§ 1332 — Display of registration plate

(a) General rule.--Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department.

(a.1) Motorcycle registration plate.--

(1) A registration plate issued for a motorcycle may be mounted on the motorcycle in a vertical manner if:

(i) the identifying characters on the plate are displayed in a vertical alignment; and

(ii) the mounting complies with all other provisions of this section.

(2) A registration plate that has its identifying characters displayed horizontally shall not be displayed and mounted vertically.

(3) The department shall produce a registration plate for motorcycles which displays the identifying characters on the plate in a vertical alignment. The department shall issue such a plate upon request and upon payment of a fee of $20, which shall be in addition to the annual registration fee.

(4) No later than January 1, 2016, the department shall report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives on the number of motorcycle registration plates issued in a vertical alignment, the cost of issuance and any required revision to the fee so as to maintain necessary financial support for the highway system in this Commonwealth.

(b) Obscuring plate.--It is unlawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which:

(1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the number or letters thereon at a reasonable distance;

(2) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the proper operation of an automated red light enforcement system in place pursuant to section 3116 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in first class cities) or 3117 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in certain municipalities) or any other automated enforcement system authorized by this title or an electronic toll collection system as authorized under 74 Pa.C.S. § 8117 (relating to electronic toll collection);

(3) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner at a reasonable distance;

(4) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the visibility of the issuing jurisdiction at a reasonable distance; or

(5) has a tinted plate cover.

(b.1) Construction.--Nothing under subsection (b) shall be construed to prohibit a vehicle from being affixed with a registration plate frame that minimally outlines the registration plate in such a manner that the registration plate's number and issuing jurisdiction is identifiable by an automated enforcement system under subsection (b)(2) or by law enforcement.

(c) Penalty for obscured plate.--Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) or (4) commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100.

(d) Validating registration stickers.--Validating registration stickers shall not be issued or required to be displayed.

Legislative History

(Feb. 9, 2004, P.L.65, No.8; July 2, 2012, P.L.735, No.84, eff. 90 days; Nov. 25, 2013, P.L.974, No.89; Nov. 4, 2016, P.L.1277, No.165, eff. 9 months; Nov. 3, 2022, P.L.1734, No.112) 2022 Amendment.Act 112 amended subsec. (b) and added subsec. (b.1). Section 10(1)(ii) of Act 112 provided that the amendment or addition of subsecs. (b)(2), (3) and (4) and (b.1) shall take effect immediately and the remainder of the section shall take effect in 60 days. 2016 Amendment.Act 165 amended subsecs. (b) and (c). 2013 Amendment.Act 89 added subsecs. (a.1) and (d), effective in 90 days as to subsec. (a.1) and December 31, 2016, as to subsec. (d).See the preamble to Act 89 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to legislative findings and declarations. Cross References.Section 1332 is referred to in sections 6110.1, 6309.1 of this title.