made it a point to count out how many cars I spotted without a front plate - I want to say it was around 1 in 20, but most of the cars were older pieces of junk that I knew would never get slapped with a ticket for it like I did, and it made me angry.

I doubt that a cop will pull you over for it specifically, but they could use it as a reason to pull you over - and then you might need to worry about what they'll say about your exhaust, or your tint, etc upon closer inspection of your car - that's an extreme case, but there it is; for me, it wasn't worth the lack of having peace of mind whenever I parked knowing that I might get ticketed again. I used the relocation kit that I had to purchase (lest I drill into my front bumper) as an excuse to later get a personalized license plate (which I've never had, nor could justify paying for) that I would want to display.

As far as having to drill etc - every car will come with holes pre-drilled before it is sold by the dealership, unless the buyer specifically requests that it not be done (in some states, you don't even have the option of doing the later - even if you bring a relocation kit with you when you go to sign the paperwork and pick up the vehicle; I of course requested that my car not have the holes drilled into it). Therefore, there really isn't anything of weight there that you can attempt to argue against having to display a front plate.

However, if you really don't want the plate on (and don't get unlucky like I did with a meter maid) I'd say leave it off for now. If you get pulled over for it or ticketed, I don't see why you wouldn't be let off with just a warning the first time, or have the charges dropped completely for showing up in court (and affixing it, which you'd have done anyway if you didn't decide to try leaving it off first). GL!

[RobertPaulson]

because the car came with a bracket from the factory you are required to run a front plate. there is a very small list of exempt vehicles which you can find here

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/nor...te-waiver.html

State law provides an exemption to the front plate requirement on a case by case basis. Attached below is a list of successful and unsuccessful applicants for an exemption. Evidently I was mistaken about the Viper but it appears that at least one model of Ferrari has been exempted. To apply for an exemption contact:

Melissa VanGorkom
360.596.4017
melissa.VanGorkom@wsp.wa.gov

She's the equipment specialist at WSP and can help anyone who needs to file an application for an exemption to the front license plate requirement.

Vehicles issued front license plate waivers are listed below.
1972 Italian DeTomaso Pantera
1974 Jaguar E-Type
2000 Panoz
1971 DeTomaso Pantera
2000 Plymouth Prowler
2000 Jaguar XK8
Caterham/Lotus Super 7
1984 Ferrari 512 BBI
1967 Ford Cobra

Vehicles denied waivers for attaching a front license plate include:
Toyota MR 2
Porsche 928
Corvette
Mini Cooper
Ford SVT Cobra
Lotus Elise
Ford Escort
Nissan 30ZX
BMW Z8
Dodge Viper
Mercedes-Benz
Mazda Miata
Maserati."

[Ultramaroon]

x(plate tickets)=ferrari

solve for x.

[TimmyC]

My neighbor is a sheriff and he was telling me that he had never ever pulled someone over just because of front plate. Coincidentally, he son drives a FRS turbo-ed w/o front plates.