Patent ID: 8281508

Claim:
A reversible license plate holder attachable to a rear panel of a vehicle comprising: a rectangular perimeter frame formed as a unit having an obverse and a reverse side and an open central area, the frame having an L-shaped cross-section defining a flange sized to be aligned with and to receive a license plate positionable thereagainst; the frame also having spaced holed mounting tabs which are alignable with mounting holes in the license plate and with threaded holes in the rear panel for attaching the holder together with the license plate against the rear panel; the frame also having on the reverse side thereof an upper retaining tab forming a first U-shaped channel with the frame which trappingly receives an upper edge of the license plate; the frame further having on the reverse side thereof a lower retaining tab forming a second U-shaped channel which trappingly receives a lower edge of the license plate when a lower edge of the flange is resiliently flexed downwardly, then released, only the flange and the upper and lower retaining tabs temporarily holding the license plate in place; the obverse side formed by the flange covering a perimeter of the license plate when the reverse side is positioned and held against the panel by threaded fasteners passing through aligned holes in the mounting tabs and the license plate and threadably engaged into threaded holes in the rear panel; a thumb tab extending outwardly from a central portion of the lower edge of the flange, the thumb tab having an upwardly extending thumb grip, the thumb tab and thumb grip cooperatively arranged to facilitate temporary installation and removal of the license plate; a finger clearance formed into the lower edge of the flange adjacent the thumb tab to provide finger access for thumb engagement with the thumb tab.