QUESTION: I've seen several new Mercedes-Benz sedans without Hawaii front plates on Honolulu roads recently. All had the standard Hawaii rear plates, not temporary or dealer plates. However, they were all using chrome front plates that carried the Mercedes-Benz logo. This practice appears to violate state law. Is a local Mercedes-Benz dealer to blame here? Should I call HPD when I see another car like this?

ANSWER: Don't blame the dealership, a spokeswoman for Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu said.

“;If we install the license plate frames, we install both the front and the back,”; she said.

However, she acknowledged that some customers actually ask that the front plate not be installed, “;and we tell them ... absolutely not,”; reminding them that state law requires both plates to be mounted.

But “;many clients pick up their own license plates and may install only the rear one,”; she said. “;Obviously it's their choice.”;

The spokeswoman added that the dealership does provide a front cover, which some owners might put on the plate.

She said she's also seen cars on the road with only one license plate and that it's not a new practice, but noted two plates have to be mounted in order for the vehicle to pass a safety inspection.

Although some states require only one license plate, Section 249-7 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes says a vehicle “;owner shall securely fasten the number plate on the vehicle, one on the front and the other on the rear, at a location provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location upon the bumpers of the vehicle.”;

According to Honolulu police Sgt. Danton Nakama of HPD's Traffic Division, if an officer sees a parked vehicle without both plates, “;he or she may cite the vehicle.”; However, if the vehicle is moving, he “;would not suggest that the public call for this violation.”;

In either case, “;the officer will have to observe the violation,”; Nakama said, “;but with a moving vehicle chances are they will not locate the vehicle in question.”;

It might appear that many motorists are flouting the law, but police have cited many violators.

A motor vehicle licensing official says he is aware of officers in the downtown area “;pulling a lot of cars over for violations”; related to license plates, as well as expired registrations and safety stickers.

As we reported last year, more than 5,000 citations were issued in 2008 through August 2009 for vehicles having only one license plate (see hsblinks.com/1pi).

QUESTION: I've been noticing a lot of cars with out-of-state license plates. Most are from California, and almost all of them are expired, according to the stickers on the rear plates. These cars also do not have a safety inspection sticker. Are these cars legal and paying our registration fees? There are a lot of them in the East Honolulu area where I live.

ANSWER: Out-of-state vehicles are required to have a Hawaii license plate either one year after entering Hawaii or when their out-of-state vehicle registrations expire, whichever comes first.

However, there is no grace period for safety checks—all vehicles are required to pass a safety inspection upon arrival (see hsblinks.com/1q2).

Vehicles can't be registered without a valid safety check, so presumably the owners will be caught somewhere along the line.