ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis County resident says he is seeing more and more cars without a front license plate. Jack wants to know if it’s required?
Let’s Verify.
THE QUESTION:
Do laws in Missouri and Illinois require both a front and rear license plate?
SOURCES:
- Missouri State Highway Patrol
- Missouri law
- Illinois State Police
- Illinois law
ANSWER:
We can Verify in both Missouri and Illinois, the law requires passenger cars have both a front and rear license plate.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Both Missouri and Illinois are two-plate states, therefore the law requires all passenger vehicles have a front and rear license plate.
Not having both is a primary violation which means police will pull you over for it.
Corporal Dallas Thompson told the Verify team, troopers pull people over for plate violations quite often. He said traveling without both plates is “very good probable cause to make a stop.” Thompson also added recent large-scale drug busts started with a license plate violation.
There are a few exceptions in both states. In Missouri, motorcycles, autocycles, trailers, buses, or vehicles registered at a weight in excess of 12,000 pounds are allowed to have only 1 license plate. In Illinois, exceptions include motorcycles, autocycles, trailers, truck tractors and apportioned buses and trucks.
Some of you may have a car that doesn’t have holes in the front to attach a plate.
Our sources say the car probably came from a one-plate state and you’ll need to drill holes in your front bumper for a license plate bracket.