TexasCHLforum.com

There has been a lot of discussion about front license plates in different threads, so I thought I'd pass this along:

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-pol ... 18800.html

I just bought a bracket for mine.

Texas is one of the few states that require front plates. Many newbies to our fair state have to buy brackets. I've also known folks that take them off, and refuse to have "that thing" hanging on the front of their classy car. I hope they get stopped.

How much money would the state save if it quit requiring/manufacturing the plates? 50% would be my guess........

I support a one plate idea, but will keep both until the law is changed....

California requires front plates, although it is not often enforced. In fact, a lot of California municipalities forbid backing into parking spaces in public lots, because if you don't have a front plate, your vehicle is not as easily ID'd by passing fuzz.

This is a great example of how case law is set!

Since it was the state court of appeals, it now applies to every lower court in the state of Texas.

This is now law folks. No more arguing the wording. It was defined by a court of appeals, it is law.

Expect to see a HUGE blitz on vehicles with no front plates now, as it is now guaranteed in court.

lonewolf stated above "that Texas is one of the few states to require front plates."

IMHO I believe that MOST states require 2 plates.

The "one plate" states that I am aware of are: GA, LA, OK, AZ.

Pros to having only 1 plate: An owner can only use the plate on one
car. If he had 2, he could illegally attach one plate to another, uninsured
vehicle.

Cons to having only 1 plate: LEO's and observant citizens have only
a 50% chance of ID'ing a BG's vehicle.

People who like to be scofflaws and run only with one rear Texas plate
are opening themselves up to a "probable cause" LEO encounter.

I spoke with a Texas LEO somewhere about this issue. He said he could
give out tickets all day to people displaying no front plate, but said his
supervisor expected his officers to write tickets for more important
crimes.

SIA

A crime is a crime is a crime......write 'em up.....give 'em tickets. I have both on my 4 wheel vehicles, per the law. I have nothing to hide is stopped. Get the revenue for the state and keep taxes as low as possible. I'm good with that.

I agree that two plates aid in identification of problem drivers, criminals, etc.

I'll try to research better which states require one or two...Kansas also requires only one....Michigan as well, from what I recall....Perhaps some of our recent members from other states can help out with others....

Is there actually a difference between crime closure rates in 1-plate and 2-plate states, or is it just resistance to change?
Motorcycles don't have front plates (and neither do a lot of police cars. )

My wifes camaro did not have a front plate, she did not like having one on the front. I always knew I would be stopped one day but sometimes you cant argue with the better half. Anyway on a trip to San Marcos I'm in the middle of a group of cars as we pass a trooper. I look in my mirror and he pulls out, I glanced at my speedometer and we are good, maybe 5 over but I'm in the middle. He cruises up just past the front of our car then slows down gets behind me and puts on the lights. I knew what was up, pulled over, put license and chl on dash. He comes to the passenger side, my wife has two chihuahua's on her lap and they are reading him the riot act. So he comes around to my side, I hand him my id's. He asks if my weapon is in the glove box, I told him it was on my hip. He said no problem and explained about not having a front plate. We had put some fresh paint on the bottom nose of the car, you could see the brush strokes. My wife said we had just painted it and had not put the plate back on. He gave us a warning and told us to have a safe trip.

As I look at the registration sticker on the windshields of my vehicles, the license plate number is on there as well.....Perhaps a rotating 360 degree beacon will be next? Truly, I'm not for or against, it really doesn't matter to me. How about an IFF type system like aircraft have, that broadcasts it? No need for plates at all then.....

striker55 wrote:My wifes camaro did not have a front plate, she did not like having one on the front. I always knew I would be stopped one day but sometimes you cant argue with the better half. Anyway on a trip to San Marcos I'm in the middle of a group of cars as we pass a trooper. I look in my mirror and he pulls out, I glanced at my speedometer and we are good, maybe 5 over but I'm in the middle. He cruises up just past the front of our car then slows down gets behind me and puts on the lights. I knew what was up, pulled over, put license and chl on dash. He comes to the passenger side, my wife has two chihuahua's on her lap and they are reading him the riot act. So he comes around to my side, I hand him my id's. He asks if my weapon is in the glove box, I told him it was on my hip. He said no problem and explained about not having a front plate. We had put some fresh paint on the bottom nose of the car, you could see the brush strokes. My wife said we had just painted it and had not put the plate back on. He gave us a warning and told us to have a safe trip.

In the event your wife's statement to the LEO was untrue, she risked a much greater penalty than for just having a missing front plate, Striker. We have had several threads lately about talking, or not talking, to the police, in the context of a shooting, but the general proposition is almost across the board. Lying to the police, and I hasten to add that I do not accuse your wife of having done so, is a very bad habit to develop, and if your mentioning this suggests that an untruth got you a warning instead of a ticket, the habit can become a practice. Just ask Martha Stewart.

Furthermore, if one should happen to brag about someone else pulling the wool over an LEO's eyes by lying to him, particularly here in public, which I am not saying you did, Striker, one has arguably become a witness against the other party, if not also an accessory after the fact. All because someone says "I didn't do it" when in fact he did.

When all this 'plate' thing started in the early 1900's, they were NOT called license plates.

They were called, and were, TAX PLATES. Over the years the name was changed to make it more paletable to the general public.