I'm picking up my first Vette this T-day. I'll post more details about it when I actually get it, but I have a question about front license plates in NJ.

I know it is NJ law to have a front plate on a car, but I've seen a lot of Corvettes drive around NJ with no front plate. I'm willing to get a ticket at least once for not having a front plate. My first question is, will the car pass inspection with no front plate and having it laying on the front dash (or even suction cupped to the windsheild)?

If I absolutely have to have it mounted on the front of the car, how easy is it to remove the license plate cover and then put it back on after inspection?

Thanks!
Ken
1st time Vette owner in 2-days!!!

 

put the plate on for inspection. I've been told that NJ is in the process of doing away with the front as a cost saving measure within the next year or two.
But I watch the Vettes I pass and it's about 50/50 with who has it on and who dosen't. I personally DO NOT have it on, actually it's covered by the tag cover. I have never been stoped or hasseled.

 

In Mass. you can't get a sticker without the front plate. A lot of people attach the plate and then attach the cover with velcro for easy removal. If you get stopped, the story is you just came from a show and "forgot" to remove the cover.
Steve

 

I carry my front plate with me behind the passenger seat. I had my Vette for over a year now with no front plate mounted and no issues. However, it may depend on how **** your local LEO is about enforcing it.

 

Yes, the law does state that you need a front plate . I do not have mine on. Haven't had a problem. The part time shore cops are sticklers for stuff like that though You will not see many Vettes with them on. I just keep mine in the trunk. You do need it on for inspection. It is very easy to remove the front filler. There are 2 screws in the space between the bottom of the filler, and the bumper. You just remove those 2 screw, and the filler slides down and out. Put the plate on for inspection, then change it back if you want. Takes about 2 minutes if that. Enjoy the car.

 

I live in NJ and can give you first hand experiences:

1) I have not had a front plate on my vette since the start of Summer 2005.
2) I have driven past police cars on a lot of occassions and not a single one has pulled me over. This includes local police and state troopers.
3) I have driven very slowly past a minor accident where cops where directing traffic. I was stopped right in front of an officer on the road. He didn't give me a second look.
4) I will put the plate back on for inspection.
5) Now, the bad news.. I frequent a county park with the vette about once a week in the summer. Cops always set up speed traps in the park since the speed limit of 25MPH. On two occassions, I drove by the speed traps. I wasn't speeding but got pulled over both times for not having a front plate. The first time, the cop was cool, told me he liked the car, and let me go. The second time, the cop was pretty cool and just gave me a warning.

So, I haven't been cited to date. Hope you have the same luck.

PS: I always use the 'I was at a vette rally last night and we were taking pictures of our vettes..so I took the plate off to make the pictures better..blah..blah.

I also carry the plate and a screw driver in the trunk. It really helped when I got pulled over in the park since I told the cops the plate was in the trunk. They both asked to see it. Also, I always volunteer to put the plate back on right on the spot if it will prevent a citation.

Hope this helps. PSS: I live in Morris County

 

I like the excuse, but I am just afraid that I will be driving about 5 miles over the speed limit and get pulled over and then have the police say "Well, I pulled you over for speeding, but I am only giving you a ticket for not having a front plate"
I do hope that the law gets changed- where I live, the majority of the people driving the roads I drive are out of state, going to Atlantic City and don't have front plates. I guess the local police and troopers would probably look the other way and not give me a hard time, I just don't want to draw any more attention to my car!

 

you will need it for inspection and if you decide to take it off after that then you run a risk of being pulled over and maybe getting a ticket.

Mine is on because my local LEOs are a PITA about it. I get home a lot of nights after midnight and I don't need an excuse to pull me over.

I will be the first to remove it though when the state gets rid of them....

Of course my vanity plate MVOVR will need to be changed to some like

CYA L8R

 

Haven't had a front plate on my car since I bought the car, and never had a plate on the car before that as well. So I guess I've gone about 4 years without a front plate and have never been stopped for it.

If the police want to find something wrong with what you're doing on the road, they will.

Ray

 

It will never happen. The NJSP want them so their laser guns have something to reflect off of.

The only reason NJ drivers without front plates don't get stopped more often is because of all the PA drivers that come to NJ with no front plates. If an LEO sees a car without a front plate, s/he assumes it is more than likely a PA car.

 

And DuPont won't allow it either, since they make the reflective coating. They'll just bribe (er make campaign cotributions) until the bill is dead.

 

I've had my Vette since May of 1998 and have never had a front on the car (and I live at the shore).

I've only been ticketed once for no plate (Toms River, $30 ticket) and the cop admitted he wanted a Vette and was jealous of guys that have em so he was a jerk to Vette owners.

I've been pulled over numerous times all over the state (mostly for speeding) and whether or not I got a ticket, they never even mentioned the front plate.

I get the car inspected in a private facility and I don't even bother to put the plate on for inspection...

Yeah Yeah... I know it's required and I am asking for trouble, but knock on wood...I've been lucky so far

BBEngineer

 

I have no front plate and have never been pulled over for it
(knock wood)

 

I've had mine on and I've had it off.

If I'm takin 'er out of state I will take it off. And after returning home I'll put it back on when I get around to it.

Without the plate you run the risk of being hassled and ticketed. Such is life.

I always have the plate and a screwdriver in the car and easily accessible so if I get stopped maybe I can cry my way out of a ticket.

For inspection, put it on.

 

Sounds like it pretty much depends on the mood of the cop that pulls you over.....

 

The only time I put the front plate on my car is when I go to my shore house on LBI because there the cops will give you a ticket.NJ state law does require a front and rear plate.Never been stopped anywhere else.

 

Where I live in northern Jersey, Sussex county we are mostly patrolled by state troopers. Most towns don't have municipal police except for Newton and Andover, that I know of. I also drive all over north Jersey for business and pleasure. I have only been stopped once by a Basking Ridge cop who wanted to know why almost every Vette he sees doesn't have a front plate. He then wished me a nice day and didn't mention ticketing me. I also was stopped for another reason at another time and a trooper asked me what my vanity plate meant and didn't mention I had no front plate. In fact when I had my first C5, this is now my second, I initially ran a front plate. Now no one is going to believe what I am going to write next. A state trooper is the person who told me to take my front plate OFF because it looks much better without it. When I questioned him, he said don't worry, it's an unwritten thing but they usually don't ticket Vettes for no front plate unless the driver acts like a moron. So far, so good and it's been 7+ years without one. I have a friend with a tricked out lowered pickup who took his plate off and was stopped within two days. I also know of a Boxster owner who was stopped by a trooper and was told to put it back on because he wasn't driving a Vette. True!

 

I don't run with a front plate and like many others have indicated, I have had not problems. I put the plate in the front windshield for inspections and keep it with me behind the passenger seat. No problems thus far.

 

I don't have the plate on the car, usually in it. Last summer I took a short cut through the town of Colts Neck. 2 lane road getting back to the GSP, I pass a firehouse with 2 leo's in the driveway. They both come out and get behind me, after they paced me, here come the lights. I pull over and go throught the dl, reg, ins, was I speeding officer, No, where's your front plate, in my garage. Well we look at every corvette that comes through town and about 80% don't have a front plate and we ticket all of them, why don't you guys just put the plate on. And I give the standard corvette reply because it looks like sh*t. So I got my first and only no front tag tickest for $65.00, oh well, no points, no surcharge, and I donated $65.00 the town of Colts Neck.

 

9 times outta 10 you will just get a warning..Just depends on the cop really. Ive been pulled over once and just got a warning..That was 2 years and still no plate on car..