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§ 1332. Display of registration plate

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated StatutesTitle 75 Pa.C.S.A. VehiclesEffective: January 3, 2023

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes
Title 75 Pa.C.S.A. Vehicles (Refs & Annos)
Part II. Title, Registration and Licensing (Refs & Annos)
Chapter 13. Registration of Vehicles
Subchapter B. Registration Plates (Refs & Annos)
Effective: January 3, 2023
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1332
§ 1332. Display of registration plate
Currentness
(a) General rule.--Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department.
(a.1) Motorcycle registration plate.--
(1) A registration plate issued for a motorcycle may be mounted on the motorcycle in a vertical manner if:
(i) the identifying characters on the plate are displayed in a vertical alignment; and
(ii) the mounting complies with all other provisions of this section.
(2) A registration plate that has its identifying characters displayed horizontally shall not be displayed and mounted vertically.
(3) The department shall produce a registration plate for motorcycles which displays the identifying characters on the plate in a vertical alignment. The department shall issue such a plate upon request and upon payment of a fee of $20, which shall be in addition to the annual registration fee.
(4) No later than January 1, 2016, the department shall report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives on the number of motorcycle registration plates issued in a vertical alignment, the cost of issuance and any required revision to the fee so as to maintain necessary financial support for the highway system in this Commonwealth.
(b) Obscuring plate.--It is unlawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which:
(1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the number or letters thereon at a reasonable distance;
(2) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the proper operation of an automated red light enforcement system in place pursuant to section 3116 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in first class cities) or 3117 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in certain municipalities) or any other automated enforcement system authorized by this title or an electronic toll collection system as authorized under 74 Pa.C.S. § 8117 (relating to electronic toll collection);
(3) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner at a reasonable distance;
(4) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the visibility of the issuing jurisdiction at a reasonable distance; or
(5) has a tinted plate cover.
(b.1) Construction.--Nothing under subsection (b) shall be construed to prohibit a vehicle from being affixed with a registration plate frame that minimally outlines the registration plate in such a manner that the registration plate's number and issuing jurisdiction is identifiable by an automated enforcement system under subsection (b)(2) or by law enforcement.
(c) Penalty for obscured plate.--Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) or (4) commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100.
(d) Validating registration stickers.--Validating registration stickers shall not be issued or required to be displayed.

Credits

1976, June 17, P.L. 162, No. 81, § 1, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended 2004, Feb. 9, P.L. 65, No. 8, § 1; 2012, July 2, P.L. 735, No. 84, § 1, effective in 90 days [Oct. 1, 2012]; 2013, Nov. 25, P.L. 974, No. 89, § 19.1; 2016, Nov. 4, P.L. 1277, No. 165, § 2, effective in 9 months [Aug. 4, 2017]; 2022, Nov. 3, P.L. 1734, No. 112, § 5.
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1332, PA ST 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1332
Current through Act 11 of the 2024 Regular Session. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document