Arkansas license plate laws require most vehicles to display two plates, one on the front and one on the rear, mounted horizontally at least twelve inches above the ground and kept clearly legible at all times. Violations are misdemeanors that can carry fines up to $500. The rules that trip people up most often involve plate covers, nighttime illumination, and what to do right after buying a car.
How Many Plates and Where They Go
Standard passenger vehicles get two plates, and both must be displayed. If the state issues only a single plate for your vehicle type, it goes on the rear.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
Two exceptions apply:
- Trucks rated at one ton or more can mount the plate on either the front or the rear.
- Motorcycles get a single plate, and it must go on the rear.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
Keeping the Plate Readable
Every plate must be fastened securely in a horizontal position so it cannot swing while the vehicle is moving. The bottom edge has to sit at least twelve inches above the ground.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
Plates must also stay free of foreign materials. Mud, snow, tape, stickers, or anything else that blocks the characters or the state name puts you in violation. The requirement applies at all times, so there is no built-in grace period for road grime on a long drive. If an officer cannot read the plate, the statute applies.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
Rear Plate Illumination at Night
A separate statute requires the rear plate to be lit by a white light bright enough to make it clearly readable from fifty feet away. That light must come on automatically whenever your headlamps or auxiliary driving lamps are on.2Justia. Arkansas Code 27-36-215 – Tail Lamps and Reflectors
Displaying any color of light other than white around the plate is prohibited. So is using white light so excessive that the plate becomes unreadable from under fifty feet. Colored LED plate frames fall squarely within that prohibition.2Justia. Arkansas Code 27-36-215 – Tail Lamps and Reflectors
Covers and Frames
Any cover placed over a plate is illegal if it makes the plate harder to read or reduces its reflective properties. Arkansas plates are made with reflective material so they show up under headlights and camera flashes. Even a clear plastic cover that dims that coating is a problem under the statute.1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
When Equipment Can Legally Block the Plate
The law carves out room for accessories that unavoidably obscure the rear plate. If the equipment is installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications or generally accepted practices, these items are allowed to cover it:1Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-716 – Display of License Plates Generally
- A trailer hitch, including a ball mount or receiver.
- A trailer being towed, even if it covers the towing vehicle’s plate entirely.
- A wheelchair lift or carrier.
- A bicycle rack and the bikes loaded on it.
The exception depends on proper installation. A homemade hitch or jury-rigged rack that permanently hides the plate may not qualify.
Only State-Issued Plates
Only plates issued by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration may be displayed on the rear of a vehicle. Dealership advertising plates, novelty plates, and homemade reproductions are all illegal. The statute also prohibits reproducing, painting, or otherwise altering any license plate or registration card.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-305 – Penalty for Using or Making Unofficial License Plates
There is one narrow exception. A commercial motor carrier may affix a decal with its company logo to the plate, but only if the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration has authorized and approved the decal.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-305 – Penalty for Using or Making Unofficial License Plates
Temporary Tags After Buying a Vehicle
Buy a vehicle from a licensed dealer and you need a temporary preprinted paper buyer’s tag within five business days, unless you are transferring a plate from a vehicle you already have registered. The dealer can issue it at the point of sale if they have the capability. Otherwise, you have to get one from the Office of Motor Vehicle or an approved vendor, and you must keep a copy of the bill of sale in the vehicle until the tag is in hand.4Code of Arkansas Rules. 27 CAR 15-103 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyers Tag
The tag is displayed on the inside of the rear window. If the vehicle has no rear window, it goes where the permanent plate will eventually be mounted. The tag is valid until you register the vehicle or thirty days after the purchase date, whichever comes first. At registration, you pay a fee of up to one dollar for the buyer’s tag that was issued.4Code of Arkansas Rules. 27 CAR 15-103 – Temporary Preprinted Paper Buyers Tag
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Plates
If your plate is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond legibility, replace it promptly. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration handles replacements, and you can reach them at 501-682-4692 for specific requirements. Driving with an unreadable plate exposes you to a citation regardless of why it went missing.
When a plate is stolen, filing a police report helps protect you from liability if someone uses the number to run tolls or commit other offenses. Keep a copy of the report and bring it when you apply for a replacement.
Penalties
Displaying an unofficial, reproduced, or altered plate is a misdemeanor. A conviction carries a fine between $100 and $500.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-14-305 – Penalty for Using or Making Unofficial License Plates
Violations of the general display requirements under Section 27-14-716, including improper mounting, obstructed plates, and prohibited covers, are treated as traffic infractions. They result in a citation and fine, and officers have wide discretion to stop a vehicle whose plate they cannot read.