Dear Dave,
I see some states require a license plate on the front and back and others just on the back? What is the general rule of thumb? —Phil, 2024 Winnebago View
Dear Phil,
Every state is allowed to adapt their own “road use laws”. Those include supplemental brakes, towing issues, and license plates.
In the early 1900s, states required a license plate on the front and back for safety and to make it easier for law enforcement to identify the vehicle. Today, the road use law pertaining to one or two license plates depends on the individual state’s opinion on cost, identification, and sometimes just plain tradition.
With traffic cameras and even license plate identification technology, some states have decided that digital technology is advanced enough to help identify a vehicle whether it is coming or going.
Many of the new cars do not even have a design for a front plate. That makes it difficult to add one in the states that require a front and back plate. Car designers and owners like the sleek look of the front bumper without a gaudy plate, especially sports cars and electric vehicles.
Cost
States that require a front and back plate not only have the cost of two plates, but the yearly registration sticker and documentation. It wouldn’t seem that was much of an expense. However, states are looking at hundreds of thousands of vehicles needing to be registered each year. That includes not only the hard cost but the labor, as well. That could mean saving millions of dollars!
Here are the states that require front and rear plates
The states that require both front and rear plates are: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
I live in Iowa and we are required to have a front and rear plate. According to my DOT contact, it makes it easier to identify a vehicle for speeding, hit-and-run accidents, stolen vehicles, and abduction cases such as Amber Alerts.
Our small town just recently installed Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) mounted to poles. That has been a real debate locally regarding privacy. The cameras do not have face recognition capabilities or issue traffic citations. They only store data for 30 days.
If you live in a state that only requires a rear plate and move to one that requires front and rear, you will need to contact your local DOT and upgrade to both plates or risk getting a ticket!
It’s hard to believe that with today’s technology we still need to rely on a 6” x 12” metal plate bolted to a bumper for identification. I would think we could just ask ChatGPT who owns that car!
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Dave, while you answered the question, there is one point that was the crux of the issue and was never mentioned, that was “What is the general rule of thumb?”. The general rule is that if your state does not require a front and rear plate, another state can NOT require you to purchase one or ticket you for not having one. A resident of Tennessee (say) does not have to obtain the ‘non-commercial CDL’ if driving through Texas, even though residents in TX do. The actual question is honestly a moot subject, since the general rule is state specific and there is no general rule.
You might add that Idaho only requires a front plate only if a factory installed bracket is installed. Also on some pickups Missouri issues one license plates to be put on the front only but will recommend if you’re traveling to other states to move it to the rear to meet their requirements and save getting stopped. So best to check with your state.
I live in TN and have a 1 ton dually. TN requires just one plate for my truck but requires it to be mounted on the front………nothing on the rear.
Agreed. I am a retired, professional driver, living in TN. When the law was changed, our mechanic had a complete fit, since all of our trucks (literally hundreds of them state wide) had the ‘permeant placard’ installed in the middle of the front bumper. The placard had to be moved, and a license plate frame add to each vehicle to comply with the law. That said, all of my personal vehicles, including my motorhome, built on the Ford E-450 chassis, require only a rear one. The plate on the front is only applicable to commercial vehicles.
Connecticut requires a front and rear plate to be displayed when both are issued by the DMV.
Wait until the State moves to QR codes.
There’s been talk in Pa about putting a license plate on the front of vehicles. Too many people using the turnpike and not paying the toll. Cops in Pa have license plate readers in the cars so no need for yearly stickers in Pa.
Not sure the PA cops would use their plate readers much since they don’t even stop excessive speeders or aggressive drivers with any frequency. Spent a month driving in PA late summer. 20-25 mph over was so common it seemed expected and aggressive drivers rapidly cutting across multiple lanes was frequent. Saw a number of police, but very, very rarely actually stopping anyone.
Michigan only requires the rear plate. However, buy the car from another state and you’ll find the front has been modified for another plate. (there are reasons for out of state purchases). Many, truly many, Michiganders fill that front plate space with a personalized plate – favorite team, location, hobby (mine is a scuba diver’s warning flag), etc. It is also legal to use an old fully obsolete plate style. I see many vehicles with the 1976 Michigan ‘American flag’ plate.
I know that driver’s licenses are reciprocated, but if you live in a state that only requires a rear license plate and you travel to or through a state that requires front and rear license place…..can you be cited for only having one license plate????
No.
Nevada has an exception to the front license plate law. Pertains mostly to older vehicles.
In Missouri, most vehicles are issued two plates. So cars and vehicles such as motorhomes have to have both front and back plates.
Trucks depending upon licensed weight may have two or just one. If you license your truck for 6,000 or 12,000 pounds, you get two plates. If you license your truck at 18,000 pounds and above, you get one plate that goes on the front.
My truck’s licensed for 18,000 pounds because the weight of my truck and loaded 5th wheel is over 12,000 and below 18,000lbs. I have just one plate.
Got stopped once in another state for not having the rear plate. Showed the deputy my registration and explained my state only issued the one. All good.
I had the same experience of being stopped in another state and when I pulled up the Missouri statute I was fine but the officer still didn’t like that law.
In WA state, a car registered as a collector or classic vehicle, is only required to have a rear plate and a one time fee. No annual renewal, although the vehicle has to be at least 30 years old.
CT requires both a front and rear license plate…this was omitted from the list in the article
Utah no longer requires both front and rear license plates for most vehicles as of January 1, 2025. Only a rear plate is mandated for passenger cars, with exceptions for certain commercial vehicles that may still need both. This change was enacted through legislation passed in 2024.
You will find that most late model Corvettes (C6,7,8) in Texas don’t mount a front license plate, mine included.
I prefer both front and rear plates to identify other drivers. If you drive enough, you know which state drivers to avoid and this provides invaluable information whether they are in front of you or speeding up from behind. My general rule of thumb is if they don’t have a front plate they will be a poor and/or dangerous driver whom you should avoid. You know who you are.
Just wanted to add that in Missouri, weight rated Heavy Duty Pickup Trucks are issued one license plate that by law is displayed on the FRONT of the vehicle. Since we are usually towing a trailer… livestock, cargo, RV, etc. It can make for interesting conversations with local law enforcement when you travel across the country and drop your fifth wheel at a campsite. Fortunately police vehicles have computers onboard or radio links to quickly get them the information to sort it out. Just thought I would pass this along as we have had fellow campers tell us, “you lost your license plate” Cheers and thanks for all the great info you share with us.
Just read the article of states that have one or two licenses plates. As far as the cost, I don’t have figures, and the author of the articles doesn’t either. It appears it’s more a guess. Coming from a state that has two license plates, I had read elsewhere that the cost isn’t a whole lot different, so I’m unsure what the cost really is. I do know that I currently live in a state with one plate and having a choice, I’d choose the two license plates. Even though, yes these “readers” may be able to find it. When an accident occurs, it’s not always easy to catch the plate when you have to be able to see it from the rear only. I’ve been hit by a truck and had the guy not stopped ..????