Ditching the Front Plate Mount on Your 2013 Ford F-150

Owners in states that don’t require a front license plate on their F-150 will want to remove the ugly mount.

If you live in a state that requires all vehicles to carry a license plate on the front as well as the back, odds are good that your 2009 through 2014 Ford F-150 came with a plate mount on the driver’s side of the front bumper. While this is a necessary item in some states, front plate mounts are an eyesore for those who live in states that only require a rear plate. But what do you do if you bought a used F-150 that already had that plate mount?

You tear it off, literally.

There is a thread in Ford Truck Enthusiasts‘ 2009 through 2014 F-150 section of the forums discussing this issue, started by “Pswole GT.” In that thread, we learn that you can literally rip the stock license plate frame off of the bumper, or you can carefully remove it just in case you need it in the future.

The Introduction

When the OP started this thread about getting rid of the front plate mount on a 2009 through 2014 Ford F-150, he posed the following questions to the forum.

Received my new 2013 Ecoboost recently want to remove the front license plate bracket. I have the left side bread loaf cap to replace it with, but can’t find anywhere on how to remove and replace. Anyone have any suggestions?

For those unsure, the “bread loaf cap” is the black piece in the front bumper of this era F-150 that flanks the central opening. Trucks without a front plate come with two “bread loaves” while those trucks with the front plate frame only have one on the passenger side. However, if you plan to remove the plate mount, you will want to buy that black plastic trim box to fill the hole.

Tear It Off

The first person to reply was “GoingGoingGone”, who advised the OP to rip the plate frame off.

Just yank it off. It is held to the bumper by four barbed plastic tabs and there is no way to remove it and make it re-usable. The “replacement “bread loaf” piece is installed by pushing the tabs through the slots in the bumper. I believe you have to buy both sides just to get the left one and they’re not interchangeable either. Too bad dealers in single plate states order trucks with the (front) license plate holder just to give them another place to display their dealer advertising.

Several other members reinforced the idea of just tearing the plate mount off of the truck.

“Slyone72“:

yeah bro i just ripped mine off cause here in mass i have an old green plate so i dont need to display two plates- and the new one just pops right in, cleans it up real nice

“Jmichon1” offered similar input and the picture below, showing his F-150 with the plate frame removed and a custom center grille mesh piece.

Just installed lower grill insert on my 2011 Lariat. Nice look…….. and did just yank the license plate holder off…… don’t need it in MI.

You Can Save It

While most of the members suggest ripping the plate frame off and throwing it away, a few members point out that you can remove the frame without breaking off the tabs that hold it in place.

“Desert Dawg”:

Actually, if you go slow enough, and open the hood so you can start by squeezing the upper tab first to help pry away, you can salvage the bracket tabs and reuse. At least that is what I did so now my Eco has both bumperettes and my 5.0L now sports the license plate holder….lol.

“Hydro1”:

I reached behind the bumper and pushed on the clips. Like DDawg said, just push the top tab down while pulling. Mine came out intact. I needed it operational because if i get a “fix it” ticket I’ll stuff the EB holder back on.

The bottom line is that if you have a front license plate frame on the front of your 2009 through 2014 F-150, you can tear it off and fill the spot with a new “bread loaf”, or you can spend a few more minutes on the removal and preserve the frame for future use.

Join the F-150 Online forums now!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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