Vehicle Title and Registration

ORS 803.540
Failure to display plates

  • exceptions
  • penalty

(1)

A person commits the offense of failure to display registration plates if the person operates, on the highways of this state, any vehicle or camper that has been assigned registration plates by this state and the registration plates assigned to the vehicle or camper are displayed in a manner that violates any of the following:

(a)

The plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, if only one plate is required.

(b)

Plates must be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle if two plates are required.

(c)

The plates must be in plain view and so as to be read easily by the public.

(d)

The plate must not be any plate that does not entitle the holder thereof to operate the vehicle upon the highways.

(2)

A person is not in violation of this section if the person is operating a vehicle or camper under and in accordance with the requirements for any of the following:

(a)

A temporary application permit issued under ORS 803.615 (Temporary permit for registration applicant).

(b)

An agent temporary registration permit issued under ORS 803.625 (Temporary registration permits issued by dealers).

(c)

Provisions established under ORS 826.007 (Authority for proportional registration agreements), 826.009 (Proportional registration of commercial vehicles) or 826.011 (Proportional fleet registration) for the display of registration plates or other evidence of registration on vehicles that are proportionally registered under ORS 826.009 (Proportional registration of commercial vehicles) or 826.011 (Proportional fleet registration).

(3)

The offense described in this section, failure to display registration plates, is a Class D traffic violation. [1983 c.338 §261; 1985 c.668 §13; 1989 c.43 §28; 1995 c.383 §6]

Notes of Decisions

For vehicle registration plate to be displayed “on the front” of vehicle, plate must be displayed on foremost part of vehicle. State v. Nguyen, 223 Or App 286, 196 P3d 40 (2008)

Statute specifying number of plates to be issued for type of vehicle, and statute requiring that issued plates be kept with and displayed on vehicle, determine number of plates required. State v. Blueback, 291 Or 779, 422 P3d 385 (2018)

Source

Last accessed
May 30, 2023

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