Denver Colorado Front License Plate And The Police

[nicholastanguma]

The traditional hot rod guys in Colorado run fenderless and often without front license plates, too. Everyone I've ever asked has told me as long as they're not driving like fools and are keeping the engine rpm down to minimize exhaust noise the fuzz never bother them even though both issues are technically illegal within the Denver Municipality.

 

The State of Colorado itself has no fender laws, which is how the Jeep guys with enormously wide tires and comp-cut or tube fender bodies get away with it; although those offroad doods have said that on rare occasion an officer might pull them over for a warning, and in extremely rare cases issue a (revenue generating) fix-it citation. The Jeeps, however, are definitely required to comply with the front plate law, which is a state-wide regulation--the po-po will hit 'em for that.

 

I'm just wondering if any of you Denver or Colorado-wide 7'ers affix a front plate. If not, do the rozzers bing you for it?

[bsimon]

What will set the BIB is obvious speeding through a laser speed trap. Laser guns can't lock onto a Se7en unless there's a front plate to act as a retro-reflector. they can't seem to get a good bounce off the windscreen or headlamps.

 

I've always been able to talk my way out of the citation by showing them the front plate stashed next to the seat and giving them some lame excuse about attaching it when I get home. Your mileage may vary...

[xflow7]

I can't speak for Colorado, specifically, but I've had my Seven in three states that require front tags - OH, NY, and VT - for a combined total of about 8 years. In all that time, I've never mounted the front tag and I've never been stopped for it. Having said that, I've never been pulled over in those states in the Seven for other reasons either. I always expected that if I were to get pinched for speeding or something they would give me a hard time about the tag, so I do always keep it in the car with me just in case.

 

I did get stopped in NH once in the Seven for speeding. During the stop the officer went around to the front of the car and looked down at the nose. I figured that, although he was a NH cop, he was going to harass me about missing my front VT tag, so I preempted him and said that I had the front tag with me if he wanted to see it. He replied, "Oh. No, I was just looking at the badge to see what this is." He let me off with a warning. :jester:

[TurboWood]

I thought CO law only required you to install the front plate if the OEM had a factory mount? For a 7 I think this means you don't need one because there is no factory way to install it. That was at least the excuse my buddy always used with his EVO. I was never bothered in my Supra either. That includes the times I was given tickets for speeding. I'm sort of assuming the cop was being nice though because they were not small tickets already.

 

The only time I've been given a ticket (for a front plate) was when parked in CA. I could fix it and pay a smaller fee or just mail in a bigger fee (still small). I just mailed it in.

[bsimon]

Seems motorcycles, street rods, trailers and "special machinery" are exempt. I wonder how many cops figure a Se7en is just another street rod? Might be a potential bullshit defense when you get stopped.

 

Here's the CO Law:

 

42-3-201. Number plates furnished - style -periodic reissuance - tabs - rules. (1) (a) (I) The

department shall issue to every owner whose

vehicle is registered two number plates; except

that the department shall issue one number plate

for the following:

(A) A motorcycle;

(B) A street rod vehicle;

© A trailer or semitrailer;

(D) A vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle; or

(E) An item of special mobile machinery.

(II) At the discretion of the executive direc-tor of the department, the department may issue

one number plate for any vehicle not listed in

subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a).

 

42-3-202. Number plates to be attached. (1)

(a) Number plates assigned to a self-propelledvehicle other than a motorcycle or street rod

vehicle shall be attached thereto, one in the front

and the other in the rear. The number plate

assigned to a motorcycle, street rod vehicle, trail-er, semitrailer, other vehicle drawn by a motor

vehicle, or special mobile machinery shall be

attached to the rear thereof. Number plates shall

be so displayed during the current registration

year, except as otherwise provided in this article.

(b) If the department issues a validating tab

or sticker to a motor vehicle pursuant to section

42-3-201, the current month validating tab or

sticker shall be displayed in the bottom left cor-ner of the rear license plate. The current year

validating tab or sticker shall be displayed in the

bottom right corner of the rear license plate. The

tabs or stickers shall be visible at all times.

(2) (a) Every number plate shall at all times

be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is

assigned, so as to prevent the plate from swing-ing, and shall be horizontal at a height not less

than twelve inches from the ground, measuring

from the bottom of such plate, in a place and

position to be clearly visible, and shall be main-tained free from foreign materials and in a condi-tion to be clearly legible.

(b) A person shall not operate a motor vehi-cle with an affixed device or a substance that

causes all or a portion of a license plate to be

unreadable by a system used to automatically

identify a motor vehicle. Such a device includes,

without limitation, a cover that distorts angular

visibility; alters the color of the plate; or is

smoked, tinted, scratched, or dirty so as to impair

the legibility of the license plate.

[sevenup]

I live in Ohio, and for the past 40 years, I have never attached the front plate to my British cars, or my Stalker...surprisingly (to me), they really do not seem to be concerned about it..I always put the front plate under the passenger side carpeting in case they ask...btw...last week I was pulled over in my Stalker doing 70 in a 50.....I was issued a warning because I had not had a ticket in over ten years...something to look forward to for you younger guys...I really believe they give old guys a break on this stuff (I'm 70) they see the good driving record and the gray hair and I think they say to themselves, this poor old bastard has already paid his dues.. :-)

[scannon]

My Caterham has a front plate but it doesn't meet the 12" above the ground rule in Bob's post. I also chopped off the mountains at the top of the plate and bent the Colorado text part under the chin spoiler. All that is visible is the plate text ONABLAT. I've asked several cops for their opinion and all of them said it was not a problem.

 

I have been driving Miatas without front plates for 17 years in Colorado. I have been stopped 5 times where the lack of front plate has been either the reason or secondary to speeding. I've had verbal warnings about the plate and been told to get it on there but never have.

 

I also have a true story to tell them about why there is not a plate on the front. I bought the car in New Mexico where front plates are not required and when I asked the seller about the missing bracket for it he just shrugged his shoulders and said "what bracket? We don't have front plates in New Mexico". That's when the cop tells me to get a new bracket and get the plate on there.

 

There are places in Colorado where the meter maids are required to check for front plates and ticket your car if it is parked there without a front plate. The airport is one and Boulder is another I am aware of. Its just a revenue generating ploy. Boulder started doing it when we were no longer required to display emission stickers on the windshield and the meter maids could no longer be tasked to ticket us for expired stickers.

[MightyMike]

Most law enforcement guys will not be dicks unless they are given a reason to be one.

[Sean]

(2) (a) Every number plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned, so as to prevent the plate from swing-ing, and shall be horizontal at a height not less than twelve inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of such plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible, and shall be main-tained free from foreign materials and in a condi-tion to be clearly legible.

 

"...shall be horizontal..."? The way this literally reads cannot be what the authors intended it to describe, I believe. Every car in the state will be in violation (except the street rods)!

 

 

Most law enforcement guys will not be dicks unless they are given a reason to be one.

This has not always been my experience.

[speedwagon]

"show me where to put it" and the Miata was bought from a cop with out a front plate mount, and 90% of cops are frustrated bullies. My s1 is a "SPV" in colorado. I just carry it.

[slomove]

I have been driving without since I got the car (like maybe 30-40% of CA drivers) and never had trouble with the cops, even when they gave me tickets for other reasons.

 

But I did get one from a Palo Alto meter maid while parked. The funny thing is I had 2 choices:

- attach the front plate, have it signed off by a highway patrol officer and pay a $15 administration fee to the City of Palo Alto

- keep my criminal habits, not do anything and pay a $75 fine to the city of Palo Alto

 

What does that tell me about law and order? Anyway, I paid the $15 and cut the cable ties right after I left the CHP lot.

[jimrankin]

Probably only matters in Fleamomt and kind of funny in retrospect but does give you the idea of what the 10% cop can do to dick up your day.

I was stopped in Fremont CA. for no other reason than the local cop, who was actually in overalls and supposed to be stopping trucks, ran me down and wasted the best part of an hour dicking with me and writing litterally pages of violations. He had no undestanding of SB100 or the "meet 1960 auto requirements" written into it by default or that the car wasn't dated by the "first registered" year but by year 0000. After I wouldn't sign it, even under threat of tow, he was forced to radio then cell call his office and came back with the only violation that stuck, no front plate. He was still playing hard ass and said that he had me entered into the data base (he could of been full of shit with that) and that if I got caught again with the same ticket the next fine started at $600 and the car being towed. Puts you into being a scoff law or something to that effect.

BTW, I was nothing but pleasnt to him, even the Jerkier he got, but did have to mention to him when I was returning his clip board that it had been a lot more fun than the crappy meeting I had been on the wat to, thanks.

[Sean]

After reading Bob's post again, I am now convinced that every vehicle with license plates in the state of Colorado is in violation of the law - even street rods, motorcycles, and trailers. I still am gobsmacked that the law is worded to require both the front and rear license plates "shall be horizontal", but that is exactly what is specified. :ack:

 

Disclaimer -- I am not an attorney, although I do know what "horizontal" means.

[scannon]

I think the horizontal refers to the bottom edge of the plate being horizontal the ground. A few years back they added this to prevent motorcycles from mounting their plates rotated 90 degrees from the horizontal making them harder for the cops to read.