California front plate blues

I live in Southern California. When I bought my '97 Miata, it was from Arizona and only needed a rear license plate. I debated a bit when I got my pair of California plates and finally I dutifully put on the brackets and installed the front plate. I hated the look, but figured I just had to do it. Then I noticed more and more that a LOT of cars of all types here don't have a front plate. I finally decided to give in to my vanity and remove the offending front plate. On the "bumper" behind the right bracket there was a nasty little dent. Not much, but noticeable. I'm sure it wasn't there when I bought it five months ago, so the only thing I can think of is that I (or my loving wife) must have bumped something with the plate and forced the bracket into the plastic hard enough to cause the dent. My wife has only driven it a couple times (she prefers her Accord, which I refer to as the "Queen Mary). Anyway, the plate wasn't damaged so it couldn't have been much of a bump.

I have three questions:

Has anyone reading this from California actually gotten a ticket for not having a front plate?

Can I fix the dent?

If so, how?

Thanks.

Reply to
Dave Smith
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Put the front plate back on, because when you are cruising around CA you are going to be in the right spot at the wrong time and get pulled over for not having it installed. Since more and more CA cities are going to the red-light photo cops, the are handing out more citations when a officers see a car without the front plate. It used to be a fixit ticket, I got popped over by the university and was fined $124 and still had to re-install the front plate.

My .02¢ GOOD LUCK!

John

Reply to
JM

I've been driving around in my Miata in Southern California without a front plate (it came that way when I bought it over three years ago) and so far no tickets. I have been giving serious thought to heading to the DMV and requesting a second plate. Your comment about the red light photo cops is making me think even more seriously. Thanks for the input.

Gus

Reply to
Gus

License plate tickets are generally given when you look like you

*need* a ticket and there's nothing else the officer can find to cite you for.

Hint: a 40-year old parent and homeowner is less likely to receive such a mechanical violation than a 20-year kid or someone who needs a haircut.

Dunno.

Bodyword of some kind is my guess.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers K6JQ

Was just reading about those dents yesterday over on the forum. I can't point you to the exact location of the answer but I was reading the FAQ's over on Miata.net when I came across the link.

Good luck

JV (who must install a front plate soon)

Reply to
JV

I bought the Team Miata folding license plate bracket and am happy with it:

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You could probably make one yourself with with a hinge and some sheet metal. Perhaps someone at a local Miata club has one - once you see it, fabrication will be obvious. It hangs down pretty low, so it's susceptible to parking curbs and driveway ramps, particularly if your Miata is lowered. I've already replaced the sheet metal that the plate attaches to on mine. I probably straighten mine every two months or so. But I like it. The folding feature works and my radiator gets plenty of airflow at speed and the front bumper stays clean - until - you get nudged by the SUV'er who "just COULDN'T see that l'il thing back thar!"

Steve McMahon Green JRSC '00LS

Reply to
McMahon

Yes. I got a speeding ticket once, while the cop was berating me for my driving style, I must have presented an attitude he objected to, so he pulled a roadside inspection. No front plate.

I had to install the plate and go to the cop shop to get this section of the ticket signed off. The problem today is that funding city operations falls more and more on stuff like no front plates, so the sign off might not happen so easily. Also, if you get a ticket in a distant city, the sign off might be next to impossible, so the fine will be imposed. Given the habit of funding city operations with things like fix-it tickets, you may end up paying the fine even if you put the plate back on.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

I believe *any* peace office can sign such a ticket off. You don't need to go to a specific city employee - you can stop in at a CHP office, for example.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers K6JQ

Not sure about the dent but I'm in SoCal - took the bracket off the day after I bought my 97' (original owner). I work on a miltary installation and we are subject to frequent, "random" vehicle inspections. Every once and awhile the Security Policeman on the entrance gate gets a wild-hair and reminds me that a front plate is required for vehicles registered in Calif. It has been alternately explained to me by them that laying the plate on the dash is and isn't acceptable (I store it in the pocket behind the passenger seat, just in case). Regardless, I listen politely, frown and nod in agreement at the appropriate moments during the lecture. Six years - several lectures - no tickets. If I am actually ever ticketed, I will mount it with the brackets down to avoid "bump damage" and airflow problems. Yes; I am pushing my luck - your mileage may very.

Reply to
Parse

Yeah, I took the front plate bracket off about a week after driving home. I still have the bracket if I ever need it to satisfy a fix-it ticket; I really don't think it would make a difference to a police officer if I had it in the trunk or not.

By California law, a missing front plate is a fix-it/mechanical ticket with a $10 fine. It's also a ticket not given out by real cops unless they want to hassle you (in which case it's favorite). Zealous parking enforcers and college parking police might write a cite for it.

So far, I haven't invited hassle from cops or zealous parking droids. If I do, the bracket and plate will be on long enough to get the ticket signed off at my local CHP office. I'm still debating whether I'll brazenly remove the bracket in the CHP parking lot if it ever comes to that :-)

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Cissy,

Don't park the car in Palo Alto. This is one of their convenient sources of revenue; it's been discussed in the SJMN a number of times.

I put the front plate back on when my daughter took the '90 to school. Now she's out of school, bought a new car and I have the Miata back. Still has the plate, though; I go to Palo Alto a lot.

Ken

Miata

Reply to
Ken Stoorza

I'll start by admitting that I do live in Southern California and do not have the front plate or bracket on my '91. However, is all this hassle really worth it. Why not just put the front plate back on and stop worrying about it?

Gus (91 BRG)

Reply to
Gus

I radically tweaked my bracket to hold the plate away from the bumpr, so as not to deform it as is often the case. No biggie to have it IMO.

Doug

Reply to
Doug

I doubt the bracket is strong enough to hold the plate (and mounting screws) away from the bumper when somebody else backs into it while parallel parking in front of you.

After paying to have the holes in my bumper cover fixed, I think its "a biggie".

Reply to
Grant Edwards

I'm coming into this thread late, but why not just flip the bracket upside down?

Reply to
Craig Wagner

'Cause no matter what you do, it just wrecks the lines of the front-end of the car. It looks poopy.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Dana,

If you think "that" looks poopy, you should see what a check book looks like in Washington State when is shows a check to the State for $105.00 for not having one on the front !

Bruce RED '91

Reply to
BRUCE HASKIN

Eh, looking out the window at my front-plate-intact Miata, I don't think it's quite as bad as everyone says. I once had my front plate stolen and didn't notice it for a week, so I wouldn't say it ruins a whole lot for me.

Sure beats the tickets I used to get for not having a plate installed on the car.

Reply to
tooloud

Sorry but I gotta agree with "It looks poopy" - (';')

Reply to
Parse

I agree, but if you have to have a plate at least orient it so it won't damage the nose of the vehicle if someone bumps into it.

Reply to
Craig Wagner

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