MD front plate law

What is the name of your state? Maryland

My wife recently got a new car. When it was purchased there was no plate bracket on the front. Dealer left it off. The car looks better this way and I didn't want them running sheetmetal screws in the bumper. Anyway the bracket was never mounted.

I researched MD laws and what I found stated that the tag had to be 'securly displayed at the front of the vehicle' and it had to be mounted horizontaly. Knowing that this would all be subject to the officers interpretation of the law I didn't leave the plate off I mounted inside the car in the front windshield. This to me falls within the law. It is mounted visible, horizontal and secure at the front of the vehicle.

I see cars all the time with no front plates and customer with plates mount everyway but horizontal.

Do I have a chance if I go to court with this?

brooksdg said:

What is the name of your state? Maryland

My wife recently got a new car. When it was purchased there was no plate bracket on the front. Dealer left it off. The car looks better this way and I didn't want them running sheetmetal screws in the bumper. Anyway the bracket was never mounted.

I researched MD laws and what I found stated that the tag had to be 'securly displayed at the front of the vehicle' and it had to be mounted horizontaly. Knowing that this would all be subject to the officers interpretation of the law I didn't leave the plate off I mounted inside the car in the front windshield. This to me falls within the law. It is mounted visible, horizontal and secure at the front of the vehicle.

I see cars all the time with no front plates and customer with plates mount everyway but horizontal.

Do I have a chance if I go to court with this?

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Silly question...
Think about it, does your windshield start at the FRONT of your car? Or, does it start 1/4 to 1/3 of the way back, like most other cars?
After you ask yourself that question, I believe the answer will become apparent.

brooksdg said:

This to me falls within the law.

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Well you are wrong.

The appearance of the car and/or the lack of a proper front end design or bracket for mounting is not a defense (Believe me EVERYBODY who owns a Firebird has come to know this...)

Placing the front plate in the front windshield.... well....
Its not a propper front display.
AND it is behind glass (also a no-no.. no covering over plate even if 100 transparent... and your Windshield nowhere ear 100% transparent...)

You should go back to the dealer and request that they install a proper bracket using stainless steel screws or bolts.

You can do this yourself too. Go to the fastener aisle of the store and be sure whatever you get, get STAINLESS fasteners.

Take pictures of the car with the installed plate, and bring the reciepts from the dealer or hardware store.

THe best you could hope for is some leniency.

So after telling me how wrong I am and how many questions is silly. Does anyone have what the MD law says? I'm looking for it again, but as I remember it left enough leeway that in the windshield would be more to the discretion of the officer.

Appearance of the car or blaming the Dealer wasn’t my defense I was just giving the whole story as to why the bracket wasn’t there. I think its funny you mention being behind glass as a no-no since it covers the plate. Approx 75% of cars in MD have those stupid plastic plate covers which are definitely illegal in MD. Then there are the smoke lenses on the headlights which are “illegal”. I’ll still argue from the loophole standpoint that ‘front’ of the vehicle is relative term. The plate is displayed clearly and can easily be seen from the front for the car.

Hell if I wanted to build a bracket and bolt is to the roof of the car pointing forward are you saying I’d get pulled over because it isn’t in the very front of the car? I seriously doubt it. Most officers would only look and think how stupid that is.

All because others are breaking the law does not mean you are not guilty of breaking it to. The "well he's doing it, too" defense does not work in court.

And the Maryland Code online is too hard to search, so I am striking out on anything remotely related to mounting of license plates or tags - and I am not going to spend more than 5 minutes trying to find the info. I can only suggest that you are taking your chances if you mount the plate inside the windshield. If you get cited, look up the specific code section, and take it to court if you want.

- Carl

brooksdg said:

So after telling me how wrong I am and how many questions is silly.

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You made an ASSERTION that your perspective is right.

Well... Its not.

1) Your windshield is NOT the front of the car. Its not..
1A) And since this is a new car their is ZERO chance your windshield is vertical.
2) Its behind glass.
3) Officer Discretion cuts both ways.

Face IT. You were note properly displaying your front plate.

Does anyone have what the MD law says? I'm looking for it again, but as I remember it left enough leeway that in the windshield would be more to the discretion of the officer.

Click to expand...

I was going to do an exahaustive search, look for cases and Firebird owners associations...

I mentioned the Firebird, beacuse that is one car that is totally designed to NOT have a front plate and owners of that care are fighting front plate laws all the time...

But why? You are 1000% certain you are right.

Appearance of the car or blaming the Dealer wasn_t my defense I was just giving the whole story as to why the bracket wasn_t there.

Click to expand...

And I am giving you the truth, that when you noticed a part of your new car was MISSING you should have done something. Instead you wanted to be smarty pants and stick it in your windshield... and look what happened. You got a ticket, because you were in violation.

I think its funny you mention being behind glass as a no-no since it covers the plate. Approx 75% of cars in MD have those stupid plastic plate covers which are definitely illegal in MD. Then there are the smoke lenses on the headlights which are _illegal_.

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Anecdotal percentages of OTHER PEOPLE'S lawbreaking are irrelevant.

Only your infraction will be on trial.

I_ll still argue from the loophole standpoint that _front_ of the vehicle is relative term.

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Well it isn't.

The plate is displayed clearly and can easily be seen from the front for the car.

Click to expand...

Hell if I wanted to build a bracket and bolt is to the roof of the car pointing forward are you saying I_d get pulled over because it isn_t in the very front of the car? I seriously doubt it. Most officers would only look and think how stupid that is.

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So the crux of your defense is how stupid some other LIKELY NON-COMPLIANT way to mount your plate OTHER than on the front of your car (like the majority of MD drivers you cite earlier) would look.

Slam dunk guy, sssssslam dunnnnkkkk.

OR

Mount the plate CORRECTLY, bring evidence, ask for (and if you not a stubbor freak recieve) judicial mercy.

xylene, I'm not going to argue with you. I think you just like to read your post. I hope I made your Friday since you apparently enjoyed ripping into me on this.

I'm not saying I'm "1000% right". I said I think I'm with in the law "the way it is written". I'll admit I was banking on a loophole and now have a ticket. The initial intent of my post was to see if anyone knew what the MD law was. I found it at one point but couldn't locate it again.

You all have a good weekend.

brooksdg said:

xylene, I'm not going to argue with you. I think you just like to read your post. I hope I made your Friday since you apparently enjoyed ripping into me on this.

I'm not saying I'm "1000% right". I said I think I'm with in the law "the way it is written". I'll admit I was banking on a loophole and now have a ticket. The initial intent of my post was to see if anyone knew what the MD law was. I found it at one point but couldn't locate it again.

You all have a good weekend.

Click to expand...

What section were you cited for?

It is easier to find the section than search the MD Codes by text.

- Carl

You can join these Yahoos.

racer72 said:

You can join these Yahoos.

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Another petition that can be ignored!

- Carl

brooksdg said:

I hope I made your Friday since you apparently enjoyed ripping into me on this.

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I am trying to help you.

And I will again repeat the sound advice I gave you.

1) Look for Firebird owners who will be familar with this or similar ticket.
2) Realize that you do not have a defense as your plate was not mounted to the front of the car.
3) Go to the dealer or hardware store to get mounting hardware
4) Insist on stainless steel, to protect your vehicle.

5) Bring evidence of compliance to court (pictures and receipts) and mercy could likely be yours.

If you sincerely think your plan, the plan where the windshield of your car is your car's front is more sound than mine... then why are you offended.

You are mad because you aren't hearing what you want to hear.

Yeah I thnk I signed that petition when I was first looking up the law on this.

Thanks Carl
The ticket says "13-411(a) Fail to Attach Plates at Front & Rear"

So fight it, and when (not if) you are convicted, you'll have your answer.

brooksdg said:

Yeah I thnk I signed that petition when I was first looking up the law on this.

Thanks Carl
The ticket says "13-411(a) Fail to Attach Plates at Front & Rear"

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This is the section for which you were cited:

§ 13-411.1. Registration plate cover.
(a) Definition.- In this section, "registration plate cover" means any tinted, colored, painted, marked, clear, or illuminated object that is designed to:

(1) Cover any of the characters of a vehicle's registration plate; or

(2) Distort a recorded image of any of the characters of a vehicle's registration plate recorded by a traffic control signal monitoring system under § 21-202.1 of this title.

(b) Sale.- A person may not sell or offer for sale a registration plate cover.

(c) Advertisement.- A person may not advertise for the purpose of promoting the sale of registration plate covers.

Breaking this down, the law makes it unlawful to place a "registration plate cover" over your plate. This cover is "any" object (note that it includes "clear") that covers any of the characters of the plate.

Your windshield is a clear object that covers the plate.

So, you were not cited for the mounting of the license plate, you were cited for the unlawful covering of the plate.

I'll have to remember that for MY state! I would have thought to cite for the mounting, but this one works, too.

So, it would seem you can try to fight it, but the elements seem to have been met with little effort. Sorry.

- Carl

CdwJava,
Well that make sense. Thanks for the research on this one. The officer explained it more of where the plate was (not being mounted on front bumper) and not the fact is was behind a cover.
Oh well I guess I'll get the screws and wrenches out. Take one last picture of the unblimished front