NEW YORK — With the winter holidays right around the corner, drivers may see some vehicles traveling through New York without a front license plate attached. This may leave some drivers confused about whether that is allowed in the state.
According to New York law, all vehicles registered within the state must have a license plate on the front and the rear. The plates also need to be securely fastened and “not higher than forty-eight inches and not lower than twelve inches from the ground.”
Drivers also cannot cover their plates. Per the law, license plates “shall not be covered by glass or any plastic material.” They also “shall not be knowingly covered or coated with any artificial or synthetic material or substance that conceals or obscures such number plates or that distorts a recorded or photographic image of such number plates.”
AutoList recently compiled a list of states not requiring front license plates. The front license plate is not required in 20 states, according to that list. Even when traveling out of state, vehicles registered in those states only need a rear license plate.
Those looking for more information on license plate information can visit the New York Department of Motor Vehicles website.
