Yes, most definitely, it is an infraction to drive a vehicle missing a front license plate in the State of California.
Vehicles registered in California must display valid license plates as evidence of current registration: Passenger vehicles must display 2 license plates: 1 plate on the front of the car.
Is the front license plate required?
Do All States Require Both Front and Rear License Plates? No. 31 states require both front and rear license plates, while the remaining 19 only require rear license plates. Automobile manufacturers are prohibited by law from distributing cars with only one license plate in states that require both.
Can you drive without a front license plate in California?
But more often it’s newer, more expensive vehicles without front plates. California Vehicle Code 5200 (a) states, “When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.”
Which states require a front license plate?
Thirty-one states require their motorists to display front license plates and plates on the back of their vehicles. The “Rugged Nineteen” states that require only one plate include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico.
Is it illegal to have no front license plate?
Prior to 2012, it was illegal to drive a vehicle that did not display both a front and rear license plate. Nineteen out of 50 states do not require a front license plate. The remaining 31 states, including Texas, require a front and rear license plate.
How much is a ticket for no front license plate in California?
A License Plate Display Failure ticket will cost you $196 and Up in fines plus $1,000+ in insurance hikes and penalties. Although the state of California issues two license plates for most vehicles, many vehicle owners choose not to install one of them on their front bumper.
Why do I need a front license plate?
There are 19 states that do not require a front license plate and 31 states that do require a front license plate. The reasons cited most often for having a plate on both ends is identification of the car ownership by law enforcement. The reason sometimes cited for states not requiring the front plate is cost.
Is it legal to have license plate in front window?
Answer: He might. The Licensing Department’s spokesman, Benfield, said state law requires plates to be displayed “at the front or the rear of each vehicle” and that the position of his department and the State Patrol is that it’s illegal to display the plate behind the windshield.
What states require you to return your license plates?
Some states require you to drop off the plate in person or mail the plate back by mail.
| States that do not require you to surrender a License Plate | States that require you to surrender a License Plate |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alaska |
| Arizona | Connecticut |
| Arkansas | Delaware |
| California | Florida |
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