Y’all will focus on anything but the main issue. Who gives a damn about license plates and what bridge people drive on. The issue, friends, is someone pointing a gun out of the car window and irresponsibly fireing at random. Can we focus on THAT maybe? Don’t you think randomly and indiscriminately shooting out of a car window is the bigger problem? Y’all need to get your priorities straight. 

Goodspacegal – check out https://wsp.wa.gov/driver/vehicle. It states, in part, “Front license plates are required for all vehicles issued two license plates. (RCW 46.16A.200).” I don’t see anything in there that says “except for Teslas.” You are not likely to be pulled over for no front plate, but if you are pulled over for, say, speeding, they can add that infraction to your ticket.

And here’s the anti-car fringe again … it is actually not a “crime” to either cross the bridge or conceal one’s license plate.  It is a civil infraction – one can be ticketed for such actions, but there is no criminal statute or code violated.  I wish people would follow the law, but I don’t have much patience for the ignorant claims made here.  But rant away with your fantasies about fascistic confiscation of private property.  

License plates don’t just fall off. Driving a shiny, clean car without a plate pretty clearly indicates intent to break the law, whether by cheating the bridge or being up to something more nefarious. Impound the car.

Your car, your responsibility. That’s where the law needs to change. Just like parking tickets. Doesn’t matter who parked it, if it’s your car, you will pay for it.

Goodspacegal: NOPE! Your Tesla is not granted an exemption from the front license plate requirement under state law, no matter how much Tesla owners have talked themselves in a circle believing they don’t have to do it. Tesla does, in fact, offer a front license plate mounting kit, and if you want to obey the law, you will order it and you will put it on your car. If you don’t, you’re brazenly and knowingly flaunting the law and nothing you say to yourself or to your fellow Tesla owners will change that. (“It hurts my precious plastic car aesthetics!”) Furthermore, why would a Tesla owner need to remove their front plate from the dashboard while crossing the bridge? Could it possibly be because they know they’re breaking the law and are trying to get away with it?! Get your license plate on your car like everybody else.

My Tesla does not have front license plate mounting brackets. I’m not a criminal simply for driving with one license plate, and neither are the tens of thousands of other Tesla drivers in Seattle.

They did actually pull an enforcement operation last fall. We reported on it:
https://westseattleblog.com/2021/10/west-seattle-low-bridge-camera-dodgers-busted/
Haven’t heard of one since but have heard scattered mentions of police at the low bridge so I’d imagine they’ve caught more since then.

If there were any police left. On average if someone brakes down your door and the 911 ops determine it is a priority 1 call it will take on average 11mins to be onsite. When seconds count police are minutes away. They don’t have the staffing to deal with no license plate cars. You may need to  peddle them down and make a citizen arrest. The police would welcome the help. 

I think a SPD sting operation on the low bridge for those license plate concealers would be a good thing:).

There is widespread criminal activity among motorists crossing the lower bridge, with concealed license plates from bike racks and front plates removed. I have heard arguments from these people here, on this very fine blog, that they are committing crimes because they think they have the right to break the law. Unbelievable but not surprising. On my bike rides I typically see about 20-25 single-occupancy private vehicles cross the bridge, more than half do not have plates or they are concealing them. People leave the plates on their dashboards, hide them for the camera, and then put them back up. The police should be permanently impounding vehicles for anti-social drivers who commit this fraud.