When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm possibly moving from Florida to the Chicago area. My Firebird's always been in rear plate only states, so I don't have the front bumper holes for a front plate. I really don't want to drill into my front bumper since my car is almost restored. Is there a front plate exception for AV plates in Illinois (or for antique cars)? The DMV wasn't helpful when I called them.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
This is what I would have done if my bumper didn't already have holes drilled. Heck. Even though the holes are there is still love to ditch the plate.
Some people get away without front plates here. Others can't. Depends on where you park. If you live in a complex or area with street only parking you will get tickets overnight. If you have a driveway then you likely won't. You might still get the occasional ticket if you get pulled over for something else. Anything to feed the bankrupt state.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
I live in IL and do not have a front plate. Just the rear. I actually have been pulled over once for it. Told the cop It was in the mail, and this is the project car blah blah blah(which it really was but anyways). He let me go but its really all just a big scam. Just a way for the city/state to make more money through red light cams etc. In actuality I do not have a problem with the plate. But I am not drilling holes in my 30 year old bumper. Especially when Illinois roads suck, we have a lot of tolls, and they never fix them. So they dont need anymore of my money lol.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
During college and a few years after college I lived in Illinois and drove with no front plate and I only remember being pestered about it by an officer once. I was confronted far more times about my tint (before the current tint law) and exhaust. College in southern Illinois, worked in central Illinois and then Chicago suburbs. I had the least amount of trouble for anything in the Chicago suburbs--The officers even told me they have better things to worry about. Chicago the city might be a different story with enforcement.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
No front plate here.. there are no holes in my car's bumper and they won't get me to put any in either. It's an older car so they usually give them a pass here.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
You are required to run a front plate in Illinois, unless the car never had a factory provision for front plate. Technically Firebirds did not have a factory provision. The plate was added by the dealer using an add-on bracket. But no reasonable person will listen to that excuse so you just need to man up and accept the consequences if you don't run a front plate.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
Originally Posted by QwkTrip
You are required to run a front plate in Illinois, unless the car never had a factory provision for front plate. Technically Firebirds did not have a factory provision. The plate was added by the dealer using an add-on bracket. But no reasonable person will listen to that excuse so you just need to man up and accept the consequences if you don't run a front plate.
I would like to see the legal bits on the "provision for front plate" bit.
Would be nice.
My Focus doesn't have a provision, nor does the GTA. Would be nice to find the legal loophole there if it exists.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
Im with JDM, I do believe that you are responsible for creating the provisions for the plate. I ran with no front plate on my daily for years and years, never had a cop blink twice at me (for that, at least)...Then parked, in the Ohare parking lot, at 3AM, some cop with obviously NOTHING better to do, took it upon himself to walk in between cars to see that I didnt have a front and ticketed me for it. Bogus, but I paid my tax.
If you qualify (1991 this year for antique status) and you dont daily your camaro, look into the Antique plates..normal plates are like $105 a year, Antique plates, which have some loosely enforced "Restrictions" cost $30 something dollars and you only renew every 4 years. essentially saving you $390..then, do yourself a favor, know mechanic shops around the area and look up cruise nights, and if you ever get pulled over, just say your going to or home from a shop or a show and you have no issues! Im also fairly positive that there is no front plate requirement on the antique plates.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
Originally Posted by mdtoren
Im with JDM, I do believe that you are responsible for creating the provisions for the plate. I ran with no front plate on my daily for years and years, never had a cop blink twice at me (for that, at least)...Then parked, in the Ohare parking lot, at 3AM, some cop with obviously NOTHING better to do, took it upon himself to walk in between cars to see that I didnt have a front and ticketed me for it. Bogus, but I paid my tax.
If you qualify (1991 this year for antique status) and you dont daily your camaro, look into the Antique plates..normal plates are like $105 a year, Antique plates, which have some loosely enforced "Restrictions" cost $30 something dollars and you only renew every 4 years. essentially saving you $390..then, do yourself a favor, know mechanic shops around the area and look up cruise nights, and if you ever get pulled over, just say your going to or home from a shop or a show and you have no issues! Im also fairly positive that there is no front plate requirement on the antique plates.
I have never been ticketed for no front plate while driving.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
In MISSOURI I run year of Manufacture plates and they are the same as Historic Plates but the catch here is: if they issued two plates in that year, you must run both frobt & rear plates. 1972 was tge first year for front & rear plates. I saw this because Missouri & Illinois have similar laws on plates. Another beautiful thing on Missouri is, the plates are married to the car & no inspection, & one time fee of $28.50 FOREVER
The car on the left is the 1st one I've done this with but the other 2 IROCs are getting year of Manufacture plates too
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
I see people prop up their plates in the windshield all the time here in CT. I'd at least try that before drilling into your bumper (which I would never do).
(a) Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, autocycle, trailer, semitrailer, truck-tractor, apportioned bus, or apportioned truck shall be attached thereto, one in the front and one in the rear. The registration plate issued for a motorcycle, autocycle, trailer or semitrailer required to be registered hereunder and any apportionment plate issued to a bus under the provisions of this Code shall be attached to the rear thereof. The registration plate issued for a truck-tractor or an apportioned truck required to be registered hereunder shall be attached to the front thereof.
Cliffs: Front plate mounted in front, or else.
Thankfully it says nothing about height, but displaying it in the on the dash is not the "front" of the car. So you'd get a ticket if the cop felt like it. And around me? They feel like it.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
When I re-did the Formula I filled in the front bumper holes.. Never got a ticket.. Even when I got hassled for my darkened tail lights.. But probably didn't because I didn't leave it sit any place where it would happen.
Re: Possibly Moving - Front License Plate Law in IL?
Originally Posted by chickenhawk
When I re-did the Formula I filled in the front bumper holes.. Never got a ticket.. Even when I got hassled for my darkened tail lights.. But probably didn't because I didn't leave it sit any place where it would happen.
You were in close to the same boat I was, I lived in the western suburbs. I too was once pulled over at night for the tail light covers (Just outside Bloomington IL) and they never said anything about the lack of a front plate. Like has been said, it probably matters most where you park it. Any place that is patrolled by the parking police (or if your'e pulled over for driving like a yahoo) you're likely to get a ticket otherwise you'll be ok.
03-19-2016, 07:59 PM
