Is It Legal For A Car To Have Two Different License Plates?

Car license plates are meant to be unique identifiers, matching a specific vehicle to its owner in government records. They also let law enforcement and other authorities track vehicles for legal, safety, and administrative purposes, such as issuing fines, investigating crimes, and managing tolls. Their importance raises the question: Is it legal for a car to have two different license plates?

No federal laws mandate license plates, aside from those used by U.S. government vehicles. It's state and local governments, and some Indigenous groups, that issue plates. This means that rules regarding whether a car can display two different license plates aren't regulated at the federal level, but rather through state agencies. It's a similar story to how state laws dictate which U.S. states still require a front plate. 

At the state level, there are instances where a car can have two different license plates if it is being used for two purposes. And in Rhode Island, vehicles older than 25 can have both a regular license plate and a Year of Manufacture plate that looks like the ones used when it was made, and can't be used out of state or during inspections. 

In normal circumstances, however, since plates are unique identifiers, displaying different ones inherently makes them non-unique and thus can violate vehicle registration laws.

In Washington state, for vehicles older than 30, owners may, in certain situations, use a Collector Vehicle plate or a restored plate from the year of the car's manufacture on its rear and a regular plate on the front. Still, the plates must have identical numbers and must be displayed on the vehicle for which they were issued. 

In general, state laws require owners to display plates that were issued for that specific vehicle. In Montana, without a legal transfer, it is unlawful to use a license plate issued for one car on any other car. In Florida, it is also unlawful to illegally transfer or use plates intended for a different motor vehicle. And during a broadast on KGW News in Portland, Oregon, one viewer wanted to know whether it's legal for a truck to have two different license plates under Oregon law.

The answer: you can only use plates authorized by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the specific vehicle you're driving. So, if you want to display some of the dumbest license plate designs in your state, make sure to do so only if the plate was issued for that car.

Since license plate laws, designs, and regulations are largely different across state lines, it can sometimes be tricky to know what you can and cannot do. But just as it's not legal to have driver's licenses from two different states, if you drive your car with different plates in front and back, you're exposing yourself to legal trouble. Naturally, if you live in a state that issued you a single plate for your vehicle, then having two different license plates is unlawful, because any plate displayed must be the one issued for that specific vehicle.

In Massachusetts, attaching the wrong plates on your vehicle can lead to misdemeanor charges, including a $100 fine and potential jail time of up to 10 days. However, in Texas, operating a vehicle with license plates not issued for that car is treated as a misdemeanor with a fine up to $200, but no jail time. In Georgia, doing so can lead to a misdemeanor punishable with a $500 plus fine and jail time of up to 12 months.