Is it legal for a car to have two different license plates? – Jalopnik

Car license plates are intended to be unique identifiers that can be used to link a specific vehicle to its owner in government documents. They also let law enforcement and other authorities track vehicles for legal, security and administrative purposes, such as issuing fines, investigating crimes and managing tolls. Its importance begs the question: is it legal for a car to have two different license plates?

There are no federal laws mandating license plates, aside from those used by U.S. government vehicles. It is state and local governments, and some indigenous groups, that issue license plates. This means that rules regarding whether a car can have two different license plates are not regulated at the federal level, but rather through government agencies. It’s a similar story to how state laws determine which U.S. states still require a faceplate.

At the state level, there are cases where a car can have two different license plates if it is used for two purposes. And in Rhode Island, vehicles over 25 years old can have both a regular license plate and a year-of-production license plate that resembles the license plate used when it was made, and cannot be used out of state or during inspections.

However, in normal circumstances, since license plates are unique identifiers, displaying different license plates makes them inherently non-unique and thus may violate vehicle registration laws.

In Washington State, for vehicles over 30 years old, owners may use a Collector Vehicle plate or a restored plate from the car’s year of manufacture on the rear and a regular plate on the front in certain situations. However, the license plates must have identical numbers and must be displayed on the vehicle for which they are issued.

Generally, state laws require owners to display license plates issued for that specific vehicle. In Montana, without legal transfer, it is illegal to use a license plate issued for one car on another car. In Florida, it is also illegal to illegally transfer or use license plates intended for another motor vehicle. And during a broadcast on KGW News in Portland, Oregon, a viewer wanted to know if it is legal under Oregon law for a truck to have two different license plates.

The answer: You can only use license plates approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the specific vehicle you drive. So if you want to show off some of the dumbest license plate designs in your country, make sure you only do it if the plate has been issued for that car.

Because license plate laws, designs, and regulations vary largely from state to state, it can sometimes be difficult to know what you can and cannot do. But just as it’s not legal to have driver’s licenses from two different states, you’re opening yourself up to legal trouble if you drive your car with different front and rear license plates. If you live in a state where you have one license plate issued for your vehicle, having two different license plates is obviously illegal, as each plate displayed must be the license plate issued for that specific vehicle.

In Massachusetts, affixing the wrong license plates to your vehicle can lead to misdemeanor charges, including a $100 fine and a possible jail sentence of up to 10 days. However, in Texas, driving a vehicle with license plates not issued for that car is treated as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $200, but no jail time. In Georgia, this can lead to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 plus and a prison sentence of up to 12 months.