Front license plate goes below the front grille, whether you have a stock one or a custom one, it makes them both look bad... but with a custom one at least its... custom
I'm from Modesto, and I've had no front plate and tinted windows for 2 years and haven't had any problems. Been stopped for other things and they don't seem to care about it. I also constantly visit Sac, SF, SJ, and Tahoe with no problems there either.