Attaching license plates

Everyone else, read on. The Honda HR-V offers a clean, well-lighted place for a rear license plate. On the front, nothing. Front plate laws come down to the needs of police, meter readers and, increasingly, automatic license plate reader cameras that are on official vehicles , at the borders of towns and even built into some smart home camera software.

Having a front plate doubles the shots any of these cameras can use to get a make on your car. Front plates can also help the average person ID a car behind them in their mirror, or one that is otherwise only seen from the front, like a car turning across you in an intersection. But by that rationale, why don't we have side license plates? We can't cover every state's statutes, but in California, the state with the most cars, the vehicle code says a front plate must be:.

Those two alone will likely get you a ticket if you try the common trick of just tossing your plate on your dash. On premium and sporty cars, there's often a little access panel on the front bumper cover that leads to a large threaded socket. This is used to thread a towing eye to haul the car up onto a flatbed tow truck.

But the other The tow eye mount uses a threaded hole on the front of many sporty and premium cars to instead thread in a license plate holder. Not every car comes equipped with pre-drilled holes in the front bumper, which makes it a bit tricky to attach a license plate. Some drivers even prefer to leave the front bumpers of their cars free of any license plates.

There are some states, however, that require license plates installed on the front bumpers of all vehicles. This doesn't necessitate drilling holes to attach a license plate; actually, it is relatively simple to attach a license plate to the front bumper--all you need is a no-holes license plate bracket kit, available from your car manufacturer.

Expose the tow hook mounting point by removing the cap. This is usually found on the passenger's side of the front bumper. Use a flat-head screwdriver or a removal tool, if included in the kit. Colin shows you how to install a license plate frame that will protect your vehicle's paint, prevent vibration and complement your vehicle's trim like the pros.

Need a shopping list? We explain how to choose the best license plate frame for your vehicle. Create a clean slate by removing your license plate and wiping it clean of any dirt or debris. This is also a great opportunity to wash and wax the area behind your plate.

Peel the paper from the rubber spacers, revealing the adhesive. Align spacers with mounting holes and stick to back of license plate to prevent vibration and protect the vehicle. If your vehicle only allows for 2-hole mounting, insert rubber plate bumpers into the lower holes. Insert the bottom edge of the license plate into the frame so the mounting tabs hold the plate in place. Insert stainless steel screws through the hardware hider caps.