Are License Plates Legal in Massachusetts

You can order your new records online or by phone, and they will send a temporary registration permit to the registered address. The license can be kept in the vehicle until you receive your new license plates and is acceptable if a mass safety inspection is required. If you lose your front license plate, you will need to create a temporary license plate and attach it to the front of the vehicle. However, if you lose your rear license plate, you need to place the front license plate at the rear and create a temporary license plate for the front. In addition to standard serial formats, Massachusetts also publishes “reserve” plates. Replacement plates allow the plate holder to obtain the same serial number when issuing new types of plates or to transfer the serial number to family members. These plates are either purely numerical (1 to 99999) or consist of a single letter followed or preceded by a number (A 1 to Z 9999 and 1 A to 9999 Z). Reserve series can also have the forms A#A, A##A, #A#, and #AA#, where # is any number and A is any letter. Reserve license plates with a small number – now called “lottery license plates” by the RMV – only have the forms #, ##, #, #, #, A#, #A and ##A. If a registrant cancels a low-number entry, the number will be included in an annual lottery. [3] Lottery registration usually starts every June and the draw must take place before September 15.

Prior to the introduction of this annual lottery [When?], low-number reserve license plates were only issued to well-connected people, and it is widely accepted that drivers with a low registration number received preferential treatment from law enforcement. The annual lottery was introduced in response to complaints about the policy behind the issuance of low-entry entries. [Citation needed] As with standard plates, the last digit on reserve plates with a small number indicates the month of expiration. Temporary plates are authorized and recognized in the Commonwealth. Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to issue license plates on September 1, 1903. [1] License plates are currently issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). In addition to defending the case in court, our law firm will fight for possible sanctions by the Massachusetts DMV, such as: to avoid or mitigate driver`s license suspension. Since the RMV uses the “plate type” to describe the type of recording, it is theoretically possible to have two plates emitted with apparently the same series. Some of the types of plates and their three-letter codes are listed below: Unfortunately, due to a lack of information and “unique” state laws, when a customer buys a vehicle outside the state and then brings it back to MA – without first registering the vehicle in MA – they drive illegally.

All vehicles purchased outside of Massachusetts must first be registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts before they can be driven within the state. As of November 12, 2019, temporary indicators have been issued for certain types of license plates if the license plate type is not in stock. Temporary registration plates must be affixed to the rear of the vehicle with a visible registration plate. These temporary indicators are valid for 20 days. Often, this situation occurs when a car is purchased and is not properly registered after purchase. If the police suspect that the license plates belong to another vehicle, the officer may request to consult the purchase contract. But the purchase contract is often not enough. In Massachusetts, affixing license plates from one vehicle to another is considered a crime.

If the police stop a car with a license plate that is not registered for that vehicle in the RMV system, the officer issues a Massachusetts uniform citation for “tether plates.” A ticket for affixing false licence plates may also include additional civil and criminal charges. In most cases, the violation of the mounting plate is accompanied by one or both of the following additional traffic violations: Currently, the green on white base of 1977 and the “Spirit” base of 1987 are valid for registration. On the basis of 1977, only rear registration plates were issued for most types (with the exception of reserved, commercial and taxi signs, for which front signs were also issued and must also be displayed today), while on the current “Spirit” basis, the front and rear license plates came out. Registrants with 1977 license plates have the option of replacing them free of charge with “Spirit” license plates (although a different number is used); However, most choose to keep their 1977 records as pride. In many cases, the 1977 plates are worn and illegible; According to M.G.L. Chapter 90, a car with an illegible license plate (regardless of age or color) is not required to pass the annual vehicle safety inspection required by the state. This is a safety defect that, under Massachusetts law, prohibits the operation of the vehicle until the problem is resolved. Two-year registrations are mandatory, with the exception of vehicles originally registered in December or January. Motorcycle booster signs and license plates must be renewed annually. All vanity plate registrations expire on November 30 and all motorcycle and commercial registrations on December 31. Massachusetts introduced a staggered monthly registration system in 1969. Since then, the series on passenger signs are coded according to the month of expiration of the registration, determined by the last number of the series (1 for January, 2 for February and so on until 0 for October).

From 1969 to 1977, series with the suffixes “X” and “Y” were used for the expiration periods in November and December respectively. Registrants receive licence plates that expire on the last day of the previous month (e.g., a motorist who registers a vehicle in June receives May licence plates). If a vehicle is registered in December or January (so november and December license plates would be required), the remaining license plates from other months with production overruns are issued. Due to Massachusetts` unique laws and regulations surrounding the registration of a new vehicle, the process of purchasing a vehicle out of state seems a little different for Massachusetts residents. Massachusetts residents must first register the vehicle before bringing it to the state. To do this, the buyer must fill out all the necessary purchase documents around the sale, complete the payment and then receive a title. With the title of the vehicle, the buyer can then register the vehicle with the Massachusetts DOT, obtain license plates, and bring the car back to Massachusetts. On November 12, 2019, Massachusetts became the last state to issue temporary license plates (called PAS type, TP subtype) that can be printed at home and inserted into the RMV sleeve and attached to the back of the vehicle.