Anyone else delete their front license plate?

jeep_boss said:
Curious on how many other TJ owners do not display their front license plates, at least those with aftermarket bumpers.

My Jeep came with a crappy plastic mount for one in the floor board, the previous owner said he never got around to installing it. The mount would have made it point downwards 45 degrees or so, given the shape of my custom front bumper.

There really isn't anywhere else practical that I can see mounting the plate - it doesn't stay put in my window, so meh!
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This is what I did as mine would not stay in the windshield either. Not having one displayed will get you pulled over quick here in Washington. Then they start looking at things like how far do your tires extend past your flares, ect.

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Ron Hockett said:
This is what I did as mine would not stay in the windshield either. Not having one displayed will get you pulled over quick here in Washington. Then they start looking at things like how far do your tires extend past your flares, ect.
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What part of WA? I live in Seattle.. never had a problem with missing front plates on my Jeep and M3 - although I did finally manage to get one on my car.

Putting the front plate in my Jeep has been on my mind still, but I am going to have to fabricate a mount to make it a reality. There just isn't anywhere practical to put it with the bumper I have.
 
jeep_boss said:
What part of WA? I live in Seattle.. never had a problem with missing front plates on my Jeep and M3 - although I did finally manage to get one on my car.

Putting the front plate in my Jeep has been on my mind still, but I am going to have to fabricate a mount to make it a reality. There just isn't anywhere practical to put it with the bumper I have.
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What bumper do you have?
 
CodaMan said:
Some areas in California use the digital license plate readers and patrol streets and mall parking lots and with my luck they would nail me for sure.
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HI CodaMan! I just put on a new SS bumper and a flip-up plate holder (found online @ Quadratec). We have been sited for no front plate and backing into a space at the mall!! So I first made a holder then found one I liked and got it.
 
lowranger said:
Oh yea.....I see. I have a similar bumper, but I have a roller fairlead for my winch and I mounted my license plate on to that. Hummmmm?
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It's a tough cookie to crack.. my guy down at Mule Expedition Outfitters was also scratching his head when I asked him what he thought. Here are a couple of other shots showing the contours that are perplexing the situation...

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lowranger said:
Looks like the only simple fix is to replace your fairlead with a roller fairlead, but you probably don't want to do that.
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I sent a text message to a friend of mine who is retired LEO from Pierce county. He just recommended that I apply for an exemption with the state patrol, who may or may not give me an exemption for the front plate. I wasn't aware that they consider such requests in WA, we'll see what they say or recommend.
 
jeep_boss said:
. . . My guy down at Mule Expedition Outfitters was also scratching his head when I asked him what he thought.
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Just drill four holes in bumper under your winch fairlead and bolt on your plate. The statutes say that you must have a front plate affixed to your vehicle and that it must be visible, not that the plate needs to be perpendicular to the ground.
 
lowranger said:
Looks like the only simple fix is to replace your fairlead with a roller fairlead, but you probably don't want to do that.
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My roller fairlead was damaged over the fall on the trail, and then it met its maker last January on an NF road (when my Jeep decided to try out for the Winter Olympics on black ice)..

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My steel line was also damaged in that figure skating maneuver, so with all of the headaches I had encountered with the roller - I decided that I needed a Hawse and synthetic, and went with the Factor55 setup. The Hawse is a lot more flush and doesn't protrude like the other one did.

Maybe i can mount my plate on my roof?!
 
jeep_boss said:
It wouldn't be perpendicular..

View attachment 36456
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Find me a statute that says the front plate must be perpendicular. I doubt you can.

For example, California Vehicle Code section 5201(a), which is typical of the statute in many states, reads,

"License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground."
 
Mr. Bills said:
Find me a statute that says the front plate must be perpendicular. I doubt you can.

For example, California Vehicle Code section 5201(a), which is typical of the statute in many states, reads,

"License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground."
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Ahhh... I missed the "not" before what you had said about it being perpendicular!

I had looked at my state's (WA) law ...

RCW 46.16A.200

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I think 45 degrees downward would be construed as inconspicuous, which is why I haven't bothered punching more holes in my bumper. I mounted it there temporarilly, and it looked really suspicious.

That said, I have $136 for the fine if it is imposed before I get word back from the state patrol on my exemption. The worst that they can say is no.
 
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