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Registration plates on the front of vehicles

Recently a reader asked what the requirements were in regards to having license plates on your vehicles. They stated they have noticed a number of Michigan vehicles with registration plates from other states and even countries on the front of their vehicles.

According to MCL 257.256, “A person shall not lend to another person, or knowingly permit the use of, any certificate of title, registration certificate, registration plate, special plate, or permit issued to him or her if the person receiving or using the certificate of title, registration certificate, registration plate, special plate, or permit would not be entitled to the use thereof. A person shall not carry or display upon a vehicle any registration certificate or registration plate not issued for the vehicle or not otherwise lawfully used under this act.”

What this means is you are not able to take a license plate from a different vehicle and place it on your current vehicle and operate that vehicle on a Michigan roadway, even if that plate is currently registered in your name. Each registration plate is only to be used on the vehicle it is listed for with the Secretary of State office.

It also means when you move to the state of Michigan or obtain a new Michigan registration plate, your previous plate cannot be displayed on the front of the vehicle. Even if you are extremely proud of the state you moved from, you are still not able to display this registration plate on your current vehicle once it is registered in Michigan because that plate is no longer associated with that vehicle.

If a person is found in violation of this statue, they could be found guilty of a misdemeanor, which is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or by a fine of not more than $100.00, or both.

A couple other reasons as to why it is important not to have a registration plate on your vehicle that is not associated to that vehicle are if you are in an accident and we are trying to identify who was involved, that plate may provide law enforcement false information. Or if we as law enforcement are attempting to identify a car associated with a crime, such as a robbery, if there is another state’s license plate on the front of the car and a Michigan plate on the rear, which plate should the victim try to remember and report to law enforcement? For safety reasons, on top of the fact that it is against the law, it is appreciated if motorists only kept the proper registration plates on their vehicles.

Ashley Simpson is a Community Service Trooper for the MSP Alpena Post. If you have a question for Trooper Simpson, you can email her at asktroopersimpson@gmail.com or mail them to Ask A Trooper, Michigan State Police Alpena Post, 3283 W. Washington Ave, Alpena, MI 49707.

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