Do all states require license plates?
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11642)
United States
August 27, 2008 7:59pm CST
As we were traveling the last two weeks, we noticed that in California, Nevada and Utah there were quite a few vehicles on the road that did not have license plates. It seemed like 1 in every 20 did not have license plates. This was pretty strange for us because here in Maryland if you don't have your license plates on your car - both front and back - you will be ticketed. At first we thought that it was just one, then we kept seeing them. I know that sometimes things happen to your license plates, but then you should put a peice of cardboard in the window or something. Can anyone tell me if there is a reason so many cars in these states don't have license plates?
3 people like this
7 responses
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
28 Aug 08
All those cars you saw in California were just begging for a ticket! There must be a license plate on your car here, or a piece of paper from either a dealer or the DMV stating that it is a temporary license. As far as I know, every state in the Union must have a license plate 
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
30 Aug 08
I knew it wasn't legit, but it really amazed me that there were so many. It was like they thought it didn't matter if they had it or not so they just didn't have it. Even cars here that aren't running and are just in your yard still have to have valid license plates on them. I figure they just didn't enforce it out west...
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
28 Aug 08
I don't think there's a government in any country on the planet that would permit an untagged car to be on the roads and miss out on the chance of a little more tax money! You didn't happen to see any Police cars around where these cars were driving?
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
30 Aug 08
I don't know that I saw any police at all - ever... I guess that's how they get away with it. If you aren't caught they must think it's ok to do.
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
15 Sep 08
I live in Nevada, and it is required to have a license plate on your vehicle - if you don't have one yet, you have to have a temporary one from the dealer who sold you your car.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
15 Sep 08
I saw a fair amount of cars while I was in Nevada that didn't have plates on them. I don't know why, but it seemed like they were all over the place.
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
2 Sep 08
The license plate not being on the car is usually because the car is new and is waiting for a new plate or the car was just sold and had designer plates that stayed with the owner.
You may not have seen it but there was a small piece of paper taped to the front window of the car on the passenger side. This is the temporary plate until the medal ones get there.
We have a big problem with plates getting stolen off our cars also. We have to watch out cars to make sure our plates are there.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
2 Sep 08
Really? You are right, that is something I would have never noticed. How would someone be able to identify that car if it was in a hit-and-run? Or involved in another crime or something? We get a temporary tag here, it's a white cardboard tag with numbers on it that we use until the real tags come in.
I had mine stolen once and I had to make a tag to drive around with for that next day until I got to the DMV and got the replacement.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
15 Sep 08
The radio station I lisen to does a "Stupid criminal files" and I think that one definitely qualifies!
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
20 Sep 08
It goes right up there with winning the Darwin award for stupidest criminal.
1 person likes this
@MOMMASAM (1003)
• United States
28 Aug 08
how strange !
i lived in california and i always had to have a license plate.
are these missing front and back ones?
i'm trying to think if it was back and front you needed.
it's the law.
all states must have them.
it's a money maker for the state, too.
i would think CHP (california highway patrol) would be pulling them
over left and right.
2 people like this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
30 Aug 08
Yeah, I woulda thought so too! I checked on a lot of them because after a while I got curious. They were missing both the front and back. I know some states only require the back, but here in MD they require both and you will get pulled over if you don't have the front one on.
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
28 Aug 08
I would assume so. I live in Utah and so I know that it is required in utah. But there are a lot of people who just break the law and drive without a drivers licence and also without insurance, registration, etc. Especially in the little country parts. Total hillbillies here. lol. I have been to both cali and nevada and I know that they are required in both of those places as well. I know that Cali has stricter driving laws than I think anywhere else in the states. Even emmisions and inspections is stricter. I think that people just are disobeying the laws. A lot of people can't drive legally cuz they got in trouble and/or they can't afford to get it all legal.
3 people like this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
30 Aug 08
Yeah, I figured everyone required them, but it seems like it's just over looked. I guess if people can get away with it they will.
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
28 Aug 08
As far as I know, all states require them. Maybe they just are not good at enforcing them. In Kansas we do not have plates on the front, and neither does Oklahoma. I lived in California, and I know when I did they had two.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
30 Aug 08
I noticed that most of the cars that did have them had both, like we do here. In PA they only have to have the back one. It was just so strange seeing cars without them all over the place!
