Front Plate Filler legal problems in Colorado?

[millerns]

Hey Everyone,

I'm thinking of putting the front plate filler in my B8 A4 b/c of the more aggressive look it gives, but I know in Colorado it is the law to have your license plate displayed on the front and back. Has anyone had any issues with this in the past? Ever been stopped by the police and they say something about it? Any thoughts about the filler, etc. are appreciated.

Thanks

[boomdizzle]

I'm pretty certain that in the State of Colorado not having a front license plate is considered a primary offense. Which basically means (if I understand the law correctly) they can stop you for that reason alone. Don't quote me on that. Someone else here might have more expertise on this issue.

I know parking on the streets in downtown Denver without a front plate can land you a pricey ticket with the meter maids. I know several members here can comment on that. I have read/heard the quick fix to avoid the parking tickets that is to place your plate on your dash when your away. However, I wouldn't advise driving with the plate on your dash unless you're trying to decapitate yourself or front passenger in the event of a serious accident.

I had no problems at all running no front plate in California for 5+ years. CSP pulled me over coming in from New Mexico for running no front plate about a year ago (Not speeding either). No problems with the CSP since then. In addition to CSP, I have heard Nebraska State Patrol is notoriously strict on the no front plate issue as well. Local Metro PD has given me no problems so far (knock on wood) and I know they see me all of the time.

[boomdizzle]

Also, not sure where I seen this. Had to be here or on one of the local threads, but here is the petition that has been going around to repeal the front plate requirement in Colorado.

http://www.petitiononline.com/coplate/petition.html

[Bsix3.0]

I heard that its only a secondary violation in colorado but i dunno. Also, they WILL give you a no front plate ticket in denver even if its on the dash board. I know from experience lol

[AudiTFSI3o3]

I think I've gotten about 15 parking tickets downtown for not have a front license plate "attached or affixed" to the front bumper. I used to run the filler plate and leave my license plate on the dash, but still got tickets for not having them "properly displayed." Its a dumb law I'll tell you that. I even got pulled over at 11pm one night because I "had no front plate." With no front plate tickets at $75 a pop now, I just leave my front on.

[SleeperLoDo]

License plate violation
You need both a front and rear plate on your car, and they need to be at least 12 inches from the ground, on the outside of the car, fastened horizontally. In the City and County of Denver, both the police and parking enforcement agents enforce the license plate law, and this ticket is a whopping $75.

http://www.denvergov.org/trafficandp...9/Default.aspx

[mikehawk666]

I have run no plate on any of my cars for yearrrssss. Never got pulled over or hassled for it when I was pulled over, however I racked up upwards of $1000.00 in no front plate parking tickets. Finally bit the bullet and zip tied it back on after getting sick of getting $75.00 tickets, still not happy about it.

[Alex_Mk3]

I get more worried about the stupid meter maids downtown than the police it self when it comes to not having a front plate. (Got to the point where I just pay for parking at a parking garage, rather pay 5 bucks than 75.) I never run a front plate on any of my cars just because it looks more clean. I never been pulled over for it or been told about it when I get pulled over for other reason. I think some cops figure they have better things to worry about now this days than not having a front plate unless they are tying to find an excuse to pull you over. The way I see it its just matter of luck really.

[Operator]

I've run a Europlate since I've been here, so in my experience, you should be ok. I also got lased on I-70, so I know they saw my europlate.

[drumnjuny]

front plates increase the distance a cop can laser you by like a bajillion, because they are so reflective... don't run one. you won't really run into trouble here. I have VA plates but in VA they are required, i've run around here without one for like 7 months now never been bugged once, even been pulled over a couple times

[PaperToast]

i lost my front plate on a 4x4 road almost 2 years ago now and i havent had any probs without it; i even took off the plate mount from the bumper

[millerns]

sounds like it's hit or miss and the meter maids are the real problem...I don't know how to get that aggressive look with the plate still on the front lol. What about putting a euro plate with your actual plate numbers on it? Still illegal since it isn't a colorado plate? I would assume that would be the case

[Alex_Mk3]

Nope but I might be wrong.

[mmayhem]

Yeah it's definitely hit or miss with the no front plate and cops, just depends on their mood that day. As far as the europlate with the valid state numbers, its still a violation as it's not a state issued plate. I run no front plate and have only been pulled over for it twice and was let off with a warning both times.

[KidGT]

You are far more likely to get a ticket while parked somewhere than driving.

No, you can not have a euro plate that has the same plate number. It must be issued by Colorado.

The reason you don't get hassled for not running a front plate from a different state is that as your car isn't registered in CO they have no authority to enforce the states non-moving motoring laws upon you. That's why I didn't change my plates over until the last minute because of in-state tuition.

I split the difference by attaching it to my ski rack.

[drumnjuny]

OP, have u thought about getting a podi skid plate (not actually a skid plate, just a tow hook mounted license plate holder). I have one sitting in my room, waiting for when I go back to VA. Technically they are still illegal b/c they are not mounted in the center of the car and they are angled, but no1 cares that much.

other option people do a lot is putting the plate in their dash.

another things ome people did is saw the bottom half of their plate off. but that's guaranteed illegal as well lmao and i'm 90% sure that in the USA you don't own your license plates, they are rented from the government and therefore their property and you might get in trouble when trying to return them when you change your registration

You are far more likely to get a ticket while parked somewhere than driving.

No, you can not have a euro plate that has the same plate number. It must be issued by Colorado.

The reason you don't get hassled for not running a front plate from a different state is that as your car isn't registered in CO they have no authority to enforce the states non-moving motoring laws upon you. That's why I didn't change my plates over until the last minute because of in-state tuition.

I split the difference by attaching it to my ski rack.

i've heard the maids are deadly

agreed - euro plate is illegal as well, no matter what it says. and it still doesn't look even close to as cool as a filler plate

pics of your ski rack attachment haha?

and that sounds reasonable, that they can't enforce non-moving laws. but that can't be entirely true because I've gotten parking tickets before... where do they draw the line? or are parking tickets a separate category? (honestly asking)

[Docwyte]

The cops could care less, unless you really piss one off, then they'll ticket you for it. However the meter maids are brutal and it's $75 each time they nail you, which in Denver and Cherry Creek, is alot.

After I got two tickets on the street outside my office, I just put the plate on.

[mdzaudi]

However, I wouldn't advise driving with the plate on your dash unless you're trying to decapitate yourself or front passenger in the event of a serious accident.

Not to be a dick here, but your license plate weighs almost nothing and would probably have to be traveling at the speed of sound to have enough inertia to decapitate you.

additionally, almost all accidents in which signifigant speed is involved are head-on, in which case the inertia of the plate will tend to want to drive it further into your dash, not back at you.

[KidGT]

OP, have u thought about getting a podi skid plate (not actually a skid plate, just a tow hook mounted license plate holder). I have one sitting in my room, waiting for when I go back to VA. Technically they are still illegal b/c they are not mounted in the center of the car and they are angled, but no1 cares that much.

other option people do a lot is putting the plate in their dash.

another things ome people did is saw the bottom half of their plate off. but that's guaranteed illegal as well lmao and i'm 90% sure that in the USA you don't own your license plates, they are rented from the government and therefore their property and you might get in trouble when trying to return them when you change your registration



i've heard the maids are deadly

agreed - euro plate is illegal as well, no matter what it says. and it still doesn't look even close to as cool as a filler plate

pics of your ski rack attachment haha?

and that sounds reasonable, that they can't enforce non-moving laws. but that can't be entirely true because I've gotten parking tickets before... where do they draw the line? or are parking tickets a separate category? (honestly asking)

Parking tickets are a different statute, and not the same thing. Think of parking tickets as similar to a ticket or trespassing. You pay to keep your car there for a certain amount of time. When that time is up you have to move your car. If you don't its trespass.

You're right cutting your license plate isn't a good idea. Part of the statute is that the plate must be "plainly visible." By modifying it you're just asking for hassle.

PUTTING IT ON THE DASH IS STILL ILLEGAL. The plate must be "securely fastened" to the car. Like mdzaudi said in the event of a crash it becomes a projectile.

I just zip tied it to the faring.


IMG_0334 by FudgeBunnies!, on Flickr

[drumnjuny]

^ word, thanks for the info and looks good!

i'm gonna cruise it until i get back to VA haha or get a ticket

[boomdizzle]

Not to be a dick here, but your license plate weighs almost nothing and would probably have to be traveling at the speed of sound to have enough inertia to decapitate you.

additionally, almost all accidents in which signifigant speed is involved are head-on, in which case the inertia of the plate will tend to want to drive it further into your dash, not back at you.

It was meant as a gross exaggeration. I'm not a scientist, but what direction does the plate go if you were rear-ended at stop light, or T-Boned by a vehicle at a high rate of speed? Think a thin flat metal projectile could do some damage even if it is very unlikely. Probably would have bigger problems to worry about then the plate, but crazier things have happened. However, I think it would be an interesting experiment for Mythbusters.

[Club Cheetah]

It's illegal not to have one and I was pulled over a couple months ago and got a "warning". I also have magical powers that get me out of tickets which helps. I actually have no front plate and have expired tags since Aug of 2011 and have been pulled over about 3 times since and got warnings not once was the front plate mentioned.

I wouldn't put anything on the dash short of a pillow. If you think rear end accidents are low speed then your wrong. Having a sharp piece or sheet metal on your dash can still fuck you up. There's plenty of stories about people getting rear ended by some douche not paying attention and going 50 mph+ than the car they hit. Just don't put anything on your dash.

[vdubjetta02]

I have 4 front plate & 4 exhaust tickets on my checklist so far...... all 8 tickets from motorcycle cops.

Yes it is illegal, The only reason I typically run a front plate (and I know this is stupid, BUT when I have 2 or 3 beers say for a football game and drive, having no front plate is just another reason to get stopped & possibly fail a DUI) However, right now I am not running one. And when my S4 becomes strictly my weekend car, I am putting a filler plate on it.

- I am more afraid of the damn meter maids in Boulder giving me a ticket than the actual police, however my 4 front plate tickets came from motorcycle cops.

[47ford]

License plate violation
You need both a front and rear plate on your car, and they need to be at least 12 inches from the ground, on the outside of the car, fastened horizontally. In the City and County of Denver, both the police and parking enforcement agents enforce the license plate law, and this ticket is a whopping $75.

http://www.denvergov.org/trafficandp...9/Default.aspx

^ this.

Gotten a couple tickets from parking enforcement officers on two of my cars over the years. One was parked on the street in front of my house (no meter), the other was at work on the street (again no meter). The last one I got was $30 (about 2yrs ago), however it does appear the cost has gone up since then (ouch!).

I have displayed my CO plate IN ADDITION to a europlate on both my A4 & S4. No ticket for that, but once when pulled over (and ticketed) for speeding a cop mentioned the "dual plate" set-up was a no-go (but only ticketed me for the speeding). The "meter maids"/parking enforcement officers WILL find you at some point IF you ever park on public streets (meter or no meter). On the dash doesn't count with them (you will still get a ticket). I just hope they don't complain that my CO plate is only 10" off the ground (I just checked, but I doubt they will bother measuring)...

[Docwyte]

I'm sure they're just looking for a front plate. I'd be blown away if I ever saw a meter maid out there measuring how high the plate was off the ground!

[PwAg]

The meter-slags will crucify you for filler plate/no plate/dash mount, guaranteed, in Cherry Creek or Lodo. 1st hand experience to support all scenarios. Friend of mine recently imported a Porsche, kept his German plate fixed to front. Quite a few $75 pops until he followed my strategy.

Epoxy strong rare earth magnets inside bumper cap and strong slim magnets with matching orientation on the plate. I keep a large plastic clip on plate when not in use (sits on right side of drivers seat), otherwise it's clipped on steering when in use so not to forget and drive off with it (it will fall off on a jarring bump). You could also just use fine fishing line and discretely hang the plate with black hooks from your grill. Discrete is key, if the meter-slag notices a sloppy hang...slagged!

Like others, have coughed up my fair share ($350+) for the sharp look over the years for no plates on both my own and wife's car. Before the $25 pops were not a big deal for that 3-4x a year frequency. Now @ $75, it can sour your mood. My wife doesn't care about the look anymore, so we got a fixed recessed plate mount for her A3.

[millerns]

Thanks for everyone's input, the $75 tickets don't sound too appealing. In all likelihood I will end up just leaving the front plate on the car after hearing how strict they are about this

[Peetah05]

I've ran without one for 2 years now and never gotten a ticket or warning in the state of CO. Parked in downtown Denver probably once a month, and never got a ticket. Maybe it's because I have MN plates? But we are required to have a front plate as well. I feel like most CO cops don't really care, or at least that's what I've experienced.

[Docwyte]

They don't care because you have an out of state plate. If you had Colorado plates I'm sure you would've been nailed by the meter maids. The cops don't give a crap unless they pull you over for something else and you're a dick to them.

[nitro_rider2001]

IMG_0334 by FudgeBunnies!, on Flickr

So this is completely legal?? If so, I will be buying a rack this weekend.. I've racked up about $300 in plate tix downtown in last 2-3 years

[Docwyte]

Not legal. Plate needs to be mounted to the front bumper of the car.

[drumnjuny]

Not legal. Plate needs to be mounted to the front bumper of the car.

in VA it has to be the front-most part of the car, and in the middle. but i don't see anything about the position of the front plate in CO law except that it has to be securely tethered and on the outside of the car. and 12" from the ground

[Docwyte]

Yeah, but rack mounting it isn't 12" from the ground and while you could argue it's securely tethered I doubt the meter maids would listen. They give you tickets when the plate is on your dashboard, they'll give you tickets with it on a roof rack.

To me, the vanity wasn't worth the $75 tickets. If my office street wasn't patrolled then I might think differently, but after getting nailed a few times I put the plate on.

[drumnjuny]

Yeah, but rack mounting it isn't 12" from the ground and while you could argue it's securely tethered I doubt the meter maids would listen. They give you tickets when the plate is on your dashboard, they'll give you tickets with it on a roof rack.

To me, the vanity wasn't worth the $75 tickets. If my office street wasn't patrolled then I might think differently, but after getting nailed a few times I put the plate on.

my bad, it says "at least 12" from the ground." and inside the dash doesn't work b/c its not securely mounted (firmly attached at least) and its not on the outside of the car... if i got a ticket i would absolutely take care of it and throw a front plate on (i think i mentioned earlier i am waiting for this to happen haha and i have a tow-hook licence plate mount, and my stock filler plate, if it does become a problem)

[KidGT]

Not legal. Plate needs to be mounted to the front bumper of the car.

Yes it is, and no it doesn't.

For the last time:

The CRS 42-3-202(2)(a) only requires:

• A state issued plate
• Horizontally and securely fastened to the vehicle as to prevent swinging
• No less than 12" from the ground as measured from the bottom of the plate
• So as to be clearly and plainly visible

I went to school to be able to understand laws and statutes. I also have a job that requires me to read such statutes and explain things to the judge I work for. I also have a big certificate from the state of Colorado that says I know and understand these laws.

So trust me. You can take my word for it.

[geeky]

Yes it is, and no it doesn't.

For the last time:

The CRS 42-3-202(2)(a) only requires:

• A state issued plate
• Horizontally and securely fastened to the vehicle as to prevent swinging
• No less than 12" from the ground as measured from the bottom of the plate
• So as to be clearly and plainly visible

I went to school to be able to understand laws and statutes. I also have a job that requires me to read such statutes and explain things to the judge I work for. I also have a big certificate from the state of Colorado that says I know and understand these laws.

So trust me. You can take my word for it.

I know what I am doing now, just purchased a custom euro plate that I'm planning on getting paint matched for the front of the car. But does it matter to the fact that my car is registered in WA as I am originally from Seattle and only go to school in CO.

[nitro_rider2001]

The CRS 42-3-202(2)(a) only requires:

• A state issued plate
• Horizontally and securely fastened to the vehicle as to prevent swinging
• No less than 12" from the ground as measured from the bottom of the plate
• So as to be clearly and plainly visible

nice, well thanks for the exact statute.. I printed it out and will be putting it inside my glovebox for future reference (pig encounters). And I will be sourcing a rack within next week or two as my board doesnt fit in the ski sack anyways.. although with the statute stating these points, its seems as if i epoxy my plate in my front windshield that it would technically be legal???

[KidGT]

I know what I am doing now, just purchased a custom euro plate that I'm planning on getting paint matched for the front of the car. But does it matter to the fact that my car is registered in WA as I am originally from Seattle and only go to school in CO.

Since you have out of state plates, they cant hit you for no front plate. The only plate type thing they can get you for is expired tags.

[KidGT]

its seems as if i epoxy my plate in my front windshield that it would technically be legal???

You could, but why on Earth would you want to? It's just one of those things thats asking for trouble.

I've been running around with it on my rack for the last year parking in both downtown Boulder and Denver with no problems.

[geeky]

its seems as if i epoxy my plate in my front windshield that it would technically be legal???

When I use to be in the Honda scene, people would actually buy the cheap small suction cups ($1-2 at home depot), remove the metal wring and place them into the license plate holes and suction cup the license plate to the windshield. It worked effectively and was secure.

Like this but with a license plate obviously. They would just do the top and wedge the bottom part in between the windshield and the dash.