Do You Need A Front License Plate in Ohio?
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License plate laws can vary depending on the state you’re in, so it’s not always clear whether or not you need a front license plate for your car. It’s vital, however, that you find out which regulations apply to your state so that you can avoid getting into trouble. We’ve compiled all the information you need to know about whether or not you need a front license plate in Ohio, so read on to figure out what you need to do to get out on the road legally.
Quick Answer: No, You No Longer Need a Front License Plate
Up until July 2020, Ohio was a two-plate state, but this has now changed. The requirement for your vehicle to have a front license plate was removed in July 2020, meaning that now you only need to have a rear license plate for your automobile. Commercial big rigs will still need to have both, but everyday drivers don’t legally need to worry about a front plate.
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What to Know about License/Registration in Ohio
License plate laws have changed drastically in Ohio over the last year. Every driver was required to have a front license plate on their car in Ohio until July 2020, when this rule was removed. You can now get away with just having a rear license plate. The police aren’t too happy about this because it makes catching criminals and identifying vehicles more difficult, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are under no legal obligation to use a front license plate; it’s totally up to you. We still recommend having one, but we’ll get into that more later.
Even though you don’t need a front license plate in Ohio anymore, there are still some relevant license plate laws that you should know about. A major one is that your rear license plate cannot be obstructed by any sort of material at all. The information on the license plate needs to be fully visible at all times, so if you come back from a fun off-road adventure with your friends and you have mud and dirt all over your license plate, you have to get it cleaned up as soon as possible. Some people opt to install a license plate shield or frame so as to avoid accumulating dirt. This is a great idea and totally legal as long as the shield or frame don’t cover up any information on the license plate. Even cutting off the slightest bit of the word “Ohio” is risky, so we recommend doing everything you can to avoid this.
In addition to requiring a rear license plate, you also have to renew your car registration when it expires in Ohio. For many people this is every year on their birthday, but you can also make it a two-year registration cycle as long as your car isn’t considered a special vehicle (like a big rig), doesn’t need an inspection, and doesn’t have an apportioned license plate.
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What Happens If You Drive Without a Front License Plate in Ohio
As of July 2020, you do not need a front license plate in Ohio, so nothing will happen to you. Before then, you would be liable to get pulled over and receive a ticket that would result in you needing to pay a $200 fine, but you no longer have to worry about this.
With that being said, you can still get into trouble if you don’t have a rear license plate, as that is very much still a legal requirement. It’s highly unlikely that the state of Ohio will ever allow drivers to simply do away with all license plates on their cars, so make sure you still have a rear license plate.
Why Always Good to Have a Front License Plate
Even though you do not need a front license plate in Ohio for any legal requirements, it’s still a great idea to have one. Front license plates are not only used for others to be able to identify your car if you broke the law, they’re also helpful safety tools.
Having a front license plate attached to your car is a safe thing to do. Front plates can assist drivers in seeing you and recognizing that there is a car coming their way even if it’s super dark out, because the technology in the plate reflects light and enhances your car’s visibility. This means that your chances of getting into a late night accident with another driver who can’t see you well are much lower if you have a front plate. Again, they’re not required in Ohio now, but we still highly recommend installing a front license plate for the safety of you and your passengers.
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Everything Else You Need to Know about Front License Plates
Certain drivers are happy about the recent change in the front license plate law because they don’t want to install a front license plate to their front bumper. Previously, the law required drivers to have the front plate attached to that specific space, but not every car manufacturer designs cars with a space optimized to attach front plates. This meant that drivers would often have to drill holes into their front bumper in order to support a front license plate. It’s understandable that some people wouldn’t want to do this, as it could affect the visual appearance of the front of their car. Drivers of new, fancy vehicles often don’t want to mess up their cars’ aesthetics.
Luckily for those people, they no longer have to worry about installing front license plates. A recent trend in popular cars is giant front grilles, which leave no obvious place for a front plate to go. Even so, we do still recommend front license plates as there are options available for attaching adhesive plates or even using a magnetic mount. The adhesive plates won’t appeal to some people because they do leave a sticky residue, but the magnetic mounts leave no trace and are easy to apply.
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