One Plate, And Nothing Over It
Md. Code, Transp. § 13-411 — front and rear when two are required, free of covers, and frames enforced only as a secondary action
Front and rear. On a vehicle for which two registration plates are required, one is attached on the front and the other on the rear. Where one is required, it goes on the rear, except the front of a Class F tractor.
Free of covers. At all times each plate is maintained free from foreign materials, including registration plate covers, in a condition to be clearly legible, and securely fastened horizontally, so as not to swing, in a place and position to be clearly visible.
A frame around the edge. For an object framing or bordering the edges of a plate, an officer may enforce the rule only as a secondary action, when the driver is detained for a suspected violation of another provision.
Registration itself, temporary tags and specialty plates are governed by other sections that are not on this page. What a particular ticket means is a question for a licensed Maryland attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Md. Code, Transp. § 13-411 — Display of registration plates
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.