# ILLEGAL TO RUN PLOW MOUNT WITHOUT PLOW



## Erik Paulovits (Jan 18, 2017)

So I was pulled over today and got a warning for not having a front bumper, the plow mount I have doesn't allow for me to re install the original bumper. I had removed the plow because we weren't expecting snow for a week or so. So I was driving through town with just the plow mount on, no bumper no plow. So is this actually illegal or am I just a subject of a cop in a bad mood? I have 72 hours two either install the original bumper or the plow. And I'd rather not run around town with the plow on ruining my gas mileage if Theres no snow to plow. Thanks


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Got to be a bumper issue. What about the guys with the old conventional plows where the lights and pump stay on even when the plow's off? The cop sounds like a prick. I'd just leave the plow on then I guess.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

conform and be done with it or try to be right and put a target on you.
When I was younger the " chip on the shoulder authority" bothered me. It's easier to let them have their chip and leave you alone in the long run.


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

I agree with Mr. Markus. But you can't exactly put your bumper on now in the middle of Winter, as you're obviously going to have to plow again, so I think it will be easier to just leave the plow on until Spring. Then put the bumper back on.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Obviously the cops where you are have nothing better to do


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

As I recall starting with vehicles built after 1996 it is illegal to have a plow head gear mounted without the plow. the reason is the head gear punches a nice hole in anybody a plow truck T Bones. so they want a plow or the bumper no head gear.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

A bumper can be a piece of pipe....


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

theplowmeister said:


> As I recall starting with vehicles built after 1996 it is illegal to have a plow head gear mounted without the plow. the reason is the head gear punches a nice hole in anybody a plow truck T Bones. so they want a plow or the bumper no head gear.


...It can obstruct air bag sensors, whereas the plow is a piece of equipment, is how it was explained to me.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Mr.Markus said:


> ...It can obstruct air bag sensors, whereas the plow is a piece of equipment, is how it was explained to me.


Maybe in ur neck of the woods, here in USofA, home of the baseball, cherry pie, Donald J Trump, it's for the stated sbove


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Erik Paulovits said:


> So I was pulled over today and got a warning for not having a front bumper, the plow mount I have doesn't allow for me to re install the original bumper. I had removed the plow because we weren't expecting snow for a week or so. So I was driving through town with just the plow mount on, no bumper no plow. So is this actually illegal or am I just a subject of a cop in a bad mood? I have 72 hours two either install the original bumper or the plow. And I'd rather not run around town with the plow on ruining my gas mileage if Theres no snow to plow. Thanks


What state, town are you in?


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## Avalanche 2500 (Dec 31, 2015)

Dunkin donuts must have been closed! Use a 2x6 p/s wood ?


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

yup original bumper on beater was rotted, hung a piece of 2x6 on it , keeps them happy, must have plate light also


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

leolkfrm said:


> yup original bumper on beater was rotted, hung a piece of 2x6 on it , keeps them happy, must have plate light also


On the front plate?

Or is this a rear plow?


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## Erik Paulovits (Jan 18, 2017)

I'm in ontario, this specific truck an ancient artifact, it's a 1988 chevy crew cab. Would that matter? Also it's a front mount plow yes


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

1olddogtwo said:


> A bumper can be a piece of pipe....


Or a piece of wood


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I was guessing the people's Republic of Taxachussetts.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

1olddogtwo said:


> On the front plate?
> 
> Or is this a rear plow?


In NY front plate lights are not required. You better have working back plate lights tho.


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

oops, yes forgot to add rear,....for the plate light:hammerhead:

on my old 90 beater the bumper was remounted after the plow mount, it did make running either set of lights legal


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

The idiots in Michigan supreme court decided that a ball on the factory bumper did obstruct the license plate and was therefore against the law.

DAes left the interpretation open for trailers, so in all reality, a cop could used the excuse of an obstructed plate to pull someone over who is pulling a trailer. Or the plate is covered in snow.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Having a hitch/step/tow hook/etc installed in the receiver is illegal in Illinois without a trailer attached


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

In Jersey, in these local towns anyway. They don't enforce stuff like that. You should see some of the junk running around here.


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## kawasaki guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Randall Ave said:


> In Jersey, in these local towns anyway. They don't enforce stuff like that. You should see some of the junk running around here.


I leave my trailer hitch in when I am not using it, does that make me a hack? :laughing:

But, there is a lot of junk down here too. Not too bad though.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

The service truck I just scrapped, never had that hitch out


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

1olddogtwo said:


> Having a hitch/step/tow hook/etc installed in the receiver is illegal in Illinois without a trailer attached


That reminds me, some arseclown down by Detoilet introduced the same legislation in Meechigan. Not sure it even made it to the floor. Or oot of committee or however that BS works. All because he walked into one.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

If you bolt it in is it considered part of the vehicle, like the pintle hitch on the dump truck.
That's assanine.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

op ends of the frame must be covered, and a bumper must fall into the height requirements.
but the plow mount is legal. i dont even need to know your state you live in.

you see a lot of folks with trailer hitches and in some states it is illegal to run with something in the recover.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Randall Ave said:


> In Jersey, in these local towns anyway. They don't enforce stuff like that. You should see some of the junk running around here.


It usually winds up in your shop, eh ?

Show them the picture of that hitch that got smacked...and fell apart.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

SnoFarmer said:


> op ends of the frame must be covered, and a bumper must fall into the height requirements.
> but the plow mount is legal. i dont even need to know your state you live in.
> 
> you see a lot of folks with trailer hitches and in some states it is illegal to run with something in the recover.


NY is one of them, They don't enforce in town. Still could get a ticket tho. LOL


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## Motorman 007 (Jan 11, 2005)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I was guessing the people's Republic of Taxachussetts.


If I'm not mistaken, Mass was one of the first to enforce the off-season removal of a plow frame. That's why the first minute mounts were designed.


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## darryl g (Jan 30, 2010)

kawasaki guy said:


> I leave my trailer hitch in when I am not using it, does that make me a hack? :laughing:


No, it just means you haven't banged your shins on it enough...


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## kawasaki guy (Nov 22, 2012)

darryl g said:


> No, it just means you haven't banged your shins on it enough...


That only happens on SUVs where the tailgate does not hang over it.


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## snowplowpro (Feb 7, 2006)

you can make or have a welding company fabricate you a bracket to extend the bumper past the frame a few inches


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

Erik Paulovits said:


> So I was pulled over today and got a warning for not having a front bumper, the plow mount I have doesn't allow for me to re install the original bumper. I had removed the plow because we weren't expecting snow for a week or so. So I was driving through town with just the plow mount on, no bumper no plow. So is this actually illegal or am I just a subject of a cop in a bad mood? I have 72 hours two either install the original bumper or the plow. And I'd rather not run around town with the plow on ruining my gas mileage if Theres no snow to plow. Thanks





Erik Paulovits said:


> I'm in ontario, this specific truck an ancient artifact, it's a 1988 chevy crew cab. Would that matter? Also it's a front mount plow yes


I know that the time is expired and you therefore must have dealt with it in some manner by now, but....

Cop is correct, HOWEVER, fact is that having the plow mounted DOES NOT mean that you don't need the bumper. Whether the plow is mounted OR NOT, you still have to have the bumper on the thing!

I suggest that you figure out some way to modify the plow mount or the bumper so that you can mount them both at the same time.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

jasonv said:


> I know that the time is expired and you therefore must have dealt with it in some manner by now, but....
> 
> Cop is correct, HOWEVER, fact is that having the plow mounted DOES NOT mean that you don't need the bumper. Whether the plow is mounted OR NOT, you still have to have the bumper on the thing!
> 
> I suggest that you figure out some way to modify the plow mount or the bumper so that you can mount them both at the same time.


Wow........look who came oot of the woodwerk....


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Wow........look who came oot of the woodwerk....


Always....like good behavior type thing


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## jonc41 (Nov 28, 2016)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I was guessing the people's Republic of Taxachussetts.


Ontario is probably worse as far as fines and taxes go! Thanks to Wynne and her liberals


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

jonc41 said:


> Ontario is probably worse as far as fines and taxes go! Thanks to Wynne and her liberals


My *personal* experience (anybody else's experiences may vary), is that cops REALLY don't know what the heck they're doing when it comes to anything besides dealing with speeding hondas. Most of the time, as long as your equipment *LOOKS* neat and tidy and well maintained, they wouldn't have any way to know if it actually isn't, or if it looks like a hacked up confusing mess, but is actually in perfect shape and completely compliant, they will go by the looks and give you a hard time over it.

I once got stopped by the cops at a highway onramp (they were inspecting everybody, I think mostly for speeding around the corner there), and dimwit cop tried to give me a hard time for having my license plate renewal sticker on the FRONT plate. Yeah, on a PICKUP TRUCK. Where it BELONGS (Yep, ONTARIO). I tried to tell him that, and he didn't believe me, eventually, I just politely asked him to PLEASE just go over and ask his partner to confirm with him, and he did, and then sheepishly came back and apologized to me. And if that outcome isn't reason enough to always be polite to cops (if I was a jerk to him, then I would have had to go to court to get it straightened out and wouldn't have had the pleasure of receiving his apology), then I don't know what is.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)




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