Question regarding vehicle plates in the US

[Smellincoffee]

Tonight while watching a cop show (Speeders or Over the Limit), the idea of a police officer pulling someone over for not having a front plate confused me. I'm used to license plates being in the rear, and people sometimes sticking a novelty plate in the front (especially religious persons or sports fans). It occured to me that some states may require two plates, in the front and back respectively, and I looked the matter up on Wikipedia. It seems most of the US has adopted the front/back approach, which makes me wonder: what would happen if I drove my one-plate car from Alabama into a two-plate state as a tourist? ....and what would happen if I moved to a two-plate state? Could I just wait until my plates needed to be renewed to buy my new state-specific plates?

 

[Theige]

Could I just wait until my plates needed to be renewed to buy my new state-specific plates?

Yes .

 

[Godwynn]

what would happen if I drove my one-plate car from Alabama into a two-plate state as a tourist?

We at CFC would hope you have a great trip!

Nothing happens to one-plate drivers from Kentucky and Indiana inside the state of Illinois. I'm sure it's the same across the nation.

 

[SG-17]

As someone from a one-plate state (Pennsylvania) who regularly goes to a two-plate state (New York) I can confirm that nothing happens.

 

[Cutlass]

A state can and will issue a ticket to a driver of the car registered in that state if the state requires 2 plates and the car has only one. The state is requiring that cars registered in that state have 2 plates, not that all cars entering the state do. If you move to a 2 plate state, when you register your car locally you will get 2 plates, and will be expected to put them on the car.

How likely you are to get a ticket varies. It is very low on the cop priority list. But if he's bored, if he's pissed off, or if he's assigned to do an area sweep, then you can get a ticket.

I was once pulled over for 1 plate in a sweep. (which is basically the town telling to cops to go out and raise some money) But I talked my way out of a ticked by pointing out that the car had no front plate bracket, and so no place to mount a plate. What the cop did not know, and I did know, is that the car was designed to screw the plate right to the front bumper.

 

[timtofly]

Try to convince a police officer in Mexico City that you are from a 1 plate state and that is why you do not have 2. To think that the policia should even pull you over for a "license" plate issue if you are from the States. I suppose he thought we were stupid foreigners and would just "pay" him off.

You have to abide by the rules of the state you are registered in.

 

[Formaldehyde]

The cop would stop you and ask you for your license and registration. He would then question you about how long you had been in the state. They do this a lot with out-of-state motorists even if they have two plates. Most states have a fairly short period where you do not have to get a state drivers license and register your vehicle. In the case of Florida, it is 10 days to register your vehicles and 30 days to get a new license.

Not having a front plate in a state where it is required is an open invitation to be pulled over, as are out-of-state plates in general. It is a real hassle for out-of-state military who are the only people allowed an exemption to registering a vehicle after moving.

 

[Narz]

All I know is be careful if you're an out of state driver in general. Cops can & will pick on you with the assumption that you won't be able to come & fight the ticket. I got a ticket the other day for "turning" on a street with a "no left turn" sign even though I was about to turn, then saw the sign, turned my blinker off & went straight. Needless to say I'm going to plead not-guilty.

 

[downtown]

The flip side for that is also true...depending on the state/city, it can be more time consuming for them to cross state lines to try and track you down.

 

[emzie]

Tonight while watching a cop show (Speeders or Over the Limit), the idea of a police officer pulling someone over for not having a front plate confused me. I'm used to license plates being in the rear, and people sometimes sticking a novelty plate in the front (especially religious persons or sports fans). It occured to me that some states may require two plates, in the front and back respectively, and I looked the matter up on Wikipedia. It seems most of the US has adopted the front/back approach, which makes me wonder: what would happen if I drove my one-plate car from Alabama into a two-plate state as a tourist? ....and what would happen if I moved to a two-plate state? Could I just wait until my plates needed to be renewed to buy my new state-specific plates?

If you move states, you're required to register your vehicle in the new state within a certain time.

Of course my Jeep still carries Ohio plates. I'm not going to deal with importation issues unless a cop directs me to.

The flip side for that is also true...depending on the state/city, it can be more time consuming for them to cross state lines to try and track you down.

Eh, the BMV/DMV databases are all linked, or so I think? Shouldn't take very long at all. Hell, I think there's reciprocal agreements between most states and Ontario as well.

 

[MobBoss]

Eh, the BMV/DMV databases are all linked, or so I think? Shouldn't take very long at all. Hell, I think there's reciprocal agreements between most states and Ontario as well.

Depends. Some states use 'point' systems to determine if you eventually lose your license or not, and some state laws prohibit or limit violations in other states to affect ones 'points' or vice versa. Its entirely possible to lose your driving privledges in one state, but not in the one right beside it.

The main problem in getting such tickets is them getting reported to your insurance company, thus driving up the cost of your insurance for up to 7 years. Thats what really sucks.

 

[classical_hero]

I am surprised that there are one plate states around.

 

[Bamspeedy]

With my previous vehicle I went 4 years without a front plate in Wisconsin (a 2 plate state) and I never got a ticket (not even a warning) about it, despite being stopped a couple times for speeding, and often driving past state troopers on the interstate.

There has been talk of only requiring the back plate but I guess they never got around to changing the law yet. One plate would save money and the front plate is almost completely useless anyways.

Over 10 years ago with another vehicle I drove over to Minnesota to visit a friend. A city cop pulls up to me to tell me I'm illegally parked and asked me to move it and then mentions I only had one plate (or renewal sticker, I can't remember). I tell him that in my state I only need the one (not sure if at the time that was really true or not) and he says in a grumpy voice "Well, you are in Minnesota now!"

 

[Gooblah]

Based on roadtripping experience, it's rarely an issue? Although my roadtrips tend to take the form of sojourns through Ohio/Pennsylvania, so....yeah. I do know people who've been pulled over, but IMO it tends to be like...aggressive/bored/ordered-to cops. They ask you how long you've been in the state etc, etc, but they tend to lay off if your plates aren't from the state in question, since odds are it's just a waste of time on their part.

 

[emzie]

I tell him that in my state I only need the one (not sure if at the time that was really true or not) and he says in a grumpy voice "Well, you are in Minnesota now!"

To which the proper response is, "and?" or perhaps, "Holy [bleep]! When did that happen?"

 

[GoodGame]

Tonight while watching a cop show (Speeders or Over the Limit), the idea of a police officer pulling someone over for not having a front plate confused me. I'm used to license plates being in the rear, and people sometimes sticking a novelty plate in the front (especially religious persons or sports fans). It occured to me that some states may require two plates, in the front and back respectively, and I looked the matter up on Wikipedia. It seems most of the US has adopted the front/back approach, which makes me wonder: what would happen if I drove my one-plate car from Alabama into a two-plate state as a tourist? ....and what would happen if I moved to a two-plate state? Could I just wait until my plates needed to be renewed to buy my new state-specific plates?

You'd obviously be a tourist. Funny thing is people will tend to point at your car like you're some looney who lost one of his plates. I had that experience in moving from a rear plate state to a dual plate state.

 

[bhsup]

And for a nice twist on it, at least in Missouri if you own a pickup and "truck plates", you only have to have one plate for the FRONT of the truck, with no requirement for any plate being shown on the back of the truck.

 

[Earthling]

I don't like states not requiring front plates, though where I'm living now doesn't, so people will either not have them or put whatever vanity stuff they want there. (Being at a college lots of folks have out of states plates anyway though.)

 

[KMRblue1027]

Depends. Some states use 'point' systems to determine if you eventually lose your license or not, and some state laws prohibit or limit violations in other states to affect ones 'points' or vice versa. Its entirely possible to lose your driving privledges in one state, but not in the one right beside it.

There's states that don't use the point system? Learn something new everyday I guess.

 

[Disgustipated]

Nevada requires a front plate if there is a spot for it. My Mustang GT I had did not have a spot for a front plate. I did put it in the window just in case (I wasn't sure about the law at the time). If there is a holder for a license plate, you must put a license plate there.

On my Dodge Ram I used to have, the front plate holder got busted off when I parked a little too close to something. Again I put it on the dash showing through the window.

I'm against license plates as they reduce aerodynamics of the vehicle increasing fuel consumption and causing global warming.