Do You Need A Front License Plate in California?
Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
Not every state out there requires that you keep a license plate at the front of your vehicle, but many do. It’s important to know the relevant laws of the state you’re driving in so that you don’t get into trouble. That’s why we’re here to help! We’ll tell you all you need to know about whether or not you need a front license plate in California and what all that entails.
Quick Answer: Yes, You Need a Front License Plate
California is a state that requires you to have two license plates, so you’re legally required to prominently display a front and rear license plate on any car you drive. It’ll be fruitless to try to avoid this law, as you’re only inviting trouble and a hefty fine. Police can detect that you don’t have a front license plate very easily, and that’s enough reason for them to have cause to pull you over and give you a ticket, so be sure to get that front license plate attached on your front bumper.
NOT JUST FOR CAR SHOPPING
The CoPilot app isn’t just for buying a car - our new CoPilot for Owning tool will help you keep track of recalls and gives you advice on which scheduled maintenance tasks are most important.
What to Know about License/Registration in California
The main stipulations of the California front license plate law are that the license plate must be attached to the front of your vehicle securely, without any obstructions. In essence, you must be able to clearly read the license plate at all times. This means that you are allowed the use of license plate shields or frames to protect them from the elements while you explore the state with your car, as long as you can still read the license plate’s writing.
Every year, the state of California requires that you renew the registration for your car. Once you’ve done so, you’ll receive two stickers in the mail, and both must be displayed prominently on your license plate. One of the stickers denotes the month of your registration’s expiration (this will never change after you first register the car, as it’s renewed yearly), and the other sticker gives the year your registration expires. While it’s important that these stickers are easily visible, it’s also important that they don’t block any other information on your plate, so keep that in mind when attaching them.
What Happens If You Drive Without a Front License Plate in California
You need a front license plate in California by legal requirement, so if you drive around without one, you’re breaking the law and subject to the relevant penalties. In order for a police officer to pull you over in any situation, they need just cause, and seeing that you’re operating an automobile with no front license plate is enough to qualify as just cause. They can then pull you over and give you a ticket, with the typical fee for breaking the front license plate law sitting around $200. This is a hefty fine for something that’s completely avoidable and relatively easy to do, so why not take care of it before it’s an issue?
Since the police can pull you over just for not having a front license plate, this means that if you make any other mistakes along the way, like accidentally speeding for just a few seconds, the penalties can stack up, and you can get into big trouble. It’s vital that you always drive safely, and having a front license plate attached to your vehicle is a part of safe driving.
IS GAP INSURANCE WORTH IT?
Gap insurance can prevent you from making payments on an already-totalled car, but is gap insurance worth it? We break down what gap insurance is, if it’s worth it, and more - simply and with plenty of examples.
Why it’s Always Good to Have a Front License Plate
The number one reason that you should follow the license plate laws is that you need a front license plate in California, and you might risk paying a penalty of $200 if you don’t have a plate. This is already a great reason to have a front license plate at all times, but it’s not the only benefit.
A further benefit is that if you don’t have a front license plate, you risk attracting unwanted attention from a police officer that could put you into further trouble. For example, let’s say one of your tail lights just went out, and you were on your way to fix it. Obviously, you shouldn’t drive for long with a broken tail light, but if an officer sees that you have no front license plate, they legally have enough reason to pull you over and give you a ticket. They might then see your broken tail light and slap on additional, even heavier fees. It goes without saying that you should always follow the traffic laws in your area so that you aren’t endangering yourself or anyone else, but you also don’t want to invite unnecessary trouble for small issues that you could just take care of on your own without a huge penalty.
Lastly, one of the most universal and essential reasons that you should always drive with a front license plate is that it’s the safest thing to do. These plates are designed to reflect oncoming lights so that other drivers can see you even at night, which is hugely important to safe driving. Cars coming the opposite way will be able to tell that another car is there without struggling. The simple fact that a front license plate can help you avoid getting into an accident is major and should not be overlooked.
THE BEST USED SUVS UNDER $10,000
We looked into price, reliability, features, and more to create this list of the best used SUVs under $10k on the market today. Take a look - some of the best used SUVs have gone mostly overlooked or forgotten.
Everything Else You Need to Know about Front License Plates
There are some drivers that don’t want to install a front license plate in their vehicle, and the biggest reason is that they don’t want to drill holes into their car’s front bumper. This is an easily understandable issue because if your car doesn’t automatically come with a clear space for a front license plate (and not all cars do), then it’s not the most appealing thing to have to mess with the aesthetics of the front of your car. You can’t display your plate on the dashboard, and you still need a front license plate in California either way, but thankfully, you do have some options.
Drivers who don’t want to drill holes into their car have the option of buying adhesive plates that will attach right to their car (though they are sticky) or even magnetic mounts that attach without leaving residue. If you’re averse to drilling holes in your front bumper, look into these two options! Most of all, though, don’t risk driving without a front license plate. It simply isn’t worth it.
Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You
The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.
Only looking for newer models? CoPilot Compare is the search engine for nearly-new cars. Only see cars five years or newer with low mileage — CoPilot Compare is the best way to find off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO cars.
The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.
