Rep Power: 0

Ok, so, i was at a gas station to pick up a drink, and someone standing outside told me that, its illegal to have my license plate they way it is now, and that i could be fined pretty big.

I've driven by cops, they've looked, but havnt done anything, and a friend of mine has his license plate just like this. He's had it for almost 2 years now, has been pulled over (for speeding, etc)..and they havnt said anything about the way his front license plates are.

So now, i'm just wondering, is it illegal to have the license plate "chopped" like this ? Btw, mines just folded..i can always fold it back, and put it back like how it was..although, i dont like that hunkaplastic in the middle of our bumper..and if it is illegal, i might just either put it back, or sidemount it..

Anywho, heres a pic.

 
Rep Power: 255

i'm from alberta so we only have to have plates in the back but umm i got tons of fam and friends in toronto and they fold their plates so it looks better i have never heard of that being illegal....

 
Rep Power: 0

From what I was told, folding or altering a license plate is considered as damaging or defacing goverment property. Just like when people sand off the blue paint on the numbers, they get hit hard in fines. You may want to double check.

 
Rep Power: 370

Basically...Yes. You're licence plate belongs to the Ministry of Transportation (Government) and by defacing government property, you can get fined.

Will you actually get fined....? Maybe. It all depends on the Officer that pulls you over. 1 of 2 things could happen:
1. Tells you to fix your plate and leaves you with a warning
2. Fines you for defacing government property.

 
Rep Power: 281

you could get fined,

but its nothing criminal. I been riding around with scratched up plates for over a year now.

Tell the cop you bought the bumper that way, or that something broke on the mounting bracket. They'll just make you fix it.

 
Rep Power: 0

here is some relevant quotes from the HTA

Violations as to number plates

12. (1) Every person who,

(a) defaces or alters any number plate, evidence of validation or permit;

(b) uses or permits the use of a defaced or altered number plate, evidence of validation or permit;

(c) without the authority of the permit holder, removes a number plate from a motor vehicle or trailer;

(d) uses or permits the use of a number plate upon a vehicle other than a number plate authorized for use on that vehicle;

(e) uses or permits the use of evidence of validation upon a number plate displayed on a motor vehicle other than evidence of validation furnished by the Ministry in respect of that motor vehicle; or

(f) uses or permits the use of a number plate or evidence of validation other than in accordance with this Act and the regulations,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 or to imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or to both, and in addition the person’s licence or permit may be suspended for not more than six months. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 12 (1).

Property of the Crown

(2) Every number plate is the property of the Crown and shall be returned to the Ministry when required by the Ministry. 1999, c. 12, Sched. R, s. 5 (1).

 
Rep Power: 0

OK so the quote above is basically for the folding of your license plate

you can also be in trouble because the entire plate is not visible

Number plate to be kept clean

(2) Every number plate shall be kept free from dirt and obstruction and shall be affixed so that the entire number plate, including the numbers, is plainly visible at all times, and the view of the number plate shall not be obscured or obstructed by spare tires, bumper bars, any part of the vehicle, any attachments to the vehicle or the load carried. 1994, c. 27, s. 138 (7).

 
Rep Power: 0

Ya, I got a ticket for "obstruct plate" before for having it behing the mesh on my kit. The plate was clearly visible but since there was thin wire infront of it, I got a ticket. Becareful jhonsok

 
Rep Power: 0

i would jus play it safe and put it where its supposed to be.

 
Rep Power: 0

so if i ram my liscene plate into a wall of snow and it gets bent up like ****, ill get a ticket??

 
Rep Power: 0

^^
ok, thanks a lot guys ! Thats just what i needed to know. I thought it would be something about altering/damaging/modifying government property, but i needed actual facts first.
Thanks guys.
Now..i'm just gonna unfold it..and think of something...haha..
Its just..with a couple of people i know who have had it like that for almost 2 years already..just made me wonder thats all.



and also..my bumper looks a lot better without that big plastic thing holding my plate...looks nice from all angles..

 
Rep Power: 0

I would say that the way you have it now is "VERY" illegal. This my personal opinion.

(Note: I put the word "very" in double quotes, because there's no real measure of why one is worse than another...)

The reason I say that is you've chopped off "ONTARIO", and "Yours to Discover" ... How can someone determine what province you are from?

I was eyeballing your letters, and due to all the contrast and reflection, for a sec it looked like one of those European plates!

Sure, 'everyone' in Ontario knows that blue letters mean Ontario..... But, so what? Not everyone outside of Ontario know that.

And I would agree with everyone about the defacement of government property... That's like drawing a mustache on your drivers license with a red pen.... Sure it's pretty darned obvious, but it's still defacement.

From a direct perspective of the law, with no interpretation, you are hiding a portion of your license plate...

Then, there are others (I see it all the time on the ClubSI Ontario guys) who relocate their 5th/6th gen license plates to the driver-side corner of their bumper. Still 100% visible, with no folding, but is it illegal? That one, I'm not sure.

What is also illegal is the mounting of your license plate (front and back) somewhere WITHIN your car. i.e. on your dash, rear deck.

Then again, I'm no cop or legal counsel.....

My front plate is smashed to ****, with blue lettering 'flaking' off....

BTW, for a sec because your darned bumper was so shiny I thought you had some kind of 'chrome' add-on in the front! LOL

 
Rep Power: 0

^^
LOL. hahaha..thanks..for the shiny part..
yeah..i think i've been motivated to put it back to normal
^^
and yeah, its just been folded..so easy to put back to normal.

 
Rep Power: 0

Just put the plate where it is suppose to be and don't mess with it. Everyone has a front plate and if your plate looks wierd, it will be very noticable to any cop and you will get fined. or move to quebec