[SnowVert]

If you report it stolen, if they believe you, you will have to go order new plates and pay the fee for new ones. In MN that fee varies but would probably be about the same cost as paying the fine. Your rear plate will have to be destroyed because that plate number will be entered as a stolen plate and you do not want to be driving around with that on your car as you will be stopped and there will be plenty of guns pointed at you when you do... That is the best case scenario if you try that approach.

If they do not believe you, and trust me, they most likely will not, you could end up going to jail for filing a false police report which is a much more severe charge. If you think that they won't figure it out, keep in mind that you already admitted that it wasn't stolen on a fully public website... I'd recommend you do the right thing and take care of it appropriately. You have the right to not put a front plate on your car, but you also know that there are consequences to making that choice.

Now, with that being said, Minnesota does require a front plate as well, and it drives me crazy... I debated for quite some time as to what I was going to do with mine. It almost made me cry when I had it installed. It was a very difficult decision for me and I even had more possible negative consequences as it could have affected my job in addition to my pocket book. so I do understand.

What I'm trying to say is that you made your choice by not putting it on. Now make a responsible choice and pay the fine. Or go to court and lie through your teeth. If you have integrity, the choice will be an easy one. Either way, good luck with whatever direction you go.