RCW 46.16A.200: WA License Plate Rules, Covers, and Fines

RCW 46.16A.200 is Washington’s license plate statute. It requires most vehicles to display two identical plates issued by the Department of Licensing, keep them clean and readable, mount them horizontally, and position them no higher than four feet off the ground. A plate that can’t be read, for any reason, is a traffic infraction carrying a $139 fine.

How Many Plates You Get

Most registered vehicles receive two plates: one for the front, one for the rear. Subsection (4) of the statute lists the vehicles that get only a single rear plate: motorcycles, mopeds, trailers, semitrailers, campers, collector vehicles, and horseless carriages.¹

If you own a classic car and don’t want to drill a front bumper, collector registration is the legal path to a single plate. It comes with its own use restrictions, so it isn’t a shortcut for a daily driver.

Mounting and Visibility

Subsection (5) sets four rules. Plates must be attached conspicuously, kept clean and readable at all times, mounted horizontally, and positioned no higher than four feet from the ground.¹ The height cap exists so patrol officers and automated readers can capture the number without adjusting angle.

There is a practical carve-out. If a trailer hitch, wheelchair lift, bike rack, or similar accessory temporarily blocks one of your two plates, you are not in violation as long as the other plate is properly displayed and the blockage comes from the device or its cargo. The Washington State Patrol can also grant case-by-case exceptions when a vehicle’s body design makes strict compliance physically impossible.¹

Plate Covers, Dirt, and Anything Else That Hides the Number

Washington prohibits any material that interferes with the readability of a plate. That covers clear plastic shields, tinted covers, reflective coatings, and frames that block the state name, plate number, or registration tabs. The statute specifically calls out materials that prevent automated license plate recognition systems from reading the plate.¹

Enforcement tightened at the start of 2025. Through most of 2024, officers could only issue written warnings for plate cover violations. Beginning January 1, 2025, those warnings converted to a $139 fine under RCW 46.16A.550.² The same $139 applies when a plate is illegible for any reason, whether it’s a tinted cover, caked mud, or peeling reflective material. Officers don’t need to prove intent. An unreadable plate is enough.

Dirt, snow, and road grime count. A quick wipe before you drive is cheaper than the ticket.

Where the Validation Tabs Go

The Department of Licensing mails decals showing the month and year your registration expires. Current tabs go on the rear plate in the marked spots.³ Old tabs may remain on the front plate if your vehicle displays two plates, but only the current tabs on the rear plate count for compliance.

Missing or expired tabs are the most common reason for a registration-related stop. Officers read them from a distance, and automated readers flag mismatches. If you renew online or by mail, the Department of Licensing typically ships new tabs within five business days.⁴

Fines and Related Registration Penalties

An obscured or illegible plate is a $139 traffic infraction under RCW 46.16A.550.²

Expired or missing registration is a separate violation, and the stakes are higher. Driving on a public highway without current registration is a traffic infraction under RCW 46.16A.030. If you never registered the vehicle at all, failing to make an initial registration before driving on public roads carries a mandatory $529 fine that cannot be suspended or reduced, on top of any back taxes and fees.⁵

A vehicle parked on a public street with registration expired by more than 45 days can be impounded.⁵ Storage fees add up quickly.

Replacing Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Plates

If your plates are lost, stolen, or damaged beyond legibility, you have to replace them. You cannot keep driving without plates, and if plates were reported stolen, you won’t get the same number back. The Department of Licensing issues a new number to prevent someone from using your old plates to dodge tolls or commit other violations.⁶

For stolen plates, file a police report first and keep the case number. Then apply for replacement plates at a vehicle licensing office using a License Plate Replacement Application and pay the fee.⁷

Standard replacement runs $30 for passenger vehicles and trucks and $27.25 for motorcycles.⁸ Personalized or special design plates cost more: $82 for cars and trucks, $88 for motorhomes, $50 for trailers, and $32 for motorcycles.⁷

Trip Permits While You Wait

If your plates are gone and you need to drive before replacements arrive, a trip permit covers you. Each permit costs $36 and is valid for three consecutive days from the first day of use. You can buy up to three permits in any 30-day period.⁹

Trip permits are sold at vehicle licensing offices and must be paid for with cash or check. They can’t be refunded or exchanged. Fill out, sign, and date the permit before driving; any alteration voids it. A trip permit also works when registration has expired and you need to drive the vehicle to get it reinspected or renewed.

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Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.16A.200 – License Plates
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Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.16A.550 – Illegible License Plate Penalty
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Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-96A-295 – Vehicle License Plates and Tabs
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Washington State Department of Licensing. Renew or Replace Vehicle Tabs
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Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.16A.030 – Vehicle Registration Required Penalty
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Washington State Department of Licensing. License Plates
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Washington State Department of Licensing. Replace Your License Plates
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Washington State Department of Licensing. Calculate Vehicle Tab Fees
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Washington State Department of Licensing. Trip Permits for Unlicensed Vehicles