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Maryland requires a front plate. Beware if you are attending Corvette Weekend in Ocean City. The police set up on the highway and target Vettes not displaying a front plate. The fine is $75.
I don’t know if it’s legal but I’ve seen people repaint their plate to match the color of the car.
No front plate in MI for 20+ (30+?) years now. Seems silly to require one. I mean really, what's the point? You're going to get my plate number as I'm approaching? Wouldn't you more than likely need to get it if you were following/chasing me?
Thanks for all the input, this has been a fun post to follow. Here is what I have so far for states that do not require a front plate, there are 17:
AZ
NM
AL
LA
KY
DE
PA
TN
GA
AR
MI
IN
KS
OK
NC
FL
MS
From those that require, it looks like my state, Montana has the largest fine of $150.00.
Slightly off-topic, but I have a cool solution to the front plate requirement, if your state allows it - a year of manufacture plate on the front.
I am going to do this in the spring: I got a set of 1970 NH plates for cheap off of EBay. I can install one of them on the front, as long as I register it with the state, The fee is nominal, less than $10.
I spoke with a CHP trooper and he told me that in California, the first offense for DRIVING without a front plate is $75. I just can't understand how you can get a ticket for this when your car is PARKED.
The reason for the mandatory front plate in CA is due to the latest craze: Photo-enforced red light cameras. Seems that so many are running red lights here in the golden state that the bureaucrats discovered a money maker. The cameras take a picture of your front plate as you run the light, and you get a nice letter in the mail requesting, make that demanding, a donation to the DMV.
And to answer the $75 question, I have NO front plate on my '82 and have not been stopped...well I have been stopped, but that's a story for another thread.
It is not legal to have the front plate on the dash in Ohio. In Ohio it is not even legal to have a clear lens on top of your plate. Anyone living in Ohio should sign the electronic petition to eliminate the front plate.
Also, Ohio will have Lidar (where they take a picture of you speeding and send you a ticket) soon. This was just OK'd in Hamilton County. No front plate=no Lidar. Sign the online petition and get everyone you know to sign!
In Ohio if you have a Hystorical or Model Year plates assigned to your car you are not required to display the front license plate. You are only required to display the rear license plate.
See the following insert from OHIO BMV LAWS:
(D) A vehicle registered under this section may display historical vehicle license plates issued by the registrar of motor vehicles or model year license plates procured by the applicant. Historical vehicle license plates shall not bear a date, but shall bear the inscription "Historical Vehicle--Ohio" and the registration number, which shall be shown thereon. Model year license plates shall be legible and serviceable license plates issued by this state and inscribed with the date of the year corresponding to the model year when the vehicle was manufactured. Notwithstanding section 4503.21 of the Revised Code, only one model year license plate is required to be displayed on the rear of the historical motor vehicle at all times. The registration certificate and the historical vehicle license plates issued by the registrar shall be kept in the vehicle at all times the vehicle is operated on the public roads and highways in this state.
From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
NJ requires one front and one rear unless you have QQ (Historic) plates, then only the rear is required. However, I see a lot of C4's and C5's with the body colored front bumper insert (C6's have some sort of glue on plate holder for those who need them), and I was talking with a salesman at a very large Corvette dealer who told me he has never installed a front plate.
BTW, Fabric8r, you say your legislature only meets for 3 months every two years? That's great. Gives them that much less time to screw things up.