Yes you will have to affix the lic. plate to the car to get signed off on your ticket. Go to gominigo.com, and buy one of the No Holes Lic. Plate Brackets, $50. Here in LA, it's the only way to go.
With the police forces trying to wring more money out of folks for any infraction, you are best to try and protect yourself by not giving the cops anything to ticket. Just the other day a buddy as driving back from lunch to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. Along Riverside Dr. he saw 12 Burbank motorcycle cops waiting to ticket people for not stopping for peds in the crosswalks between Pass Ave. and Hollywod way. That's about an eighth of a mile stretch, 12 cops...wow!!!
I personally don't want, nor do I need a cop pulling me over for some BS fix it ticket. So, I bit the bullet and got the no holes bracket. Both my g/f and I have them on our cars. If you want to see pics, lemme know, I can post them in this thread.
edit: What were you doing @ pinks? That place sucks! The real reason you got the ticket is for poor food choices, reread the ticket.
CUPIDS FTW!!!!!