Washington License Plate Law

[hmwave]

Its a pretty dumn law when you consider that a WA historic license does not even come with a front plate.

I have the front plate off of my 99 for almost 2 years. Been pulled over once, and had a verbal warning, I taped the plate in the window for awhile but eventually pulled it down, I don't drive the car everyday anymore.

It's not a dumb law when you realize the best surface to bounce a radar signal off is a vertically oriented, centrally located metal plate.

The police have often argued to keep the front plate when legislators have argued to eliminate it to save costs.

There you have it.

 

[Joe5.0]

W/E its stayin in the glove box lol.

 

[svtcobras]

Got pulled over

Little two foot tall kirkland cop. Telling me that my plate in the windshield in not legal because it has to mounted 1-4 feet, not displayed in the windshiled. I looked up thr RCW. I beleive he is wrong.

RCW 46.16.240
Attachment of plates to vehicles -- Violations enumerated.
The vehicle license number plates shall be attached conspicuously at the front and rear of each vehicle for which the same are issued and in such a manner that they can be plainly seen and read at all times: PROVIDED, That if only one license number plate is legally issued for any vehicle such plate shall be conspicuously attached to the rear of such vehicle. Each vehicle license number plate shall be placed or hung in a horizontal position at a distance of not less than one foot nor more than four feet from the ground and shall be kept clean so as to be plainly seen and read at all times: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That in cases where the body construction of the vehicle is such that compliance with this section is impossible, permission to deviate therefrom may be granted by the state patrol. It shall be unlawful to display upon the front or rear of any vehicle, vehicle license number plate or plates other than those furnished by the director for such vehicle or to display upon any vehicle any vehicle license number plate or plates which have been in any manner changed, altered, disfigured or have become illegible. License plate frames may be used on vehicle license number plates only if the frames do not obscure license tabs or identifying letters or numbers on the plates and the plates can be plainly seen and read at all times. It is unlawful to use any holders, frames, or any materials that in any manner change, alter, or make the vehicle license number plates illegible. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any vehicle unless there shall be displayed thereon valid vehicle license number plates attached as herein provided.


[1987 c 330 § 704; 1987 c 142 § 3; 1969 ex.s. c 170 § 10; 1967 c 32 § 18; 1961 c 12 § 46.16.240. Prior: 1947 c 89 § 1; 1937 c 188 § 36; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 6312-36.]

NOTES:


Rules of court: Monetary penalty schedule -- IRLJ 6.2.


Reviser's note: This section was amended by 1987 c 142 § 3 and by 1987 c 330 § 704, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section pursuant to RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).


Construction -- Application of rules -- Severability -- 1987 c 330: See notes following RCW 28B.12.050.


Illumination of plate: RCW 46.37.050.

 

[YardSpecial]

Here is how I mounted my two

 

[hmwave]

My understanding, though I very well could be wrong, is that the WSP uses the front license plate to play laser tag, as it is a highly reflective surface....

You are not wrong.
A front plate on many vehicles is one of the few surfaces normal to the incident radar beam providing a strong return signal to the speed gun.

 

[svtcobras]

Re:

Holy crap! I got pulled over again this morning 4:30 am) by a bimbo Bellevue cop. Then again, no ticket, just a warning.

 

[team23jordan]

so is it illegal to have it by windshield?

 

[YardSpecial]

Saw a Mach 1 with a sticker plate, exact copy of a reflective plate. Looked good stuck on there.

You blower guys are screwed because of the intercooler. I mounted my plate behind the bumper and hanging off the pwr steering cooler lines ! LOL

You can read it sitting in a cop car............

Front plate assit in rader or laser bounce back. (reflective) thats what I hear.

 

[torquemonster]

so is it illegal to have it by windshield?

no just has to be noticed/readable from 4 ft away. I dont own a front plate and havent been hasseled yet....woodinville cops are pretty cool though.

 

[Lethal SVT97]

Don't have a front plate (never will be) and I never had any problems,yet. I don't think the city cops here care too much about it because everytime they see me, they don't pull me over. I actually had a city cop that complimented me about my cobra.:thumbsup:

I only worry about the WSP. Few years ago I got pulled over twice for not having a front plate. And it was the same trooper that pulled me over the second time. But so far, I don't have any problems with the WSP. I drove by them so many times and they haven't harrassed me, yet.:-D

 

[bballcat03]

WSP and Snoho County Sheriff on 522 between Bothell and Monroe is HORRIBLE if you don't have a plate. I custom mounted my from plate on my old car, didn't do a good enough job or somethin and it fell off so I went in and got new custom plates, put the temp in the back window and got pulled over, I sh*t you not, 13 times in one week...all for "not having a front plate" but as soon as they pulled me over they'd all say the same thing "oh, I didn't see your temp in the back window, carry one" lol it was funny the first few times when I'd pass em going the opposite direction and they'd flip around to come after me, but then it just got annoying.

Now I display mine in my windshield and have never gotten crap for it, but that could be because I know all the local's here. But no one else has ever given me crap for it.

 

[team23jordan]

^
i live right there too
i got pulled over twice for no front license plate

 

[bballcat03]

me to..grew up in snoho.

 

[CobraDDz]

I notice crap loads of non-cool cars without front plates. It seems that every 15th car or so is plateless. Lots of vans, POS daily drivers, and other sports cars. TELL your FRIENDS...GO PLATELESS!

 

[suprjagr]

I took four small suction cups and stuck them in the hole and posted it in the passenger side windshield...have no problems with anyone and cops look at me all the time

 

[team23jordan]

where did you get those small suction cups?

 

[vennom]

I leave my front plate at home

 

[4rdsvtdriver]

I guess I'm just different and don't see the big deal. I'd rather not be pulled over for some trivial bullshit when I really need to be somewhere. Seems like more of a pain in the a$$ to keep leaning over to pull the damn plate out of the glovebox from under your front seat or wherever else you keep it just to appease the cops where as it being on the front where it belongs it doesn't scrape up the dash and there's no worries about it being a projectile in an accident or quick stop. With all the B.S. you go through to find other methods to "mount" it inside the car you could spend the few bucks and put it on the front. The whole thing seems pretty trivial actually. I had them on the front of all my Cobras I've owned. Never thought it made a difference on looks. I don't even really notice it.

 

[Fastback]

What people need to understand is that Duvall is a "special" kind of place. We have a gung-ho police force in a 1 horse town that have nothing better to do than pull people over for this. Never mind the drugs being sold at the high school, that is unimportant. Only those of us that live here (myself and Dave) can truly understand this situation. To call the cops out here Barney Fife is an understatement. Sanders dresses like he is on the S.W.A.T. team, boots and all. It really makes me laugh when I see him.

I am wondering what we have to do to get the law changed. I believe there are some states that do not have a front plate law...anyone?

I Know exactly what you are talking about.

 

[suprjagr]

where did you get those small suction cups?

any hardware store that has suction hangers...just take off the hanger bit and put the suction cups in the license plate holes...