Front license plate laws by state
Front license plate laws split the country: 22 states only care about the plate on the back of your car, while 28 states and Washington, D.C. want one on the front too. Drive in Texas, California, New York or Illinois without that front plate and you are handing police a reason to pull you over. In Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania or Ohio, nobody will ask. The map has also been moving: Utah dropped its front plate in 2025, Idaho and Rhode Island now excuse cars built without a front bracket, and Nebraska goes rear-only in 2029. Find your state below, with the law it comes from.
States that require a front license plate in 2026
These 28 states and D.C. issue two plates for a passenger car and expect both on the car: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, 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, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Idaho and Rhode Island are the soft cases. Both still issue two plates, but a car that left the factory without a front mount, which covers a lot of electric and sports models, can legally run with the rear plate alone.
States with no front license plate requirement
In these 22 states one plate goes on the rear and that is the whole rule for a passenger car: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. Truck tractors are the usual exception, and several of these states have them carry the plate on the front instead.
Does your state require a front plate? Every state's rule
Each row links to the statute we checked it against on 2026-10-10, and the state name links to what registration costs there.
| State | Front plate required? | Law | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No, rear only | Ala. Code § 32-6-51 | The tag goes on the rear end of the vehicle. |
| Alaska | No, rear only | AS 28.10.171 | Rear only on passenger vehicles since 2022. Front plates are now for heavy commercial vehicles. |
| Arizona | No, rear only | A.R.S. § 28-2354 | One plate, on the rear. |
| Arkansas | No, rear only | Ark. Code § 27-14-716 | Arkansas issues one plate, and a single plate goes on the rear. |
| California | Yes | Cal. Veh. Code § 5200 | Two plates are issued and both must be mounted. A missing front plate is a "fix-it" infraction. |
| Colorado | Yes | C.R.S. § 42-3-202 | A missing plate is a class B traffic infraction. |
| Connecticut | Yes | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-18 | Motorcycles carry a rear plate only. |
| Delaware | No, rear only | 21 Del. C. § 2126 | Rear only. Truck tractors pulling a trailer carry theirs on the front. |
| District of Columbia | Yes | D.C. Code § 50-1501.04 | Two tags, front and rear. Motorcycles, mopeds and trailers get one rear tag. |
| Florida | No, rear only | Fla. Stat. § 316.605 | Private passenger cars get one plate, on the rear. |
| Georgia | No, rear only | O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 | The plate is fastened to the rear and must not be covered by anything but clear material. |
| Hawaii | Yes | HRS § 249-7 | Both plates must be unobscured and kept clean. |
| Idaho | Only if the car has a front bracket | Idaho Code § 49-428 | Since July 1, 2025 (Senate Bill 1180), the front plate is required only if the car has a front mounting bracket. Idaho still issues two plates. |
| Illinois | Yes | 625 ILCS 5/3-413 | A bill to issue one plate (HB 4245) has been filed, but it is not law. |
| Indiana | No, rear only | IC 9-18.1-4-4 | Rear only, and it must not be hidden by a bumper or accessory. |
| Iowa | Yes | Iowa Code § 321.37 | A frame that hides any letter or number is also illegal. |
| Kansas | No, rear only | K.S.A. 8-133 | Rear only, at least 12 inches off the ground. |
| Kentucky | No, rear only | KRS 186.170 | Rear only, and the rear plate must be lit at night. |
| Louisiana | No, rear only | La. R.S. 32:53 | Rear only. Heavy trucks and dump trucks may use the front. |
| Maine | Yes | 29-A M.R.S. § 452 | Front and rear. A motorcycle may not carry a front plate at all. |
| Maryland | Yes | Md. Code, Transp. § 13-411 | Where two plates are required, one goes on each end. |
| Massachusetts | Yes | M.G.L. c. 90, § 6 | The RMV issues two plates for a passenger car. If it ever issues one, that plate goes on the rear. |
| Michigan | No, rear only | MCL 257.225 | Rear only. Truck tractors carry theirs on the front. |
| Minnesota | Yes | Minn. Stat. § 169.79 | Passenger cars, vans and trucks carry plates front and rear. |
| Mississippi | No, rear only | Miss. Code § 27-19-31 | One tag, on the rear. |
| Missouri | Yes | RSMo § 301.130 | Most passenger registrations come with two plates, front and rear. |
| Montana | Yes | MCA § 61-3-301 | If the body cannot take a front plate, the Montana Highway Patrol can grant a waiver after a $25 inspection. |
| Nebraska | Yes | LB 97 (2025) | Two plates for now. LB 97 switches Nebraska to one rear plate starting with the 2029 plate issue. |
| Nevada | Yes | NRS 482.275 | If the car was built with no way to mount a front plate, the front one is optional. |
| New Hampshire | Yes | RSA 261:75 | Two plates, front and rear. |
| New Jersey | Yes | N.J.S.A. 39:3-33 | Plates sit between 12 and 48 inches off the ground, front and rear. |
| New Mexico | No, rear only | NMSA § 66-3-18 | One plate, on the rear. |
| New York | Yes | N.Y. VTL § 402 | Front and rear. Only motorcycles skip the front plate. |
| North Carolina | No, rear only | N.C.G.S. § 20-63 | North Carolina issues one plate, so it goes on the rear. |
| North Dakota | Yes | N.D.C.C. § 39-04-11 | Two plates, front and rear. Motorcycles and trailers carry one. |
| Ohio | No, rear only | R.C. 4503.21 | The front plate was dropped on July 1, 2020, under House Bill 62. |
| Oklahoma | No, rear only | 47 O.S. § 1113 | Rear only. Truck tractors carry theirs on the front. |
| Oregon | Yes | ORS 803.540 | Front and rear when two plates are issued, which is the norm for a car. |
| Pennsylvania | No, rear only | 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332 | One plate, on the rear. |
| Rhode Island | Only if the car has a front bracket | R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-18 | Since summer 2026, a car built without a front bracket or mounting spot can skip the front plate, but the second plate has to stay in the car. |
| South Carolina | No, rear only | S.C. Code § 56-3-1240 | Rear only, with no tinted cover over it. |
| South Dakota | Yes | SDCL 32-5-98 | Two plates, front and rear. Motorcycles and trailers carry one. |
| Tennessee | No, rear only | Tenn. Code § 55-4-110 | Passenger cars carry the plate on the rear. |
| Texas | Yes | Tex. Transp. Code § 504.943 | Front and rear on the exterior. HB 1607 (2025) would have allowed a windshield insignia instead, but it died in the Senate. |
| Utah | No, rear only | Utah Code § 41-1a-404 | Rear only since January 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 45. Commercial vehicles can still ask for two. |
| Vermont | Yes | 23 V.S.A. § 511 | Two plates furnished means one on each end. |
| Virginia | Yes | Va. Code § 46.2-715 | SB 13, a 2026 bill to drop the front plate, was killed in committee on January 15, 2026. |
| Washington | Yes | RCW 46.16A.200 | Driving without the front plate carries a $136 fine. The Washington State Patrol can exempt a car whose body cannot take one. |
| West Virginia | No, rear only | W. Va. Code § 17A-3-15 | Rear only. Truck and road tractors carry theirs on the front. |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Wis. Stat. § 341.15 | Both plates must be readable at a glance, mounted level and rigid. |
| Wyoming | Yes | W.S. § 31-2-205 | HB 81, the "Less is More Plate Act", failed in the House on February 10, 2026. |
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Utah, January 1, 2025. Senate Bill 45 ended the front plate for most passenger vehicles. The DMV now issues one plate, and part of the saving went back to drivers through a lower registration cost.
- Idaho, July 1, 2025. Senate Bill 1180 changed Idaho Code § 49-428 so the front plate is only required when the car has a front mounting bracket.
- Nebraska, from 2029. LB 97, passed in April 2025, tells the DMV to issue one rear plate per vehicle starting with the 2029 plate cycle. Until then, two plates.
- Rhode Island, summer 2026. A new law exempts cars delivered without a front bracket or mounting spot, as long as the second plate stays inside the car.
- Repeals that failed. Virginia's SB 13 was killed in committee on January 15, 2026. Wyoming's HB 81 failed on February 10, 2026. Texas HB 1607, the windshield insignia bill, died in the Senate in 2025.
Ohio and Alaska went first: Ohio dropped the front plate on July 1, 2020, and Alaska moved passenger vehicles to a single rear plate in 2022.
My car has no front bracket. Now what?
It depends entirely on where the car is registered. In a rear-only state, nothing to do. In Idaho or Rhode Island, a car built without a front mount is exempt. Nevada lets the owner choose whether to mount the front plate on a car built with no way to hold one. Montana offers a Highway Patrol waiver after a $25 inspection, and Washington's State Patrol can exempt a car whose body cannot take a plate. Everywhere else the law expects the plate on the front, which usually means a no-drill bumper bracket or a tow-hook mount from the parts store.
What a missing front plate can cost
Fines are set state by state and often with court fees on top, so the figure on your ticket depends on where it was written. Washington's is $136. In California a missing plate is a correctable "fix-it" infraction: mount the plate, get it signed off, and the cost drops. Colorado treats it as a class B traffic infraction. In most two-plate states it is not a criminal matter, but it is a legitimate reason for a traffic stop.
Questions drivers ask
What states do not require a front license plate in 2026?
22 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. Idaho and Rhode Island also let a car skip the front plate if it was built without a front bracket, and Nebraska joins the rear-only list with its 2029 plates.
Can you get pulled over for no front license plate in Texas?
Yes. Texas Transportation Code § 504.943 requires a plate on the exterior front and rear, so a missing front plate is a reason for an officer to stop you on its own. A 2025 bill that would have allowed a windshield sticker instead (HB 1607) passed the House but died in the Senate, so the rule has not changed.
How do Teslas get away with no front license plate?
Mostly they do not. A Tesla registered in a two-plate state such as California or Washington still needs the front plate, and many owners use an adhesive or tow-hook mount. The ones you see without one are usually registered in a rear-only state such as Florida or Arizona, or in Idaho or Rhode Island, where a car built without a front bracket can now go without.
Do I need a front plate if my car is registered in another state?
Generally no. The plate rule follows the state that registered the car, so a Florida car with one rear plate is legal driving through Texas. It flips when you move: once you register in a two-plate state, you get two plates and both have to go on.
Can I put my front license plate on the dashboard?
Not in states that spell out where it goes. Texas requires the plate on the exterior front, and Montana requires it fastened to the bumper with two fasteners. A plate propped behind the windshield is usually treated the same as no plate. The exceptions are the bracket laws in Idaho and Rhode Island, which only apply when the car has no front mount at all.
What's the point of front license plates?
Identification from the front. Police officers reading an oncoming car, automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, toll gantries and red-light cameras all see the front of a vehicle, and Amber Alert searches lean on plate readers. States that dropped the front plate did it mostly to save money: Wyoming put the saving at about $408,000 a year, and Nebraska estimated around $6 million.