Cars / Trucks - Is front license plate required ?

[jackandjill 683]

Lately, on the way to work, I have noticed couple of trucks (pick up style) on the road without front license plate (back is NJ).  I see them almost every day on the way to work.   

 

The other day, I saw a Police Car on the corner and a truck without front license plate drove past and no one was pulled over. 

 

So, are front license plates required by law ? 

[Howard 538]

Yes they are in the people's republic of  New Jermany.

[High Exposure 5,667]

Required.

 

39 MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC REGULATION

 

39:3-33 Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment

39:3-33. The owner of an automobile which is driven on the public highways of this State shall display not less than 12 inches nor more than 48 inches from the ground in a horizontal position, and in such a way as not to swing, an identification mark or marks to be furnished by the division; provided, that if two marks are issued they shall be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle; and provided, further, that if only one mark is issued it shall be displayed on the rear of the vehicle; and provided, further, that the rear identification mark may be displayed more than 48 inches from the ground on tank trucks, trailers and other commercial vehicles carrying inflammable liquids and on sanitation vehicles which are used to collect, transport and dispose of garbage, solid wastes and refuse. Motorcycles shall also display an identification mark or marks; provided, that if two marks are issued they shall be displayed on the front and rear of the motorcycle; and provided, further, that if only one mark is issued it shall be displayed on the rear of the motorcycle.

 

The identification mark or marks shall contain the number of the registration certificate of the vehicle and shall be of such design and material as prescribed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1989, c.202 (C.39:3-33.9). All identification marks shall be kept clear and distinct and free from grease, dust or other blurring matter, so as to be plainly visible at all times of the day and night.

 

No person shall drive a motor vehicle which has a license plate frame or identification marker holder that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate or any part of any insert which the director, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate or marker.

 

The director is authorized and empowered to issue registration plate inserts, to be inserted in and attached to the registration plates or markers described herein. They may be issued in the place of new registration plates or markers; and inscribed thereon, in numerals, shall be the year in which registration of the vehicle has been granted.

 

No person shall drive a motor vehicle the owner of which has not complied with the provisions of this subtitle concerning the proper registration and identification thereof, nor drive a motor vehicle which displays a fictitious number, or a number other than that designated for the motor vehicle in its registration certificate. During the period of time between the application for motor vehicle registration and the receipt of registration plates from the division, no person shall affix a plate or marker for the purpose of advertisement in the position on a motor vehicle normally reserved for the display of the registration plates required by this section if the plate or marker is designed with a combination of letters, numbers, colors, or words to resemble the registration plates required by this section.

 

A person convicted of displaying a fictitious number, as prohibited herein, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500.00 or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days.

 

A person violating any other provision of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100.00. In default of the payment thereof, there shall be imposed an imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 10 days. A person convicted of a second offense of the same violation may be fined in double the amount herein prescribed for the first offense and may, in default of the payment thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 20 days. These penalties shall not apply to the display of a fictitious number.

 

Amended 1943,c.173; 1952,c.46,s.2; 1968,c.363,s.1; 1973,c.164; 1981,c.133,s.1; 1983,c.428; 1989,c.132,s.1; 1989,c.202,s.1.

[AlDente67 563]

They probably just don't get noticed.  Sort of like the murder tint I used to have.

[dajonga 397]

Front plates are required.

 

Tinted windows in front are prohibited.

 

I see both laws violated many times on a daily basis.

[PK90 3,573]

Especially by cops.

[Dr.Jimmy Rustler 23]

based off of personal experiences...i can tell you front plates are required lol

[Dragline 11]

Required. Although, a long time ago, I ran my Camaros without and would just pay the ticket the couple of times I was called on it. No points.

[diamondd817 828]

It's legal if you drive a Cadillac Escalade and have a huge gold shield suction cuped in your windshield.

 

Oh yeah, Range Rovers are exempt too.

[Johnny 0]

Lately, on the way to work, I have noticed couple of trucks (pick up style) on the road without front license plate (back is NJ).  I see them almost every day on the way to work.   

 

The other day, I saw a Police Car on the corner and a truck without front license plate drove past and no one was pulled over. 

 

So, are front license plates required by law ? 

 

 

Like many other laws related to vehicles it depends on who you are.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

It killed me to put a front plate on a few of my cars

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Yes, they are required.  Will you get pulled over every time?  No.  Will having it in your front windshield work?  No - and it could decapitate or severely injure you.

[mipafox 438]

I know someone with a fake NJ front plate that says, "FU NJ." Travels to NJ routinely.

[AverageJoe 95]

No front plate and/or front tint ticket was always my "out" when pulled over for speeding...in my much younger years of course

[AlDente67 563]

Yes, they are required.  Will you get pulled over every time?  No.  Will having it in your front windshield work?  No - and it could decapitate or severely injure you.

 That sounds dangerous.  We should have legislation regulating flying license plates.

 

It's for the children.

[Malice4you 627]

I used to have a black car with heavily tinted license plate covers.  I came to a T intersection, and a cop was sitting at the opposite side of the intersection.  Make the left, and almost immediately, see the flashing red lights behind me.  Cop steps up to the window, says the standard "know why I stopped you?" and I replied no.  He said "you don't have a front license plate.  I was confused, I thought maybe it had somehow fallen off, and said, Umm, yes I do?  He walked up to the front of the car, and after a long pause, he said "....oh."  He walked back to the window and told me to take the tinted covers off, and then we chatted about photography for a minute (I had a tripod in the back seat), and he let me go on my merry way.

 

Roseland cops, on the other hand, will ticket you for anything covering your plate, including clear protective covers, so beware if you don't have a front plate, or have a bulb out, or have tinted windows, or have a damaged windshield, or tinted plate covers, or a license plate frame covering any info on your plate...

[jtd771 18]

"Officer, I thought it was legal to have no front plate and tinted windows as I noticed at least half the cars in your PD employee parking lot are setup that way".

[mipafox 438]

Why would a cop pull you over? Are they seriously checking which state the back plate is from whenever they see a car without a front plate?

[kc17 622]

They can tell car is registered in NJ by the inspection sticker.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Yes, they are required.  Will you get pulled over every time?  No.  Will having it in your front windshield work?  No - and it could decapitate or severely injure you.

I always laughed at this, i figured it would make it MORE obvious they were blatantly breaking the law.

[maintenanceguy 510]

Got pulled over for not having an inspection sticker on a farm use vehicle. No inspection required.

 

Trooper wrote me a warning for not having a front plate. After he handed me the warning, I explained that, like tractors, farm use vehicles only get one plate. There is only one plate in the bag the MVS gives you. Handed him back the written warning.

 

But apparently it is required.

[Polak 3]

Got pulled over for not having an inspection sticker on a farm use vehicle. No inspection required.

 

Trooper wrote me a warning for not having a front plate. After he handed me the warning, I explained that, like tractors, farm use vehicles only get one plate. There is only one plate in the bag the MVS gives you. Handed him back the written warning.

 

But apparently it is required.

Sounds like he knew the law very well.

[maintenanceguy 510]

Got pulled over for not having an inspection sticker on a farm use vehicle. No inspection required.

 

Trooper wrote me a warning for not having a front plate. After he handed me the warning, I explained that, like tractors, farm use vehicles only get one plate. There is only one plate in the bag the MVS gives you. Handed him back the written warning.

 

But apparently it is required.

 

 

Sounds like he knew the law very well.

I don't expect them to know every law. I can't keep up with just the gun laws. Besides, farm use vehicles are an odd thing to see on the road. He was polite, accepted my explanation as fact, and drove off. No harm no foul.

[AdamM 42]

If your car is registered as a Classic or Collector car, the front plate isn't required. I don't remember which statute it is, but keep a printed copy in my Collector car just in case. They also do not go thru inspection so there is no sticker in the windshield.

[intercooler 41]

Window tint is not illegal , case in Roxbury just tossed that out

[DeerSlayer 241]

Window tint is not illegal , case in Roxbury just tossed that out

I've gotten a ticket in Roxbury for my murder tint. $42. I remember the cop asking why I had my windows tinted so dark, I believe my response was: because it's cheaper than a seat belt or holding my phone ticket. B) he loved that answer lol... but seriously Roxbury has an actual meter they use to measure the darkness of your tint. Mine is 2% on my pick up. May as well be spray painted black.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Window tint is not illegal , case in Roxbury just tossed that out

 

Tinting the Windshield or Front side windows is not legal in NJ.  Rear sides and rear window are fine - any %.

[intercooler 41]

intercooler, on 06 Jul 2015 - 09:50 AM, said:

Window tint is not illegal , case in Roxbury just tossed that out

I've gotten a ticket in Roxbury for my murder tint. $42. I remember the cop asking why I had my windows tinted so dark, I believe my response was: because it's cheaper than a seat belt or holding my phone ticket. B) he loved that answer lol... but seriously Roxbury has an actual meter they use to measure the darkness of your tint. Mine is 2% on my pick up. May as well be spray painted black.

 

 

No they don't. Which is exactly why the statute was tossed by superior court

There was never a law about tint. It was about safety glass, Google Jessie wolosky and Roxbury

[intercooler 41]

http://michaelbotton.com/nj-driver-beats-tinted-windows-ticket-and-sets-new-precedent/

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2015/03/roxbury_wanted_54_from_driver_for_tinted_windows_i.html

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2014/12/roxbury_chief_not_backing_down_on_tinted_windows.html

[DeerSlayer 241]

They had a light meter last time I was stopped for it. Wasn't as recently as this case though. Roxbury has always had a hard on for window tint. Especially Kennedy, that guy hates tint.