dizwiz24

I wanted to get this out there to make sure that you corvette owner's in ohio, like myself, call your state rep in support of recently proposed HB107 to eliminate ohio's front license plate requirement for cost reasons.

Past attempts at this have stalled due to objection from the state highway patrol. They claim their laser based speed measurement equipment and new license plate readers dont work as well without a front plate.

However, I think thats bogus as 20 other states dont have front license plate requirements and their laser based speed measurement equipment seems to work just fine there.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_articl...storyid=176926

Illini Al

Sounds good to me!! Now I just have to remember who my state rep is.

kawchop

calling my rep tomm.

Illini Al

I just sent my rep an e-mail. I looked him up Here.

Kubs

Good to know, but it doesnt matter. I havent used a front plate on any of my cars in about 5 years. Never been pulled over for it, and when I have been pulled over they never mentioned it.

96 Vette CE

Same here. I have the plate mounted behind the front cover, but i just like the look of the front cover better than the plate.

I have never had a problem or been pulled over for it. I think it would have to be a real slow day for a LEO to pull you over for just a front plate violation.

dizwiz24

friend of mine (btw he's also owns c3/c4 & c6 !) got pulled over in his mod'd 3000 GT VR-4 and ticketed for no front plate without any other reason.

he asked for a warning and was told no.

This was in 2007 somewhere on I-76 in between akron and youngstown. This was ohio state patrol.

Another friend of mine got nailed in his wife's 96 maxima with no front license plate in brecksville, ohio by brecksville PD in 2003. Cop whipped a u-turn and wrote him a ticket for no front plate.

I got pulled over by medina co. sheriff dept, in 2004, and issued a written warning for no front license plate. Though I believe the only reason why they did that was for 'training purposes' because another cop appeared to be 'training' with the deputy that wrote me the warning.

I also got pulled over by highway patrol on 224, in 2001. I was pulled over for no front plate and lack of front seat belt (though in reality I was wearing the seat belt). I was going to get a ticket for no front license plate on my 95 nissan maxima, but I talked the cop out of it after I showed him some minor front end damage and a broken license plate bracket in my trunk. He let me off with a written warning.

Finally, my friend (who speeds all the time in his mod'd scion Tc) has been pulled over twice, issued citation for speed, and both times the cop went to the front of his car to check for the presence of a plate.

I will agree, its rare but just adds to my anxiety level.

Id like to see this stupid law go away.

nypearson

Stupid law, good luck!

dizwiz24

mods, can we make this a sticky? Since it has a big effect on corvette owners in ohio..

LT4BUD

You are lucky or I am unlucky...


Come out to the Brunswick Cruise this summer and you almost assured a ticket......At least the Brunswick Police got me...

Also the Ohio Patrol on the interstate..

I now run front plates..

Front plates should go...hope new law passes this time

96 Vette CE

Wow...i feel bad for you guys there then. Here in Mass. when you get a ticket you can contest it in court and 99% of the time the leo that wrote the ticket does not show up to court because the state cannot afford to have the leo just sitting in court all day (most of the time getting paid overtime)and the ticket gets thrown out. Most leo's here know this and just don't bother to pull you over for it.

Now if you have other moving violations, that's a different story altogether.

Kubs

Wow! I used to work in Valley City and now in Canton, and I live near Cleveland. I have driven by all those places on a daily basis and never been pulled over. I guess I get pretty lucky.

SunCr

Why not eliminate Plates altogether? Wireless registration and communication with the DMV/Law enforcement will ensure that vehicles get registered (well until some 6 year old hacks into it and sells you a dummy code for 5 Bucks that you can download and broadcast from your Cell). Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's coming with some European Trucks allready using a signal to monitor their location, etc; we just need to get on with it and then you can hang whatever message you want where your Plate use to be.

JrRifleCoach

Just keep the word going!!!

CA and MD have lost this battle already.
Main cause was only a few small groups were willing to stand up and be counted.

dizwiz24

an attempt on this was tried in 2005 and lobbyists from the ohio highway patrol put pressure on the issue to kill it.

very frustrating that their voice is more important than ours.


btw. when Im worried about getting pulled over, I put the front license plate in the windshield of my car.

ORC (ohio revised code) just states on the front of your car.
My car has a front, that is 50% of the length of the car, and a back which is 50% of the total length of the car.

The spot I put it in is on the 'front' of the car as I defined above.

If someone gives me a ticket, I plan to take a picture of how its mounted, with the police vehicle that issued the citation - and take it to court !!

Even if I have to pay a lawyer to represent me, Id at least like to set a precedent that windshield mount is legal.

(though i heard in some states that it was shot down - texas).

RedLS1GTO

Some things are going to make an officer look for reasons to give you a ticket.

I have driven 3 different Corvettes, a Yukon, and my truck for the last 10 years in Ohio without ever getting even a mention of a front plate. Maybe I've just been lucky.

dizwiz24

UPDATE:

I met today with my democratic state rep for my area.

I expressed my opinion on this and she said she didnt yet have a position. She expected law enforcement to fight this, but wrote my name down that I was willing to testify at the statehouse should this come up. She did say it was good that a republican (damschroeder) was also a co-sponsor.

She also wrote down a list of reasons, that I proposed, to support this. She also mentioned theres a lot of steps this has to go thru before it will even get to the governors desk

1. house committee
2. house vote (the speaker can choose not to bring it up, however since a republican is also a co-sponsor it will likely get brough up_
3. senate committee
4. senate vote
5. governor sign off

Lobbyists can interject at any step along the way.

I also mentioned some alternative proposals. Namely that ohio's 'collector' license plates (which apply to all corvettes and limited production vehicle) be required to only display one license plate vs. two. Currently historical license plate holders (> 25 years old vehicle) are the only ones allowed to display one license plate.

This is important. The last time a bill like this was proposed (around 2004, to save state money) it never went anywhere and the result was an INCREASE in the penalty of not displaying a front license plate. It went from a $50-70 equipment violation fine (like broken turn signal) to a $150 minor misdemeanor registration violation).

I know this law is spottily enforced, but its still enforced as a sole reason for a traffic stop by a minority of cops.

Frank C

It's my opinion that the following is unclear; "Currently historical license plate holders (> 25 years old vehicle) are the only ones allowed to display one license plate".
Actually both historical plates registered to a specific vehicle must be displayed front and back or carried on that vehicle at all times it's on the road. The only option is that if you have a year of vehicle manufacture, original Ohio plate that's been associated to those historical plates by and through the DMV, you may only display that year of manufacture plate on the rear of said vehicle. Or something close to that explanation.
Now that works fine on my 32 but when the 91 get's to historical status just what am I going to do since they went to stickers well before that year and there won't be any specific year of manufacture plate.
Now that might be a good starting point to get the ball rolling towards one plate for both collector and historical plate holders with cars in the sticker years.......Frank