Here’s How You Could Be Breaking This Maine Law on The Road

So as it turns out, I'm actually breaking the law right now and you might be, too. I currently do not have a front license plate- well, I DO have a front license plate, but it's under my backseat because it gets in the way of my Fisher plow mount.

You probably don’t think much about your license plates, aside from when it’s time to renew your registration or when Maine rolled out its latest pine tree design. But those plates serve an important purpose on the road.

Recently, WGME's I-Team looked into Maine law and, most vehicles are required to display two license plates, one on the front and one on the back. The requirement, which has been in place since the 1990s, is intended to make vehicles more visible to law enforcement and to assist with automated tolling on the Maine Turnpike.

The news station reported that drivers who fail to properly display both plates can be fined. According to state data, convictions for improperly displaying a registration plate have increased in recent years, though the overall numbers remain small compared to the total number of vehicles on the road.

In 2021, there were 63 convictions statewide. That number rose to 70 in 2022, and in both 2023 and 2024, convictions climbed to around 140 each year.

However, channel 13 explained that there are some exemptions to the two-plate requirement. Motorcycles and trailers, for example, are only required to display a single plate. While many states have similar rules, about 20 states only require vehicles to display a rear license plate.

The issue has come before the Maine Legislature in the past. Lawmakers have debated bills that would eliminate the front plate requirement, but so far, none of those proposals have passed.