License plate ticket

[wered]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Va
earlier today i finished getting my project car ready to go for its first test drive, so i hopped in it and was headed to a junk yard north of richmond for a few other parts for it, and after about 10 minutes on the interstate a cop pulls me over and gives me a ticket for not having the front licence plate displayed properly. i have a bracket on the dashboard that holds it in the front window since there was no spot for it on the front of the vehicle originally, to me it seems like since it is securely fastened to the dashboard in plain view and not obstructing the driver's vision it meets all the requirements met below, anyway i want to request a trial by jury and im not entirely sure how to go about doing that. do i wait until my court date, do i go to the county clerks office before my court date and request it there?

§ 46.2-716. How license plates fastened to vehicle; altering appearance of license plates.

A. Every license plate shall be securely fastened to the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to which it is assigned:

1. So as to prevent the plate from swinging,

2. In a position to be clearly visible, and

3. In a condition to be clearly legible.

B. No colored glass, colored plastic, bracket, holder, mounting, frame, or any other type of covering shall be placed, mounted, or installed on, around, or over any license plate if such glass, plastic, bracket, holder, mounting, frame, or other type of covering in any way alters or obscures (i) the alpha-numeric information, (ii) the color of the license plate, (iii) the name or abbreviated name of the state wherein the vehicle is registered, or (iv) any character or characters, decal, stamp, or other device indicating the month or year in which the vehicle's registration expires. No insignia, emblems, or trailer hitches or couplings shall be mounted in such a way as to hide or obscure any portion of the license plate or render any portion of the license plate illegible.

C. The Superintendent may make such regulations as he may deem advisable to enforce the proper mounting and securing of the license plate on the vehicle.

 

[justalayman]

a plate behind a windshield is obscured. If you don't believe it is, just ask the cop if he could see your plate. I would put money on it that he will say he couldn't. That is all it will take to prove the charge.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Further, a bracket "on the dashboard" is not securely fastened to the dashboard.

 

[wered]

the bracket is bolted to the dash, also if a plate behind the window is obscured then the inspection sticker would be as well so they would be running around ticketing everyone for having those obscured along with for having the city sticker obscured.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I would assume the tint and angle of the windshield obscure it.

 

[wered]

the plate is at the same angle as the windshield and the glass is untinted we parked the vehicle next to one of our others and tried to read both plates from the same distances and it was still legible at the same distances as the other, I'm going to get a measuring tape from work and measure it and take pictures as proof in case the officer lies about it.

 

[CdwJava]

Not only the obscuring of the plate beneath the glass (and it IS difficult to read because of reflected light), but also § 46.2-715 which states that plates "shall be attached to the front and the rear of the vehicle."

Being mounted INSIDE the car does not sound like it is attached to the FRONT of the vehicle.

Wered, this is a creative defense but I doubt you are the first person to try this, and probably won't be the first to fail. But, if you lose nothing by trying, what the heck - give it the 'Hail Mary' pass and see what happens.

Of course, you could simply mount it properly and avoid this problem in the future.

 

[wered]

the problem with mounting it on the front bumper is finding a mount, there is a place to bolt it up, but its on the bottom of the body behind the bumper and the few brackets that were made for this vehicle are almost impossible to find. There are a lot of classic car organizations that are still trying to get a bill passed to make it so cars that weren't originally equipped with them don't have to have them but they haven't gotten one passed yet.

 

[CdwJava]

the problem with mounting it on the front bumper is finding a mount, there is a place to bolt it up, but its on the bottom of the body behind the bumper and the few brackets that were made for this vehicle are almost impossible to find. There are a lot of classic car organizations that are still trying to get a bill passed to make it so cars that weren't originally equipped with them don't have to have them but they haven't gotten one passed yet.

And, until such a bill is passed, it appears to be required to be affixed to the front of the car.

We have a similar law in CA and every time someone says they can't mount it, I have managed to find alternative mounting devices online or at dealerships. If they sell the car in a state where front licenses are required, believe me, there is a way to mount it.

 

[TheGeekess]

And, until such a bill is passed, it appears to be required to be affixed to the front of the car.

We have a similar law in CA and every time someone says they can't mount it, I have managed to find alternative mounting devices online or at dealerships. If they sell the car in a state where front licenses are required, believe me, there is a way to mount it.

Sometimes one has to think outside the box.

 

[HighwayMan]

The plate is not "clearly visible". Not when you're in another car anyway.

This also happens all the time here in NY. Nice try but you'll get nowhere with this.

Get the plate mounted properly. There's always a way...

 

[justalayman]

The plate is not "clearly visible". Not when you're in another car anyway.

This also happens all the time here in NY. Nice try but you'll get nowhere with this.

Get the plate mounted properly. There's always a way...

lag screws


unless this is some ancient vehicle, from my understanding, the manufacturer makes a front plate mount for any car they make. I believe it is actually a requirement they be included in cars sold in states that require front plates. Even if they are not included in such a sale, the are none the less available from the OEM.

 

[Zigner]

lag screws


unless this is some ancient vehicle, from my understanding, the manufacturer makes a front plate mount for any car they make. I believe it is actually a requirement they be included in cars sold in states that require front plates. Even if they are not included in such a sale, the are none the less available from the OEM.

10 minutes with a decent drill and a plate can be mounted on ANY car

 

[wered]

10 minutes with a drill is a nice way to ruin the bumper on the car, and the dealer stopped making the bracket for this car 25 years ago so they are not available from them any more.

 

[Zigner]

10 minutes with a drill is a nice way to ruin the bumper on the car, and the dealer stopped making the bracket for this car 25 years ago so they are not available from them any more.

So there IS a bracket available. You simply chose to break the law because it's more convenient. You've had plenty of time to obtain said bracket. You chose not to. You could even have had one fabbed.