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§ 13-411. Display of registration plates and validation tabs

West's Annotated Code of MarylandTransportationEffective: October 1, 2020

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Transportation
Title 13. Vehicle Laws--Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 4. Registration of Vehicles (Refs & Annos)
Part I. In General
Effective: October 1, 2020
MD Code, Transportation, § 13-411
§ 13-411. Display of registration plates and validation tabs
Currentness
Two registration plates
(a) On a vehicle for which two registration plates are required, one plate shall be attached on the front and the other on the rear of the vehicle.
One registration plate
(b) On a vehicle for which one registration plate is required, the plate shall be attached on the:
(1) Front of the vehicle for a Class F (tractor) vehicle; and
(2) Rear of the vehicle for every other vehicle.
Attachment and maintenance of registration plates
(c)(1) At all times, each registration plate shall be:
(i) Maintained free from foreign materials, including registration plate covers as defined in § 13-411.1 of this subtitle, and in a condition to be clearly legible; and
(ii) Securely fastened to the vehicle for which it is issued:
1. In a horizontal position;
2. In a manner that prevents the plate from swinging; and
3. In a place and position to be clearly visible.
(2) For a violation involving the placement of an object framing or bordering the edges of a registration plate, a police officer may enforce this subsection only as a secondary action when the police officer detains a driver of a motor vehicle for a suspected violation of another provision of the Code.
Registration plates and validation tabs required to drive vehicle in State
(d) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law,1 as to any vehicle required to be registered under this title, a person may not drive the vehicle on any highway in this State, unless there is attached to the vehicle and displayed on it, as required in this title:
(1) A registration plate or plates issued for the vehicle by the Administration for the current registration period; and
(2) Any validation tab issued for the vehicle under this subtitle.
Registration plates and validation tabs required to allow vehicle to be driven in State
(e) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, as to any vehicle required to be registered under this title, the owner of the vehicle may not permit the vehicle to be driven on any highway in this State, unless there is attached to and displayed on the vehicle, as required in this title:
(1) A registration plate or plates issued by the Administration for the current registration period; and
(2) Any validation tab issued for the vehicle under this subtitle.
Display of expired registration plates prohibited
(f) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, a vehicle used or driven in this State may not display on either its front or rear any expired registration plate issued by any state.
Display of registration plates issued for another vehicle prohibited
(g) Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Maryland Vehicle Law, a person may not display or permit to be displayed on any vehicle used or driven in this State any registration plate issued for another vehicle or to a person other than the owner of the vehicle.
Vintage registration plates for historic or antique vehicles
(h)(1) A vehicle registered as a historic or antique vehicle (Class L) in this State or in another state, when used or driven in this State, may display vintage registration plates as an indication of the historic or antique nature of the vehicle. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the place on the vehicle provided for the display of registration plates may only be used for the display of current registration plates in accordance with subsections (a) through (c) of this section, and any vintage registration plates which are used shall be displayed elsewhere on the vehicle.
(2) If the Administration authorizes the display of vintage registration plates in lieu of current registration plates, as provided in § 13-936.1 of this title, the vintage registration plates shall be displayed as required under subsections (a) through (c) of this section. However, the current registration plates shall be kept in the vehicle at all times.
Duty of police to report vehicles operated in violation of section
(i) It is the duty of every police officer to report to the Administration all vehicles operated in violation of this section. The Administration shall verify whether the owner of a reported vehicle has complied with this section.

Credits

Added by Acts 1977, c. 14, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1978, c. 458; Acts 1983, c. 403; Acts 1986, c. 472, §§ 1, 2; Acts 1988, c. 6, § 1; Acts 1991, c. 308; Acts 1995, c. 237, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1995; Acts 2006, c. 123, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2020, c. 106, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Acts 2020, c. 107, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2020.
Formerly Art. 66 ½, §§ 3-411, 3-415.

Footnotes

1
Transportation, § 11-101 et seq.
MD Code, Transportation, § 13-411, MD TRANS § 13-411
Current through legislation effective through April 25, 2024, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document