License Plates- What's required where you live?

[4rd Toys]

HEY Everyone!

I couldn't figure out where to post this so I thought here would catch everyone's attention.......

I was pondering on the HASSLES everyone has to go thru getting License Plates/Tags in the US, Canada, Mexico & the rest of the World on their vehicles.

I heard Puerto Rico has it the WORST- it takes almost a week of visiting several department offices (not even locating in the same building!) & waiting literally ALL-DAY IN THOSE LINES before plates are finally issued.

OBVIOUSLY, Personalized Plates cost extra, except in Illinois- There's no-fee as long as you meet the requirements: For Trucks the plate has to start with a number then what ever letters/numbers you want & cars need to end with a number. Its when you want all letters or combination of numbers & letters is when the IL DMV sticks it to you!

LET THE POSTING BEGIN!

ARKANSAS: PROPERTY-TAX, Proof of Insurance
CALIFORNIA: Smog-check/emissions, insurance
CONNECTICUT: PROOF OF INSURANCE, Emissions, & Property-Tax- Did I mention PROOF of INSURANCE?!?
HAWAII: Bill of Lading (if shipped from Mainland), Safety Check,
NO-FAULT Insurance
GUAM: Bill of Lading (if shipped from Mainland), Initial Police
Inspection/Proof of Insurance
ILLINOIS: Just proof of mailing address
(Chicago Metro Area) Emissions & Safety Inspection
(Madison County- ST. Louis Metro EAST) Emissions & Safety
Inspection
MISSOURI: (state-wide) Safety Inspection, PROPERTY-TAX, & Insurance
(ST. Louis Metro Area) Emissions Testing ALSO!
MICHIGAN: Proof of Address & No-Fault Insurance
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Property-Tax & Vehicle Safety Inspection
NORTH CAROLINA: Vehicle Inspections & Insurance (Emissions in Charlotte Area)

Since everyone is mentioning one plate or two plates I'll update this tread-

ONE PLATE- ARKANSAS, ARIZONA, KANSAS, MICHIGAN, OKLAHOMA, GEORGIA, INDIANA, LOUISANA, NORTH CAROLINA, TENNESSE
>
CANADA, Opposite- TWO pl8s req'd only in these Provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba & New Brunswick.

[MattZTS]

here in nj you want in with the title fill out a form wait on line get your plate. last time i had to do this it took all of 20 minutes.

[Z63R]

Welcome to [FJ], 4rd Toys. Where're you from?

I'm in CA, so... and I'm responding to your thread title with, "front and rear plates required". It's always been that way (as long as I can remember; since the '70s) but lately due to the increased placement of red light cameras everywhere, the local P.D.s began citing for missing front plates. Used to be you could run around with just the rear.

I haven't thought lately about what it takes to get a used vehicle purchase it's new plates 'cause I bought my Focus new 5 years ago.

[Random Select]

In Hawaii....if there is any form of altered suspension, a reconstruction permit is required to have the car legal on the road. In order to get a reconstruction permit, an alignment must be done within thirty days with the paperwork submitted at the reconstruction permit station. Also all federal guidelines for vehicles must be met at the reconstruction.

Interesting bit is that there is a law that the reconstruction station must be open for about 5-8 hours a day. The catch is that even if it's a law, the reconstruction station is only open for at least 2-3 hours and not open every day of the week. These inspections must be done by appointment too.

Yet we still have a safety inspection that must be done yearly too.

No smog inspections down here though.

Front and rear license plates are required and the placement of the safety check sticker (two of them) and a reconstruction permit sticker (yes we do also have copy of the paperwork for both inspections) must be placed on the right of the rear bumper.

So not only do we have to do safety inspections, reconstruction inspections, front/rear license plates, etc., we have to mount these stickers on our rear bumpers.

If one were to prefer using their out-of-state license plates, they must have a sticker that is also mounted on the rear bumper.

4+ stickers on our rear bumpers yo!

Still...I'd take those stickers over smog.

[EggYolk_Zetec_ZX3]

Arkansas- Proof of Ins. Proof of prior years personal property tax paid and tax assessment on newly purchased vehicle. Once assessment has been made, one must go to the DMV, and pay sales tax on newly purchased vehicle.

Only need rear plate, no front plate like some other states... that might be good to note as well.

[4rd Toys]

Random Select, you know you don't have to put the safety inspection stickers DIRECTLY on your bumper.
When I was living in O'ahu, I went to Home Depot, bought a small bolt with washers & large rubber grommets, and a piece of stainless steel. I fabbed up a support bracket & cut/trim the stainless steel plate in the shape of the safety inspection sticker. If your sticker is fairly new- it is still possible to "peel" back the sticker. I was able to peel the sticker from the corner & I kept soaking the sticker with water. I used a spray bottle to soak it. This helped the sticker from drying & preventing it from riping. I just thought those pre-fabbed tabs that were being sold @ "Razors" over in Pearlridge were abit over priced. Mine only cost $1.85 @ Home Depot for each vehicle.

On the focus' (or Foci?), their is a plastic set-screw on the far right that comes out & I used that opening to bolt up my bracket. I'd post a pic but I have gotten around to create an on-line photo account.
I fabbed my own "safety Inspection" tabs for all 3 of my vehicles- I didn't want to put ANY STICKERS ON the BUMPERS.
Yeah, RECON blows but I knew the guys at the shop I used for my inspections which they did not scrutinize my "mods".
Plus I had the front plate on the dashboard pressed against the windshield & was never hassled by the cops, only the one time when I got caught using the "zippa" lane while I was driving "solo".

Yeah, ONLY Military people & Fleet Commercial Vehicles were able to keep their "out-of-state" pl8 by paying for those special Blue Sticker Permits (Orange on the Outer Islands). But, That's basically a Bull's Eye for local HPD. Its the only place other than Guam that I know of where the State knows if your vehicle is past the 30 day mark due to the Shipping Company's Bill of Lading with your signature & date showing when the vehicle was released from Sand Island.

I created this post to get a sense of what the other states are requiring to issue pl8s and wanted to keep it simple as possible.

[Random Select]

I know about those brackets yet LEOs down here still say it's illegal even when the law clearly states you can use those brackets but it most be positioned at the right side of the bumper. By law you should not have these stickers displayed at any other part of the car other than on the ride side of the bumper.

LEOs will also tag you for front plates not being mounted on the front bumper of the car even if you have it displayed on your dashboard.

The whole front plate on dashboard thing is unsafe, IMHO. If you were to come to a sudden stop, regardless if you have it "pressed" or not, you do run the risk of the plate flying right at you and potentially injuring you or any passenger in the car.

BTW, good thread. This is a nice way to see how different some states are compared to others.

[elderfeces]

Here in AZ it's pretty simple and painless. Only one plate required (rear.) You get your new plates right there at the DMV, unless it's personalized.

[BC3Racing]

Here in NJ, you get a Penn. plate or a NC plate from where, I don't know, and then your good to go. No issurance or reg. required. The only rules are if you get pulled over, run. If you get into an accident, run. That's it.

[rpvitiello]

/\ROFL

front and rear plate required
Used to have registration sticker ON the rear plate, but so many people were having the corner of their plate "clipped" so people could steam off the sticker. This was so common the DMV ENCOURAGED people to use those clear plastic plate covers (that many states ban because they can be coated so red right cams cant see them) to make it harder to get the sticker of the plate. (Red light cams not a problem here because they are ILLEGAL under State Constitution as an invasion of privacy) The registration is now on the windshield.

Sales tax 6% (waved on cars rated at over 40MPG highway)
emissions testing ever 2 years
registration ever 2 years (flat rate on cars, based on vehicle weight for trucks)
yearly property tax based on the cars current value
insurance required, is your insurance lapses, insurance company must BY LAW notify the DMV the DAY it lapses, and your registration AND drivers license are automatically suspended, and the notice is sent in the mail that you now owe a few $100 in fines.

if you wish to "park" your car without insurance, you must give your plate back to the DMV to "hold" while your car is in storage, and they give you your plate back after your restore the insurance. If you don't give the plates ahead of time you get hit with the above.

cars can be legally raised or lowered by like 4 inches without any penalty, neon's and under body lights are allowed as long as you cant directly see the light source.

If you have a "classic" car, and still have its original plate, you are allowed to mount the original plate(s) on the car, and store the modern plate inside the car. The classic plate must be on file linked to the "real" plate, and you must be able to show the "real" plate to a cop if you are pulled over.

Number plates are coded with the year the registration was first issued.

[svt3d]

I used to live in in Las Vegas and you have to have all the regular stuff like proof of insurance, registration, front & back plate! But they take it to a different level with the insurance thing. They actually cycle a database to check your insurance to see if you maintain coverage! I hated that because I had 3 cars and didn't want to keep insurance on them all, just my daily. So I got a few tickets needless to say!

[rpvitiello]

well like i said no cycling here, the DAY you drop coverage its the insurance companies job to report you, within 2 days you have the violation notice in the mail, with your few $100 in fines, and your notice to show up in court, which you can't drive to, since your license is suspended.

[whiteboyslo]

NC only requires one plate (rear). license plate belongs to the PERSON, not the CAR!!! that's different than CA.

driver's license is a seperate office from the license plate office, and they're generally not located next to one another. plus side is that you walk out with your DL, but that's now going away. soon we'll be like everyone else where you get a paper license at first and then have your permanent one mailed to you. supposedly, this will help keep the number of fraudulently-issued licenses down.

we have annual car inspections. haven't actually gone through one yet, but i'm under the impression that it's just a safety check. no emissions involved.

Mike

[rpvitiello]

Originally Posted by whiteboyslo

soon we'll be like everyone else where you get a paper license at first and then have your permanent one mailed to you. supposedly, this will help keep the number of fraudulently-issued licenses down.

we have annual car inspections. haven't actually gone through one yet, but i'm under the impression that it's just a safety check. no emissions involved.

Mike

paper license? they used to give out paper PERMITS for say driving and motorcycles around here, but now even those are photo id's that look like a license. To renew a license you HAVE to go in person here, and they reprint the license right then and there. The plastic is just the physical version of your license, everything is just stored in the system and they reprint it. When i was under 21 the license was vertical, when i went in to get it switched to horizontal, they just opened up my license in the system, and hit reprint. No new signature, no new photo or anything, it is all just stored in the system.

Cops are not even that strict about if you forgot to bring your license with you, they can just look you up in their computer system now anyway and see your full license, restrictions and all, and if you checked off the organ doner box.

be kind of hard to fake a license, because the data is permanently stored in the system. If someone "faked" a license at the DMV, their would be a record of it. The only way people fake a license here is if they steal a blank CT license, and the State laminating hologram, and they print a copy somewhere else with a color ID printer/laminateor.

[5speedZX3]

Interesting thread.

Germany US Armed Forces- you need orders and insurance in order to register. Your vehicle must then be inspected, you pay $30 or $60 depending on if you want 1 or 2 year registration and thats it. We are required to have both plates mounted securely on front and back of the car.

[whiteboyslo]

Originally Posted by rpvitiello

paper license? :what: they used to give out paper PERMITS for say driving and motorcycles around here, but now even those are photo id's that look like a license. To renew a license you HAVE to go in person here, and they reprint the license right then and there. The plastic is just the physical version of your license, everything is just stored in the system and they reprint it. When i was under 21 the license was vertical, when i went in to get it switched to horizontal, they just opened up my license in the system, and hit reprint. No new signature, no new photo or anything, it is all just stored in the system.

Cops are not even that strict about if you forgot to bring your license with you, they can just look you up in their computer system now anyway and see your full license, restrictions and all, and if you checked off the organ doner box. :dunno:

be kind of hard to fake a license, because the data is permanently stored in the system. If someone "faked" a license at the DMV, their would be a record of it. The only way people fake a license here is if they steal a blank CT license, and the State laminating hologram, and they print a copy somewhere else with a color ID printer/laminateor.

just passing on what i heard on the news the other night. apparently, the illegals come in with fake docs such as Social Security, birth certificate, etc, and get the license. SUPPOSEDLY, not immediately giving people the actual license will allow the state to have more time to do a background check. in reality, i don't think it will do jack squat.

i'm sure renewing an already-valid license will be an immediate process, or at least the paper they'll give us will serve as an extension on the original license's expiration date til the new one comes.

Mike

[01yellazx3]

Here in Kentucky we have to walk uphill both ways, bare foot in the snow (because in KY we don't wear shoes). When we get to the DMV we pass the old man out front pickin the banjo and we fill out paperwork with the clerk, who is also your cousin, which means later you'll screw her, because we're all about inbreeding here. Of course because you're cousins and also lovers you get the hookup on license plates, making the rest of the process easier.

Top that!

[Qwik1]

Originally Posted by 01yellazx3

Here in Kentucky we have to walk uphill both ways, bare foot in the snow (because in KY we don't wear shoes). When we get to the DMV we pass the old man out front pickin the banjo and we fill out paperwork with the clerk, who is also your cousin, which means later you'll screw her, because we're all about inbreeding here. Of course because you're cousins and also lovers you get the hookup on license plates, making the rest of the process easier.

Top that!

Can I meet your cousin?

[getn2focus]

as far as i know in tennessee all you need is money and one tag is required (rear). now i know i could be wrong but when i bought my svtf thats all i remember