How many car license plates are required in TX? (Dallas: purchase, law)

[pangpangfish]

Official website says one front and one rear. But I only got one license plate for my recent purchase of subaru lgt. Looking around the street car today, I have noticed quite alot of cars on the street with only one license plate at the rear. Tonight, I googled and found the following article

Texas Lawmakers Accidentally Omit 2 License Plate Law
Texas Lawmakers Accidentally Omit 2 License Plate Law

I am very confused. How many license plates are really required in TX?

[BigDGeek]

I thought it was two.

[Johnhw2]

I got a warning for only having 1 plate from highway patrol about a year ago. My dealer "suggested" my neew car would look better without a front plate but urger me to keep it in the trunk in case I was stopped for having only 1. Far as I now this is still the law but Ive driven with only 1 for 10 years and only been stopped once. I put the second plate on to avoid my wife "arresting" me

[MckinneyOwnr]

It is two. As the article says, there may be some leeway now to get out of a fine if you are issued a ticket for it.

Most cops are fine with sportscars not having a front plate. Look at a Corvette for example. I think I've only ever seen one Corvette in my life in this state with a front plate. But if you have a truck, SUV, or sedan, you should be running two plates, otherwise it just gives them an excuse to pull you over.

[First24]

It's a vague state law and officially front plates are required.

However, some workers at the dealership where I purchased a vehicle earlier this year advised me that as long as you have something covering the front plate area, you will not be stopped. Law enforcement will not stop you solely for a frontal plate violation because if that is the purpose of the stop, then anything else you may be doing illegally in the vehicle can possibly be thrown out in court. Don't know how true this is, but I've been driving with only a back plate for 6 months now; have passed many law enforcement vehicles, and haven't been cited yet.

[Haute Mom]

Originally Posted by Scout_972

It's a vague state law and officially front plates are required.

However, some workers at the dealership where I purchased a vehicle earlier this year advised me that as long as you have something covering the front plate area, you will not be stopped. Law enforcement will not stop you solely for a frontal plate violation because if that is the purpose of the stop, then anything else you may be doing illegally in the vehicle can possibly be thrown out in court. Don't know how true this is, but I've been driving with only a back plate for 6 months now; have passed many law enforcement vehicles, and haven't been cited yet.

If the police officer has probable cause to pull you over, then you can be cited for anything I think. I don't see how it can be thrown out in court when there was a reason for the stop. I doubt a person will be pulled over solely for a frontal plate violation, but I suppose it could happen!

[SVTRay]

Texas requires 2 plates, front and rear. The front most be mounted in the front of the vehicle. If an officer so chooses, they can pull you over for a plate thrown on your dash for example. As for not having one period, it's a judgement call. If an officer is looking for a reason to pull you over, no front plate is a good reason. I used to delete the front front plate but got tired of being pulled over every weekend.

[asubram3]

Why do half the people in Dallas refrain from fixing their front license plates? After it is not just Texas that has a two-plate law. More than half the states have the same law, and people over there do put up two plates on their vehicles. I can understand if it hampers the performance of the car as in sports cars, but why the lack of front plates in trucks, SUVs, sedans, etc?

[asubram3]

Originally Posted by Scout_972

It's a vague state law and officially front plates are required.

However, some workers at the dealership where I purchased a vehicle earlier this year advised me that as long as you have something covering the front plate area, you will not be stopped. Law enforcement will not stop you solely for a frontal plate violation because if that is the purpose of the stop, then anything else you may be doing illegally in the vehicle can possibly be thrown out in court. Don't know how true this is, but I've been driving with only a back plate for 6 months now; have passed many law enforcement vehicles, and haven't been cited yet.

If you are going to cover up the front plate area with "something", then why not just obey the law and put the plate up? It this some sort of prestige issue?

[Grainraiser]

The law requires you have two plates on the car. Getting pulled over for one plate is about as rare as getting pulled over for going 3 miles over the speed limit. I have a Corvette that only came with the rear plate. If I get pulled I will have to plead with the cop to give me a warning. If he gives me a ticket I can't complain because I know the law.