How to frame a car license plate

How to install or replace license plate, parts and mounting locations

The rules allow the number plates to be installed in a frame, unless the registration plate is additionally covered with plexiglass. The frames are attached to the bumper with self-tapping screws and have several types of latches for fixing the plate with the number.

Each vehicle that is permitted to operate on the roads has an individual registration plate. The license plate is issued by the traffic police department and is a steel plate with embossed numbers and letters. The car owner is obliged to install it on the car in accordance with the rules. You can attach license plates to a new car with a frame yourself, after first checking the technical regulations.

If there is no frame

Car owners who are not satisfied with the frames attach the numbers to the bumper with screws or rivets.
In the first case, to remove the sign it is enough to use a screwdriver. If the screw has become stuck and will not come off, it is better to immediately treat it with WD-40, wait 5 minutes and try again.

Rivets and self-tapping screws with licked heads are carefully drilled out. It is not recommended to use a grinder, as there is a high probability of damaging the surface of the sign during work.

Drilling is carried out while protecting your eyes with goggles.

Legal requirements

According to Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, driving a car without license plates is punishable by a fine of 500 rubles; a repeated violation threatens to deprive the driver of the right to drive a vehicle for up to 3 months. A similar punishment will follow for the fact that the sign is not installed in accordance with the regulations.

Removing license plates from a car

On American SUVs, the regular “registration” space does not meet the standard of Russian license plates. In this case, you can put the numbers in a frame on the car and fix it on the roof. It is important to remember that the distance from the ground to the top of the number panel should not exceed 2 meters.

When choosing a car with a non-standard bumper, drivers notice that the standard mounting points for the license plate do not match the holes in the license plate. Considering that the license plate must be clearly readable, without damaging the information part, the option of opening the frame for the license plate, installing it on the bumper and fixing it in accordance with the regulations remains the best.

What you need for installation

Today, many car owners use various types of reflective hardware or coated with various paints to install license plates.
For example, the back is white, the front is red. It is important to remember that state standards establish certain requirements for bolts.

These requirements look like this today:

the head of a screw or bolt must be covered with the color of the mark field or be equipped with galvanic elements;
it is possible to use special frames for fastening - but they should not block the registration inscription RUS, as well as all kinds of other data on the registration number;
in no case is it allowed to cover the license plate with glass made of organic material or with any other means that make it difficult to read the sign by technical or other means;
if for some reason the seats on the sign itself and on the car bumper do not match, you will need to use special structural elements for transitions that meet the requirements I.2-I.4.

From all of the above it follows that it is simply not allowed to use bolts with a reflective surface for attaching license plates. The Code of Administrative Offenses even contains special punishment for this kind of violation.

The fine for using improper fasteners is 500 rubles in 2021.

How to find out the accident history of a car by state number is explained in the article: history of a car by state number.

Read about checking your MTPL insurance policy online by car number here.

Stages of installing and replacing a number

Only the owner can open the license plate on the car - all products have anti-vandal clips and fasteners.

Installation locations

Frames are installed in places specified by regulations. Metal frames are attached to the body with screws. To prevent corrosion at the points of contact between the screws and the metal, the screws and part of the bumper are treated with an anti-corrosion compound before installation. The best remedy, according to drivers' reviews, is a push-salon, into which the screw is dipped before screwing in.

To insert a car number into the frame, you will need a slotted screwdriver, which is convenient for moving the metal plate. For greater reliability, drivers attach the license plate to the panel with 2-3 self-tapping screws and only then use structural fasteners.

Place for mounting

In the book frame or Euro frame there is a folding panel that fixes the license plate around the perimeter. Polypropylene latches at the corners hold the panel securely. It is quite easy to remove the car number plate from the book frame, so additional screws are required.

The panel form has no moving parts. The design uses anti-vandal latches that hold the number. There is also additional fixation of the sign with two screws in the corners.

How to open/close number frame

While inserting a license plate into a frame on your car can take a few minutes, opening the panel can be difficult. The manufacturer uses anti-vandal latches, which break if opened incorrectly - it is impossible to steal the sign.

To open the panel in the book frame, you need to insert a thin screwdriver between the license plate and the panel strictly in the center of the folding part. Carefully unfasten the side “crocodiles” - the “book” will open.

Euro frames have small recesses on the side for a key with a plate. The original key is inserted into the slots and moves the internal lock. If you don't have a wrench at hand, you can use two slotted screwdrivers of the smallest size. They are inserted on both sides at the same time, they are also pressed at the same time - the side clamps move away, the number can be immediately removed.

If there is a frame

The frame itself is made of plastic. The license plate in the frame at the top and at the ends is pressed with hooks that hold it in a given position. At the bottom there is a wide strip that is removed before removing the license plates from the car.

Frames for license plates are available in several versions, which differ in the way the lower removable strip is attached.

Option 1

The strip is attached from the back to one latch along its entire length.
To remove it, just bend the frame with the number slightly towards you and use your fingers to pry the strip from behind towards the bumper. The latch comes unfastened and the strip is removed. The number is carefully removed from the fixing hooks using a top-down motion. To simplify the task, use a flat-head screwdriver.

Option 2

The bottom strip is first inserted into the end grooves, then fixed in the middle with two latches.

Dismantling the strip proceeds in the reverse order:

The number is removed from the frame, as in the first option.

Option 3

In this design, there are 2 locks securing it on the bottom strip. The sign is tightly inserted into the grooves located at the top and bottom along the entire length of the frame.

To remove a number, the locks on the bottom of the frame are opened towards the center.

The bar is lowered, removing the lower part of the sign from the groove. To release the upper part, just insert a screwdriver into the holes on the number, rest it against the plastic of the frame and lower it down. The number has been removed.

How to set/remove a number

Number frames are manufactured according to standards, the size of the product exactly matches the size of the license plate (tolerance - plus 5 mm around the perimeter). Drivers have no difficulties with installation.

In this case, the frames turn out to be very convenient: the sign can be installed in 1 minute, secured with standard fasteners. And then, if necessary, screw it to the body with screws. To remove the license plate frame from the car, you only need a set of screwdrivers.

Possible problems and nuances

Sometimes the old frame cannot be disassembled. In this case, its end is heated with a hairdryer until softened and bent, the number is removed.

When selling a car, if there is no desire to keep the existing number, it is torn off without unnecessary ceremony. The main thing is that the symbols printed on it are visible.

Issues relating to motorists' rights are often more important than they appear at first glance. A driver may lose his license or suffer other severe penalties due to ignorance or misinterpretation of laws and regulations. Do not be lazy to dive deeply into the essence of the issue being studied, do not hesitate to ask advice from professionals.

Fastening parts

The main fastening elements are galvanized screws for attaching the car number plate to the frame. Plastic fasteners remain additional fasteners, although they are considered quite durable and can withstand high mechanical pressure.

But since the screws provide end-to-end fixation of the metal plate and the metal number, the fastener is considered more reliable. Self-tapping screws are included, the standard length is up to 2 cm. They are screwed into the car body, bumper, trunk lid.

Source

How to attach a license plate to a car so it doesn’t get stolen, framed

Today, without exception, all cars operated on the territory of the Russian Federation must be equipped with a unique state number.

However, upon resale, it will be possible to deal with it in different ways. It is worth considering this issue in advance in case of re-registration of the vehicle.

Installing a license plate number is a procedure that is carried out relatively infrequently by the car owner. This usually happens when replacing old registration plates with new ones or when purchasing a new vehicle.

Varieties

A flip frame is a device that, when installed, can both hide and at the same time protect the license plate of a vehicle from damage, reading or theft. Also, a frame-shifter is a device activated using a button inside the car or a remote control.

Frames are in high demand, which encourages manufacturers to come up with more and more modifications. At the moment, the most popular are shifters:

Order with a discount

How to insert a car license plate into a frame online for free

Moreover, state registration plates must also be easily read by road surveillance cameras and record violations.

Reversible models are not allowed to be used by all drivers, but only by some in a certain field of activity.

Here is a small list of situations and those people who can use such a device:

With the special services, everything is clear - for the sake of secrecy, they sometimes need to have a couple of spare numbers. They won’t twist and screw them in every time.

Those car owners who, while driving on highways and city streets, legally have two license plates - temporary and permanent, can easily provide their car with such a frame for a short time.

This usually happens when a driver buys a nice license plate to replace an old one, but by law he has another 180 days to decide and choose which license plate will be more comfortable for him to drive with.

However, both numbers must be included in the registration certificate for this period.

The reversal mechanism allows you to control the reversal of the license plate without leaving the car. The driver will simply press the built-in button on the control panel or under it, and the device itself will turn the sign plate to a 180-degree position.

Of course, such a design will require power supply to the device.

But usually the power of such equipment is small, and therefore they will not consume much electricity.

Principle of operation

The principle of activation of the inverted frame depends on the type of control of the mechanism that sets the device in motion. There are only two of them:

Over time, the most popular mechanism has become one controlled by a key fob. It is much easier and more convenient to press a button to activate the inverted frame. Pressing the button starts the process of changing the number, activating the device drive. Upon completion of the rollover, modern models can send a signal to the owner’s remote control. The signal can be either visual (light indicator) or audio.

Legality of application

Despite the growing popularity of shifter license plates, they can be legally used by a very limited number of people. In simple words, installing flip frames on personal vehicles is prohibited. Installation of such devices is permitted only on the transport of special services employees, to hide license plates for professional purposes. Also, the installation of number change devices is regulated at the legislative level in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. For example, specifically in clause 12.2 it is stated that you cannot:

Place the number in the frame on the car

How to attach a license plate to a car (auto) - so as not to be stolen, in a frame

Today, without exception, all cars operated on the territory of the Russian Federation must be equipped with a unique state number.

However, upon resale, it will be possible to deal with it in different ways. It is worth considering this issue in advance in case of re-registration of the vehicle.

That is why many simply do not pay enough attention to all the technical features of this kind of procedure and completely in vain.

Since violation of the rules for attaching license plates, their locations threaten quite serious problems with the law.

First of all, you should remember that the fine for driving a vehicle without a valid license plate number is quite large.

For 2021, the amount of such a fine is as much as 5 thousand rubles. In the Traffic Rules, these types of issues are discussed in sufficient detail.

Currently, serious violations include the following:

In addition to a fine, the owner of such a vehicle may be subject to another administrative penalty - deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle for a period of 1 to 3 months.

That is why the answer to the question about the location of the signs is clear.

Where should the number be located?

In general, attaching a license plate frame is a fairly simple procedure and does not differ fundamentally for different car models. The main thing is that the installation location complies with traffic regulations. Otherwise, you will be fined. At the front and rear of the car, frames for license plates must be installed so that they are located on the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the car. That is, they were strictly in the center.

Often the manufacturer puts marks on the bumper to make installation easier. But if they are not there, use a tape measure. If it is not possible to install the car frame strictly in the center (for example, due to the design features of the car), then it can be installed to the left of the axis of symmetry in the direction of movement. The main thing is that the design does not block the lighting fixtures, and the location is such that the license plate is easy to read from different angles.

How to insert a car license plate into a frame

It is impossible to unscrew the secret screws, since they are intended only for a single installation, so they cannot be unscrewed with a regular screwdriver.

Curtain frames

Among drivers, there are increasingly those who prefer the frame to perform slightly “other” functions, namely to help hide from the eyes of traffic police representatives and traffic cameras.

The benefit here is questionable, since it is one thing to pay for a slight speeding, and another thing to lose your license and a considerable sum of money for using an illegal device.

But as they say, “there is no need for invention,” and today a car enthusiast can easily buy a frame equipped with a special curtain.

Externally, the curtain frame for the license plate looks like a regular one, but when you press just one button, a black opaque curtain falls down, protecting the registration number. The radio remote control for this frame can be carried with you or left in the car.

What kind of fraud with license plates can get you a fine?

Drivers use many tricks to hide the sign or distort some of its elements. They are not as harmless as they seem. And they fall not under the 1st section of Article 12.2, but under its 2nd part. What motorists use to hide their license plate number from video systems:

Flip frame for a car license plate Curtain frame for a car

We recommend reading about

fine for special signals

. You will learn about what is classified as special signals, the fine for their unauthorized installation and use on a car, for not allowing a car with special signals to pass.

Learn more about the fine for driving at an intersection.

The correct registration plate is one of the signs of a disciplined motorist. A law-abiding driver has no need to manipulate him. And if he is noticed in this, he should expect closer attention from the traffic police than others.

How to secure your car

The World Wide Web is littered with various methods that describe the protection of a license plate, but often all of them are ineffective, and sometimes even turn an ordinary citizen into a criminal. When the state does nothing to protect its property (the number is considered state property), then you should protect it yourself. How to act to protect yourself from theft?

Replacement of real license plates with copies (1000-10000 rubles). From a legal point of view, these are not duplicates, but real fakes, the use of which is punishable by law. The general formulation “knowingly false” is absent in the legislation of the Russian Federation, therefore it is possible to be right only in court, where in most cases the accused is found guilty. Duplicates of the originals are made of plastic or laminated paper, on aluminum plates, but copies do not have security elements or holograms. Disadvantages - copies will most likely also be stolen in the chaos, but thieves will no longer ask for ransom.

Anti-vandal iron frames made of stainless steel (1000-10000 rubles). They are firmly fixed to the bumper. The license plate is attached using hidden bolts or a structure that covers the perimeter. The main disadvantages are that attackers can also have the keys to such bolts, so they do not always guarantee protection.

Review of anti-vandal frames:

Method for 100 rubles

The key problem with the above methods is that the license plates are not held in any way from inside the car, so it is quite easy to rip them, along with a piece of material, from the bumper or trunk lid. To save your number, you simply need to purchase the most ordinary nuts, washers and bolts with a smooth head at the nearest hardware or furniture store. For this purchase you will pay a maximum of 100 rubles. And it’s true what they say: everything ingenious is simple!

In this option, it is necessary to secure the registration plates through and through, drilling through the corresponding element and the license plate itself. Since the holes will not be noticeable, the aesthetics will not suffer at all. Considering that the part is metal, it will have to be subjected to anti-corrosion treatment.

The protection and the entire operation consists of the following points.

Anti-vandal fastening with screws

Thus, it is the vehicle owner himself who needs to worry about the safety of license plates. Of course, if necessary, attackers can remove the license plate in any way, for example, by tearing out a solid piece of the bumper. Only in this situation they should not hope for ransom. Actually, for this reason, thieves will try to find another car that was not protected from theft. Therefore, sometimes a slight difficulty in removing license plates will save your nerves and money.

How to insert a car license plate into a frame

For some vehicles, it is possible to attach a sign to the bumper assembly.

For example, this occurs in some trucks and other vehicles.

This may be due to the specific design of the front or rear part of the vehicle and is strictly controlled by traffic police officers.

Signs must be made of a material that is permitted for use. It can be silicone, plastic and, of course, metal products - a chrome or stainless steel car license plate frame.

We should also not forget that equipping a car with a frame for hanging state registration plates means equipping the car with additional functional equipment.

At factories, no one builds frames into the car, so they are classified as additional equipment, despite their great importance and obligation.

Therefore, if you buy a car with a curtain frame or a license plate changer, you will need to change it.

Features of the dealer frame

When studying the question of how to secure a state number, it is important to take into account some features. All car enthusiasts should know them:

The fastener itself must also meet certain requirements. The material used to make this mount is important.
A license plate is attached when such a frame does not obscure the inscription or image of the license plate. After all, quite often a situation arises when the size of the bolts does not correspond to the size of the body holes. Drilling additional holes yourself is strictly prohibited.
It is prohibited to use transparent or translucent materials to attach registration numbers.

Do-it-yourself plastic license plate holder repair

The license plate holder has been removed from the car, and now you can repair it yourself in a workshop.

As you can see in the photo, the cracked part of the frame is several millimeters thick. Therefore, it can be repaired by combining two technological methods - gluing and reinforcement with metal brackets.

Gluing the cracked part of the frame will not provide high reliability, and is only necessary for the convenience of installing brackets. In order not to wait for a long time, gluing was done using fast-setting Super Moment glue.

Next, using an electric soldering iron, the joint was reinforced with two brackets made of copper wire for electrical wiring with a diameter of about 1 mm.

The brackets were recessed into the plastic flush with the surface of the frame and became almost invisible. For clarity, the photograph shows brackets that have not yet been melted over with plastic. Repair using thermal reinforcement of brackets in plastic provides a complete guarantee that the connection will never come apart.

To repair the plastic loop located on the top of the license plate holder, we had to use a slightly different technology.

Before the repair, the movable part of the license plate holder was fixed in its base and the crack was repaired using an electric soldering iron.

But reflow repairs cannot ensure a reliable connection, so an additional specially shaped bracket was bent from a paper clip, as shown in the photograph.

Next, the bracket was fused using a soldering iron into the number holder, as shown in the photo. The fused metal bracket will ensure high reliability of the connection.

Let's sum it up

Each vehicle has its own license plate. It is installed immediately after purchasing the car. Driving without a license plate will result in a fine.

Therefore, you will have to set the number right at the place where you received it. For this purpose, it is important to stock up on a screwdriver and fasteners. These can be plastic harnesses or bolts that match the color of the license plate plate.

Purchasing a dealer frame will greatly facilitate the process of installing the license plate. This is the easiest way to solve the problem.

Before starting installation, it is advisable to study the requirements of domestic legislation. They clearly state how the number cannot be set. It is important that the sign is placed strictly in the center. If deviation is inevitable, then it can only be to the left.

Drilling additional holes is not permitted. The data indicated on the license plate must not be covered with fasteners. But it is important to secure the sign so securely that it cannot get lost while moving.

Making a metal car license plate holder with your own hands

Since it was not possible to secure the license plate in the plastic license plate holder after it was repaired in the cold, I had to make a new license plate holder with my own hands from scrap material.

There was a suitable sized aluminum plate with a thickness of 2 mm available, and it was decided to make a homemade license plate holder from it. Aluminum is lightweight, durable, easy to process and does not oxidize when exposed to precipitation. Dimensions were taken from the license plate and the drawing presented above was made.

The size of 150 mm was chosen based on the holes in the car bumper made earlier to secure the plastic license plate.

The number holder was cut from the sheet using a hacksaw, the corners were rounded with a flat file with a coarse notch. The holes are drilled using a drill with a metal drill. All that remains is to install the homemade license plate holder on the car bumper and secure the license plate to it with screws.

When attaching the license plate holder to the bumper, a difficulty arose with the screws. Since the license plate must fit tightly to the plane of the license plate, we needed plastic self-tapping screws with a countersunk head, a large thread pitch and so that the threads start at the head itself. Finding such a screw turned out to be problematic, but I remembered that in the computer power supply the cooler in its case is screwed with just such self-tapping screws with a diameter of 4 mm. I unscrewed the screws from the burnt out power supply.

A self-made license plate holder was screwed to the car bumper with self-tapping screws. For more reliable fastening, you can use screws with metric threads, threaded through the bumper, and screwed into nuts with wide washers located on the inside of it.

Although, according to the Requirements for installing state registration plates on vehicles, bolts or screws with heads that have the color of the sign field or light galvanic coatings must be used to secure them, I did not have any screws with beautiful heads on hand that meet these requirements. Therefore, I used it with a dark coating, since the diameter of their heads is only 3 mm larger than the holes in the license plate and at a glance it is practically not noticeable. In any case, the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate employees do not ask questions.

The screws used were M6 with a thread length of 10 mm, with a spherical head for a hex bit. To prevent spontaneous unscrewing of the threaded connection, a spring washer of the “grower” type was installed between the nut and a simple washer.

Now the license plate on the car is secure and looks elegant. I plan to replace the plastic holder for the mount and rear license plate with a homemade one in the near future.

Choosing a mount for license plates

Well, the last question for today concerns the mounting of license plates .

So, in GOST there are special requirements regarding the bolts that should be used to secure the numbers:

I.5 To fasten registration plates, bolts or screws with heads that have the color of the field of the sign or light galvanic coatings should be used.

It is allowed to attach signs using frames. Bolts, screws, frames must not block or distort the inscription “RUS” on the registration plate, the image of the State Flag of the Russian Federation, letters, numbers or edging.

It is not allowed to cover the sign with organic glass or other materials.

Potential victims

Numbers that are issued in another country, another entity, or contain beautiful combinations of letters and numbers fall into the risk zone in the first place. Unfortunately, in the first case, you can only re-register them in your region. In the second case, the repurchase price may be less and more profitable than the replacement price for new ones.

A video on this topic can be viewed below:

If you go to the traffic police with a prepared statement of loss and pay a state fee of two thousand rubles, you can pick up new license plates within one day, and there is no need to provide your own car for inspection. It turns out that the owner will not be able to choose what to do: try to achieve justice or spend his personal free time. Often those who agree to a ransom are those who are accustomed to immediately solving any issues, and not wasting invaluable time. But the attackers will probably have lust and a desire to once again rob the car enthusiast who has already paid for his own license plate.

Owners of the most common license plates are also not immune from theft. In any case, the car owner must report any theft to the district police. But then the police will initiate an investigation, upon completion of which a criminal case will be initiated, and then a refusal to initiate it will occur. The entire procedure may take about thirty days. But domestic laws do not allow driving without license plates, and the owner of the car will not be able to drive the car during this process. Violation is punishable by a fine (five thousand rubles) or deprivation of rights.

Fraudsters love beautiful combinations of letters and numbers