Of the fifty U.S. states, more than half of them require motorists to have a license plate fixed to both the front and the rear of their vehicle. 29 states, including Texas, California, and New York, all have this law in place. 

Both having a front license plate and not having one have their own advantages and disadvantages. Likewise, state laws can vary greatly from one to another, so it is not a surprise to see differing laws from state to state.

Every state requires at least one license plate to be mounted and visible on a vehicle, but we will explore some of the reasons that several states do not require a front plate and why others do.

### Front Plate States

__The 29 states that currently require a motor vehicle to have a front and rear license plate 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

- Wyoming

Residents of Washington D.C. are also required to have a plate mounted to both the front and rear of the vehicle.

### Front License Plate Advantages

Opponents against front license plate laws might be disappointed to find that there are probably more practical advantages to having them than not. Here are the most common:

#### Visibility

A license plate serves as an identifier. It can help several different  groups when someone is in trouble, when the law is broken, or when someone is trying to find your vehicle in a crowded parking lot.

Being able to see a license plate on both ends of the car is unquestionably an advantage. 

In the age of technology, everything from statistics, to law enforcement technology, to other emergency services equipment can use the information from your license plate to help you in many different ways.

#### Law Enforcement Assistance

Visibility goes hand-in-hand with the law enforcement advantages. Having front plates can allow police officers to quickly identify someone involved in a crime. It can also assist them with traffic enforcement.

This is one of the main reasons why license plate obscuring tools are available on the market. They work to prevent law enforcement from identifying a vehicle.

It is not all about you doing something wrong, though. Quickly and easily being able to identify someone involved in a kidnapping, hit-and-run accident, or homicide might sound extreme, but time is of the essence for law enforcement, and having a front plate just makes their work easier.

#### Revenue Generation

Technology comes into the picture again. License plate readers at toll booths are common, and the lack a front plate can make it harder for them to spot your vehicle.

Yes, it is about generating revenue, but it does make it easier and ultimately more cost-efficient for the state, county, or municipality to perform the task.

### Front License Plate Disadvantages

Along with the many advantages of a front license plate, there are several disadvantages.

#### Appearance

Opponents of front license plates claim they ruin the aesthetic of their vehicles. Some who do not really care what their vehicle looks like might beg to differ, but most will consider appearance at least a little when they buy a car.

Sports cars, classic cars, luxury cars, and other performance cars are often designed to be much more visually appealing than your run-of-the-mill crossover, minivan, or family sedan. It is one of the reasons why many buyers opt for the lesser practicality of a sports car when a more practical, comfortable option is on the table.

Sometimes, cars are not made to have a front license plate, and someone who loves a car for the way it looks may have to make some unwanted modifications to it just to meet a regulation. 

#### Mounting Issues

There may also be issues with actually mounting the plate to the front of the vehicle in the first place. Many modern vehicles have plastic bumpers, and even vehicles without a front license plate bracket can usually be modified to accommodate them. Older vehicles, however, may have metal bumpers that are not so easily modified.

Most places mandate that a secure mounting point be used to permanently hold a license plate. Deciding to zip tie your front plate to the grille just to 'satisfy' that requirement, does not meet the legal requirement. 

#### Safety Feature Issues

Modern vehicles often have active driver assistance features, such including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and lane-keep assist, which rely on sensors in the front of the car to function.

Manufacturers have to work around the front plate mounting point. If they do not, you may need to work around those components to make sure they function correctly. 

### Rear Plate States

__The twenty-one states that only require a single, rear-mounted license plate are:__

- Alabama

- Arizona

- Alaska

- Arkansas

- Delaware

- Florida

- Georgia

- Indiana

- Kansas

- Kentucky

- Louisiana

- Michigan

- Mississippi

- New Mexico

- North Carolina

- Ohio

- Oklahoma

- Pennsylvania

- South Carolina

- Tennessee

- West Virginia

### Rear License Plate Advantages

There are advantages to having only a rear license plate: 

#### Appearance

We've already mentioned appearance, but not having to worry about a headlight-sized license plate in the front of your car will often improve its look. License plates are more easily integrated into the rear bumper of a car, while the front has a higher focus on aerodynamics and styling.

#### Less Hassle for the Car Owner

We also mentioned this before, but having to mount only one plate in one place will save a car owner at least a little trouble. If someone buys a car from a state that does not require front plates, but they are from a state that does, it is a hassle to purchase and install a mounting bracket.

#### Vehicle Customization

One overlooked advantage of needing only a rear plate is that you can add a bit of your own style to your ride. We've already established that some owners don't like the appearance of a front plate on their vehicle, but an equal amount of people like to put fun, customized, or silly vanity plates on the front of their vehicles in place of a conventional one.

These plates can display the name of your business, a hobby, your name, and plenty of other things. Front-plate states also offer official vanity plates that can be customized, but these are more limited to what the DMV offers. 

### Rear License Plate Disadvantages

Naturally, only having one rear-mounted license plate also has its disadvantages:

#### More Hassle for Law Enforcement

Just as a front plate can benefit law enforcement officers, having only a rear plate can be a disadvantage, because there is less to identify a vehicle with only one plate. Not only does this make normal traffic enforcement more difficult, but it's also harder to identify those who have committed more serious crimes.

#### Missed Revenue Opportunities

Front plates can help to facilitate revenue opportunities, but the lack of one can sometimes prevent states and municipalities from efficiently capitalizing on revenue opportunities. License plate readers can work in both directions, but having two pictures of the same plate is almost always better than one, and cameras can certainly miss more vehicles if only one plate is readable.

### License Plate Laws

Just as some states have a front license plate requirement and others do not, the laws and penalties for violations differ from state to state. Most states have a couple of laws that are fairly consistent across the board. Mounting and visibility requirements are two of the most set-in-stone laws with minimal wiggle room.

Just about every state requires that you mount a license plate securely to your vehicle and that it is clearly visible. States that require front plates do not require illumination of the front plate during the nighttime hours, but most states require the rear license plate to be visible at night via a light source, day and night.

Some states also have approved mounting locations. In other words, mounting the plate sideways, too low on the vehicle, or too high on the vehicle is worthy of at least a fix-it ticket. The penalties non-compliance can vary by state. 

The severity of the ticket can also be dependent on whether the infraction is intentional. Many dealerships add license plate brackets on new cars, for example. Car buyers often do not think about the bracket obscuring the name of the state on the plate, which is an offense in most states. Dirt can obscure license plate details, and registration stickers issued by the DMV can sometimes peel off. 

If the license plate offense is minor, a police officer who points it out may simply issue a warning or fix-it ticket. More serious offenses such as not having a plate at all or lacking a front plate where one is required could result in a fine of several hundred dollars or a loss of your driver’s license if the offense is repeated. Fortunately, most license plate infractions will not drive up your car insurance premiums. 

Regardless of what the penalties might be for having a license plate violation, it is important that you understand your own state’s license plate laws and that you do your best to comply. To find out more about the license plate laws in your state, you can get information from your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). 

States differ in their license plate laws and regulations, some states allow a single license plate while others require two. This article explains reasonings for both.

Which States Require a Front License Plate?

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