Just got my official welcome from the police dept. today

[Garret]

for us Texans the law so I've been told from the dealership is, it is against the law in Texas... however there is no fine for it so not really a ticketable offsense.. I'm on 7 weeks today without a front license plate or window sticker both are in my rear seat lol

EDIT: also I will in no means drill into my $40,000 car, I know there are other options but the cop will hear what you have todo for the one GM gave me lol

[Fiveg56]

You don't get to brake the law because your car is "too cool" to have a front plate on it. Sorry.

[Jason@JacFab]

Originally Posted by Comrando

I put all the front plates on all our cars since then. I don't want that excuse to stop me, my wife, or my children. Waste of our time.

Get a JacFab.

I've been pulled over several times in my past for no front plate, or front plate being bailing wired on (swinging around in the wind) after being told to put one on... Waste of my time to get pulled over for someting as simple as no front plates, and an excuse to look for more

Originally Posted by Silver1SS

Is TX a front plate state?

Yes it is... And surprisingly enough, I'd guesstimate that about 60-75% of the license plate brackets I've sold all go to Texas... It's crazy! People that have called me on the phone have said they're very strict there about it, but maybe those people just get hammered a lot?

I got pulled over this last weekend while driving my old work truck with expired tags... OOPS!!! Again, waste of my time, and the officers time. Guess I should drive it more so I pay attention to things like that.

[Rhyder]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wyndham

I'm not sure this would qualify as "no real reason". It may be stupid, insignificant, etc, etc....but it is a legitimate reason.

I would be with that if they really were pulling you over for stuff like the front tag, or my favorite claiming you weaved when you didn’t, but they almost never are, therefore they are manufacturing a reason to pull you over to check on whatever they really are pulling you over for.


When the first question is have you been drinking, or where are you coming from, nothing to do with your front tag, then they are manufacturing a reason to pull you over.

As the link states above, it is unprofessional at best and harassment and illegal at worst.

The theory that they catch people breaking the law doesn’t hold water....if they pulled house searches on a random bases, I mean they can always find some reason, they just show up at people’s houses unannounced and do a search every month or so, they would catch alot of people with illegal stuff in their houses, but there would be screaming like you never heard, but for some reason if they do it to people in cars its accepted.

[strych9]

Here in NE they don't seem to mind. I'm illegal two times over what with tint that is too dark, and a non-existent front plate. I don't drive drunk, don't do drugs, and don't do anything illegal. If I get stopped, c'est la vie.

[Cheveey57]

Any excuse they can find to bust balls they will.
Years ago I bought a car in Florida and was driving it home with paper plates, it had tinted windows. I was doing about 65 with the flow of traffic in the speed lane with a car in front and one following. We passed this cop in Virginia who was on the median and he came out and pulled me over. Wanted to see in the trunk ( figuring I was running guns or cigerettes)
Busted my balls over the tint, he said limo tint was illegal inn Virginia. Fine, I just bought the car and am heading to NY. What a dick, if you could hit a cop and not get arrested, he would've been out. Most cops are ok and do their job and I appreciate it. But some are real a holes.."..

[mp51998]

Originally Posted by Garret

for us Texans the law so I've been told from the dealership is, it is against the law in Texas... however there is no fine for it so not really a ticketable offsense.. I'm on 7 weeks today without a front license plate or window sticker both are in my rear seat lol

It is the law. Fine is assigned per local jurisdiction. Not statewide fine. I too run without displaying my plate. Have the Hide-Away plate holder. Been pulled over twice in about 18 months. Last time was on Tuesday. Both times politely told officer I do have plate just forgot to pull it out after washing car. Both times received verbal warning and we went our seperate ways. My trick is to be polite and respectful. I am technically breaking the law and they are doing their job. I accept it if I get fined.

[Fiveg56]

Originally Posted by Rhyder

I would be with that if they really were pulling you over for stuff like the front tag, or my favorite claiming you weaved when you didn’t, but they almost never are, therefore they are manufacturing a reason to pull you over to check on whatever they really are pulling you over for.


When the first question is have you been drinking, or where are you coming from, nothing to do with your front tag, then they are manufacturing a reason to pull you over.

As the link states above, it is unprofessional at best and harassment and illegal at worst.

The theory that they catch people breaking the law doesn’t hold water....if they pulled house searches on a random bases, I mean they can always find some reason, they just show up at people’s houses unannounced and do a search every month or so, they would catch alot of people with illegal stuff in their houses, but there would be screaming like you never heard, but for some reason if they do it to people in cars its accepted.

With all due respect, you need to study up on the law to better understand how traffic stops work.

You give up much of your right to privacy when you get in your car and drive it on a public street. That's the nature of the beast and this lower expectation of privacy has been upheld over and over again by the Supreme Court. We don’t even need a search warrant to search your car. All we need is probable cause. When it comes to searching a home we need probable cause AND a search warrant.

[Fiveg56]

Originally Posted by mp51998

It is the law. Fine is assigned per local jurisdiction. Not statewide fine. I too run without displaying my plate. Have the Hide-Away plate holder. Been pulled over twice in about 18 months. Last time was on Tuesday. Both times politely told officer I do have plate just forgot to pull it out after washing car. Both times received verbal warning and we went our seperate ways. My trick is to be polite and respectful. I am technically breaking the law and they are doing their job. I accept it if I get fined.

Thank you for your mature and rational stance on this issue.

[Rhyder]

Originally Posted by Fiveg56

With all due respect, you need to study up on the law to better understand how traffic stops work.

You give up much of your right to privacy when you get in your car and drive it on a public street. That's the nature of the beast and this lower expectation of privacy has been upheld over and over again by the Supreme Court. We don’t even need a search warrant to search your car. All we need is probable cause. When it comes to searching a home we need probable cause AND a search warrant.

Thats my point, cops have steps they have to take above and beyond just wanting to search my house, but they dont in my private vehicle.

Cops harassing people in thier vehicle looking for something other than what they supposedly pulled them over for is accepted, yet we dont want them doing the same to our houses so much we've passed laws to make it harder to do.

I have refused every time to allow police to search my vehicle when they pull me over and ask, and they were not able to. Ive got nothing illegal in it, I just dont like the invasion of my privacy and the assumption by said policeman that I do.

how is my not having a front license plate probable cause to search me or my vehicle? Or to interogate me on the side of the highway?

[Mr. Wyndham]

I'm pulling out of this conversation to play "moderator", now...please tread carefully moving forward or risk a "clean-up"...

[Fiveg56]

Originally Posted by Rhyder

how is my not having a front license plate probable cause to search me or my vehicle? Or to interogate me on the side of the highway?

It is not. They need more to search your car, but they can ASK you if they can search your car...and you CAN say no....but if an officer has probable cause....he/she is going to search your car no matter what you say.

Also, a road side conversation about driving conduct, where you are going to or coming from, or if you have been drinking, generally doesn't constitute an “interrogation” in the eyes of the law.

[Rhyder]

Im just saying, if its a real reason Im all for it, but if your just fishing, its harassment.


Ill give you a real life happened to me example.

Im driving my truck home one night, and I get a text. I pull over to the shoulder before I get on the entrance ramp to the interstate, do the text thing, then start out.

Well unknown to me a cop was on the exit behind me.

As soon as I pull out he hits the gas and the lights and pulls me over.

He states he saw me pulled over back there, I tell him I was texting. He states thats good I wasnt doing it while driving. Then spends the next ten minutes asking where Im coming from, I just got off work so I tell him, asking me if Ive been drinking, if I have any weapons or illegal stuff in the car.

He then walks back with my license and sits in his car for 30 minutes I guess running my info.

Well nothing shows up of course so he comes up , hands me my license and states, get this, "I just wanted to make sure you didnt need any help since you pulled over back there".

so basicly he pulled me onto the side of the road on an interstate grilled me and held me up for 40 minutes fishing for something that wasnt there, and all that I had done was pull over to the side of the road to text instead of texting while driving....thats your probable cause.

that is what I mean, I was following all traffic laws and am a law abiding citizen, yet the cop for no real reason decided to hold me up and unneccessarily endanger me and himself in the hope that I was a wanted criminal or something.

If I had been swerving, or peeling out from the shoulder or anything Im more in line, but I litterally did nothing to be pulled over for.

[Fiveg56]

Originally Posted by Rhyder

Im just saying, if its a real reason Im all for it, but if your just fishing, its harassment.


Ill give you a real life happened to me example.

Im driving my truck home one night, and I get a text. I pull over to the shoulder before I get on the entrance ramp to the interstate, do the text thing, then start out.

Well unknown to me a cop was on the exit behind me.

As soon as I pull out he hits the gas and the lights and pulls me over.

He states he saw me pulled over back there, I tell him I was texting. He states thats good I wasnt doing it while driving. Then spends the next ten minutes asking where Im coming from, I just got off work so I tell him, asking me if Ive been drinking, if I have any weapons or illegal stuff in the car.

He then walks back with my license and sits in his car for 30 minutes I guess running my info.

Well nothing shows up of course so he comes up , hands me my license and states, get this, "I just wanted to make sure you didnt need any help since you pulled over back there".

so basicly he pulled me onto the side of the road on an interstate grilled me and held me up for 40 minutes fishing for something that wasnt there, and all that I had done was pull over to the side of the road to text instead of texting while driving....thats your probable cause.

that is what I mean, I was following all traffic laws and am a law abiding citizen, yet the cop for no real reason decided to hold me up and unneccessarily endanger me and himself in the hope that I was a wanted criminal or something.

If I had been swerving, or peeling out from the shoulder or anything Im more in line, but I litterally did nothing to be pulled over for.

It is extremely unusual for a traffic stop to last 30 (or 40) minutes. Frankly, I doubt that it did…unless something else was going on. I think I’ll leave this thread alone now. Just drive safe and please be respectful when you deal with the police. We have a very hard job.