Dealer Plate?

[woodman650]

Hi guys,

Anyone know if there is a rule regarding dealer plates? I want to put something else on while waiting for my license plates but I wasn't sure if there were rules regarding this. I'm located in California. Thanks

Woody

[TrojanBMW]

Are you talking about removing the plate dealers put on to advertise their business?

If so, you can put anything on as long as you keep the temporary tags in your windshield.

[TagMan]

You are free to remove the dealer's advertising plate from the frame and you can put anything you want on there while you wait, but it can't be a license plate of any sort. And, you must display the temp registration application slip in the front lower right hand corner of the windshield until your actual plates are mailed to you from DMV. If you applied for environmental (personalized) plates, then you will be notified by DMV when they arrive at your local DMV office.

Be careful when your plates arrive in the mail, as the registration is included in a small slot on the front of the envelope, and it is easy to accidentally throw it away with the envelope.

If (when) you "own" the car outright, your title (pink slip) will be seperately mailed to you as well.

[woodman650]

hmm, good to know. I wanted to remove both the frame and the plate. I cant do the plate though, huh? It seems silly the dealer gets to advertise and I can't put some goofy graphic on instead for the time being. hah

thanks guys

[Uptown Bully]

I'm keeping my old plate when my 1 arrives. NC recently changed the lettering on all of our plates from a great looking blue to light red. They are hideous. So when my dealer asked me what I wanted to do, I was like...KEEP.

[TagMan]

Originally Posted by woodman650

hmm, good to know. I wanted to remove both the frame and the plate. I cant do the plate though, huh? It seems silly the dealer gets to advertise and I can't put some goofy graphic on instead for the time being. hah

thanks guys

You CAN remove everything that the dealer has put there, including the frame and the plastic advertising plate as well. The ONLY thing you must have on the car, while you are waiting for your actual plates from DMV, is the temp slip in the lower right hand corner of the windshield.

Put on that goofy graphic! (Although, I see you live in SF, so please realize that it cannot be obviously offensive to the rest of us that live in the Bay Area!... LOL. j/k)

[woodman650]

oh! awesome. hahaha, I have a pretty cool idea for the front... hehe thanks TagMan

[esses]

CAVC 5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.

CAVC 5201. License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground, except as follows:[does not apply to the 135i unless you intend to haul hazardous materials with it]

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm

[john970]

Yeah that crap is dealer advertising and they should ask you before they put it on. I am sending an email to my CA so I have in writing that I requested them to not put any of that junk on my car unless they are going to pay me for advertising.

[Sherifftruman]

Originally Posted by Uptown Bully

I'm keeping my old plate when my 1 arrives. NC recently changed the lettering on all of our plates from a great looking blue to light red. They are hideous. So when my dealer asked me what I wanted to do, I was like...KEEP.

Nice to see someone that agrees with me. I hate hate hate the new plates. The red they chose is horrible, it clashes with the rest of the plate and red is also the quickest fading color. They had that issue 20 or so years ago when the plates used to be red, but I guess people forgot.

I have a personalized plate of ACTL SIZ (Actual Size) on my MINI now and I am not sure I should put that on the 135i as even though it is the smallest BMW, it is certainly not small looking like the MINI. So, I have been looking at some of the other plates for various causes and such hoping to find something I liked that does not have the crappy red letters on the old First In Flight background.

We used to have some of the better looking plates IMO and now they are probably the worst.

[Jewpac]

Originally Posted by john970

Yeah that crap is dealer advertising and they should ask you before they put it on. I am sending an email to my CA so I have in writing that I requested them to not put any of that junk on my car unless they are going to pay me for advertising.

He is referring to the paper dealer plate, not any additional emblems. In California, we do not have temporary plates like many states.

[john970]

Originally Posted by Jewpac

He is referring to the paper dealer plate, not any additional emblems. In California, we do not have temporary plates like many states.

oh... I guess i got a little excited there. Well now you know my opinion on dealer badging.

[TagMan]

Originally Posted by Jewpac

He is referring to the paper dealer plate, not any additional emblems. In California, we do not have temporary plates like many states.

Correct. We don't have the dealer "decals" or "emblems" that some dealers in other states attach to the rear of the car body itself (often on the trunk). That's so lame and pathetic, IMHO.

Anyway, in California, WHILE WAITING for the official DMV-issued plates... you can remove all of the dealer-added frames and advertising plates, but must display the temporary registration application slip (from the ROS - Report of Sale) on the lower right side of the front windshield.

You can place any other frames or graphics, WHILE WAITING.

Once your official DMV-issued plates arrive by mail, you must attach the plates to your vehicle in compliance with vehicle code. The "month" and "year" decals that accompany your registration, which is located in the front pocket of the envelope that holds your plates, must be attached to the rear plate as indicated.

The front plate is also required in California, but many do not attach it, and are therefore subject to a "fix-it" citation. To satisfy the "fix", you do not necessarily have to drill holes in your front bumper. There is a mounting kit available on the marketplace that screws a front plate frame into the tow hook threads. This keeps you from having to drill holes in your front bumper.

After it's confirmed that it's "fixed", you can theoretically remove it again, until the next time you are cited... and you will never have holes in your front bumper.

Personally, in many decades of driving in California, I have only received one local municipal citation for missing my front plate. I never display it, and I always request the dealership to NOT drill into my front bumber and to NOT attach the front license plate bracket whenever possible.