CR8APL8 or No Front Plate At All?

**swarga** · 10-03-2009, 01:34 PM

Which would be more likely to get you pulled over: A front CR8APL8 with your correct license number on it, or no front plate at all?

Assuming you were pulled over for another reason, which would be more likely to get you a ticket and/or which would be a worse ticket to get?

**Lucky225** · 10-03-2009, 08:30 PM

I'll answer the first question -- no front plate would get you pulled over more likely then having a cr8apl8, however if you got pulled over for another reason, and then the officer on inspection noticed a cr8apl8 vs no front plate, I think you'd get an extra ticket for fake plate vs probably just a warning for no front plate, it's a calculated risk.

**erickonphoenix** · 10-03-2009, 08:52 PM

Between 12 and 3 am you can get pulled over exclusively for no front plate. It's a good excuse to prowl for DUI's. Any other time of day it's unlikely you'll get pulled for it exclusively. The CR8APL8 is indistinguishable from an official plate when you're moving and it will pass casual inspection even when your vehicle is stopped and they do a walk around. An officer gifted with heightened powers of observation might pick it up but I would consider it rare.

IMO: Chances of getting busted with a CR8APL8 < getting busted for no front plate.

I used to do a lot of late night press checks on the west side of town so I would routinely get pulled over for the plate violation so I decided to add a fake plate vs adding the highly reflective state issue plate. However, this was a situational decision. I currently do not use a front plate because my schedule places me at low risk for this type of pull over. If you're a college guy prowling bars on the weekends you might want to consider it. I'm not suggesting college guys are irresponsible and drive drunk but why take a chance.

**Lucky225** · 10-03-2009, 09:31 PM

x2 and well articulated erick, as someone who has much experience in this, I think erick can give a lot of insight on which option to choose based on your situation, again, it's a calculated risk.

**Hahns5.2** · 10-04-2009, 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

Between 12 and 3 am you can get pulled over exclusively for no front plate. It's a good excuse to prowl for DUI's. Any other time of day it's unlikely you'll get pulled for it exclusively.

+1. Both of my vehicles don't have front plates, been that way for 3 years. Only time I was ever stopped for it was last Memorial day weekend, obviously doing a DUI check.

**TSi+WRX** · 10-07-2009, 07:21 AM

I agree with the brothers above - if you live in an area where the front-plate law is enforced or routinely drive during off-hours, you're better off with the front plate.

As to the replica, remember, the CR8APL8 may or may not offer sufficiently detailed/proper rendition of your issue plate's graphics - my standard Ohio "tri-color," for example, was a fine replica, but the "stamped" number/letter font is a little off...it's virtually indistinguishable, though, unless you've got the EXACT true front plate next to it, in a side-by-side comparison. On the other hand, check out what our NY members here have had to say about their CR8APL8 replicas - the outlook isn't nearly as good.

What everyone, though, reported is that you'll need some kind of plate frame and/or cover, as the sizing of the CR8APL8s are off. Thus, if your local area is uptight about plate frames/covers, that's a no-go.

I recently got new plates, so I've been running the true plates, but prior to that, I went nearly 4 years with both plates being CR8APL8 replicas - utilizing issue/authentic registration stickers. I've never had a problem in my area, and my commute typically has an enforcer parked at my rear quarter or directly-at-six pretty much every other day.

If the CR8APL8 replica is not acceptable to you, cosmetically, you can also attain the same "non-LIDAR-cooperative" effect with high-quality photocopies - LaserShield and/or VEIL can also help attenuate IR return (although will not be quite as successful as the LaserShield and/or VEIL + replica combo).

It's a risk-benefit thing that you'll have to calculate for yourself. I've written extensively about this in the past, as well as given my precise logic-path at how I arrived at my decision - search up those posts, and I think that in going through them, you'll be able to follow-along and reason this risk-benefit ratio out for yourself, too.