S 3265Personal

Motor and Other Vehicles - Registration of Vehicles

Cars manufactured without a front license plate bracket no longer need to display a front license plate.

Signed into law56 Yea9 Nay10 Not voting

Population
Affected

Introduced May 5, 2026Committee Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

Plain-English Summary

This bill changes the rules for displaying license plates on motor vehicles. Currently, most cars must have both a front and a rear license plate. Under this new legislation, if a vehicle is manufactured and sold without a built-in spot or bracket to attach a front license plate, the owner is not required to display one on the front. Instead, they must correctly attach the rear plate and keep the second plate inside the car, ready to show to a police officer if asked.

For younger readers

Usually, cars have to wear two license plates: one on the front and one on the back. A license plate is the metal sign with numbers and letters that shows who owns the car. This new rule says that if a car is made without a special spot to hold a front license plate, the driver doesn't have to put one on the front. They just need to put the plate on the back of the car and keep the extra plate inside the car to show a police officer if they are ever stopped.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Car ownersLaw enforcement officersCar dealershipsAutomotive enthusiastsPedestrians and cyclists

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. This bill modifies a standard vehicle equipment regulation and does not implicate free speech, due process, or unreasonable searches and seizures.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Reduces the likelihood of pretextual police stops for minor equipment violations, which disproportionately impact marginalized and lower-income communities.
Alleviates the financial burden on working-class individuals who would otherwise have to pay for aftermarket modifications to comply with front-plate mandates.
Prevents unnecessary fines and penalties for drivers who simply purchased a vehicle that was not designed to accommodate a front license plate.
May hinder the effectiveness of automated traffic enforcement systems, such as red-light and speed cameras, which rely on front plates to hold dangerous drivers accountable.
Makes it more difficult for pedestrians, cyclists, or victims of hit-and-run accidents to quickly identify a vehicle approaching from the front.
Could create a loophole that drivers exploit to avoid identification, complicating community safety efforts and traffic law enforcement.

For Conservatives

Enhances personal freedom and property rights by allowing vehicle owners to preserve the aesthetic integrity of their cars without forced government modifications.
Reduces government overreach and deregulation by eliminating an arbitrary equipment mandate for certain vehicles.
Benefits the automotive market and car enthusiasts by making it easier to own and drive specialty or imported vehicles that lack front plate brackets.
Impedes law enforcement's ability to quickly identify suspect or fleeing vehicles from the front, potentially undermining the rule of law and public safety.
Creates an inconsistent, two-tiered regulatory standard where some citizens must display two plates while others only need one, complicating enforcement.
Reduces the effectiveness of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) used by police to track stolen vehicles and apprehend criminals.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 10 additions

SECTION 1. Section 31-3-18 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows: 31-3-18. Display of plates — Penalties.

(a) Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, trailer, transporter vehicle, in-transit vehicle, or a bailee engaged in a business as defined in § 31-1-17(a), or other than a motor vehicle owned by a duly authorized dealer in motor vehicles and which is used in the dealer’s business shall be attached thereto one in the front and the other in the rear. The registration plate issued for a motorcycle, trailer, bailee, or a dealer’s motor vehicle as defined in this subsection shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, any motor vehicle that, as manufactured and delivered for sale, is not equipped with a manufacturer-provided front registration plate bracket, mounting point, or other manufacturer-provided means or location intended for the attachment and display of a front registration plate, shall not be required to display a front registration plate, and shall be in compliance with this section if:

(i) One registration plate issued in accordance with § 31-3-10 is properly attached to the rear of the vehicle; and

(ii) The second registration plate issued in accordance with § 31-3-10 is carried within the vehicle and displayed by the driver upon demand of a duly sworn law enforcement officer.

(b) Every registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging at a height of not less than twelve inches (12") from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate; in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.

(c) Penalties. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and subject to a fine as enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

(d) All vehicles registered as passenger, commercial, trailer, motorcycle, suburban, farm, combination, taxi, radio operator, camper, public, racer tow, jitney, and antique must have displayed on them the registration plate(s) as described in § 31-3-11. This subsection does not apply to those registrants in possession of an alternative design plate as described in § 31-3-60 or any other specially authorized plate described in this chapter.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.