Driving to Cali/Vegas, only got 1 license plate?

[ji603]

Originally Posted by infocyde

I do think that if you are in California for longer than 10 days continuously, and plan to stay in the state for longer, technically you have to register the car in California. So if you are pulled over make sure you have been in Cali less than 10 days. One of my roommate's in Cali got his car towed because he had been in the state for six months and answered honestly. The 10 days part I'm a little fuzzy on, but it was something like that.

Not this.

If you are a resident of a state, you are required to register your car there and make sure it complies with that state's laws re vehicle equipment, tint, bumpers, lift, emissions, etc etc.

If you are visiting, none of that applies.

What each state considers as 'resident' might differ a bit, but generally it's more than 6 months in the state, working there, or having kids in school (college excepted)



CA and NV cops are more than aware of the fact that Arizona cars only come with 1 plate. OP won't get two looks.

[new2colo]

Technically your vehicle has to comply with the laws of the state that it is physically in. Although it is exceedingly rare, you can be issued a ticket in California or Nevada for having no front license plate, even if your vehicle is registered in a one plate state. My coworker's son was pulled over in California with having window tint that violated California law, but was completely legal here in Arizona. Even though his car was registered here, he received a citation.

Most cops out of state recognize that some states only issue a rear plate and they will leave you alone. I have a specialty plate and was given two at the MVD. I display the front one mostly so I get left alone when I go back to visit family in Nevada or when I travel to California.

[uhillem]

Even though this is an old posting, I'd like to post some more relevant info on this topic. Back in the late 80's when Arizona first started issuing only 1 plate, California was indeed pulling over Arizona drivers and citing them for having only 1 plate. Arizona put a stop to this by filling a lawsuit against California. Because of the lawsuit California and all of the other states won't mess with this anymore. Even in the rare instance where you will get a citation for only having 1 plate, it will get thrown out of court. I assure you, the state concerned doesn't want to get sued by Arizona over it. Same for any other state that issues only one plate.

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by johnc1

Yo guys,

So I'm planning to take a trip to Cali and/or Vegas. Problem is, I only got 1 license plate (Since they only gave me one) and those states require 2. From my understanding, it's fine to have only 1 license plate, IF you're only visiting from a state that only hands out 1.

Is this true?

If not, what can I do? I went to the DMV website and they required me to pay $25 annually for 2 license plates lol... Are you kidding me? Yeah right.

I was thinking of just making an exact copy of my license plate and print it out as like a paper or something and stick it in the front while visiting cali.

Thoughts?

Yo! I can't believe you asked this question!

[pathrunner]

Interesting. I never had any problem with out of state plates in California (where I'm from). Arizona, New Mexico and now Alabama. Never got stopped for having only one plate (on the back). I think it used to be a thing where you'd get pulled over, but not anymore with our mobile society.

[Rabrrita]

Since this has been resurrected.....

It is not a violation of California laws to drive an out of state vehicle as a visitor with only one plate. You Are Not in violation of any law. A common problem people have is when they read a section of a regulation that says you must this and that. Often they fail to read another section (may even be elsewhere in the regulations) that may have the exemptions or exceptions to that other regulation. So, California Vehicle Code § 5200 specifically states if you were issued one plate you only have to display that one plate. Regardless what is read about CA laws and two plates or obeying CA laws, the State wrote a provision in the law to cover the single plate scenario.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by Rabrrita

Since this has been resurrected.....

It is not a violation of California laws to drive an out of state vehicle as a visitor with only one plate. You Are Not in violation of any law. A common problem people have is when they read a section of a regulation that says you must this and that. Often they fail to read another section (may even be elsewhere in the regulations) that may have the exemptions or exceptions to that other regulation. So, California Vehicle Code § 5200 specifically states if you were issued one plate you only have to display that one plate. Regardless what is read about CA laws and two plates or obeying CA laws, the State wrote a provision in the law to cover the single plate scenario.

Correct. On the flip side, equipment violations on out of state vehicles (tint, for example) are fair game. The CVC is written 'no vehicle shall be driven', or along those lines.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by Greenvalleyfan

Yo! I can't believe you asked this question!

Well, maybe he's learned a thing or 2 in the decade since he wrote it.

[uhillem]

I need to post some quick corrections on my post and add some other stuff. It was actually in the early '90s when Arizona went to one plate. So the lawsuit would have happened in the early 90's. Also I found out that Arizona had a one plate requirement in '66 to '69 temporarily along with 16 other states. At one time only 19 states had one plate requirements. Apparently now it is 21 states. My suggestion for people from 1 plate states going to a 2 plate state put on a picture plate that clearly identifies what state they are from if it is legal to do so in your 1 plate state. I have done that here in Arizona. Went to California with the Arizona state flag picture plate and had zero problems. I went from Phoenix to LA area and back. Sometime later I changed vehicles and went to Vegas with nothing on the front. An LV police officer made a u turn behind me and saw my maroon out of state plate which explained my lack of a front plate. Although he did eventually pulled me over when I made a u turn of my own later. I was getting too far out of town. The officer said that not having a front plate was what started the whole thing. However he was aware of Arizona's 1 plate requirement and that the u turn was what he was pulling me over for. He thought maybe I was trying to run from him with the u turn only to find out that I was just getting too far out of town and was wanting to go back. He gave me some assistance and ended the traffic stop.