New Hampshire: Do you need a front license plate?
New Hampshire requires passenger cars issued two plates to mount one on the front and one on the rear.
The statute lets the DMV director set the number and placement of plates, and the state inspection rule requires front and rear mounting when two plates are issued. A 2021 legislative fiscal note says the DMV makes two number plates per set for passenger vehicles. The inspection rule may have expired in January 2026 under the state's 10-year limit on rules, and a readoption was pending in 2026. A 2026 bill to make most cars rear-only, HB 1176, did not become law, according to a bill tracker.
What the law says
When 2 registration plates are issued, one shall be mounted on the front of the vehicle and the second shall be mounted on the rear;
Sources
- N.H. Code Admin. R. Saf-C 3210.03 Official · gc.nh.gov
- RSA 261:75 Official · gc.nh.gov
- HB1176 (2026) bill history Secondary · bills.nhliberty.org
- NH LBA fiscal note, HB 260 (2021): DMV manufactures two number plates per set Official · gc.nh.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles
- Website
- dmv.nh.gov
How bordering states compare
- Maine Front and rear platesMaine requires a registration plate on both the front and the rear of a passenger car.
- Massachusetts Front and rear platesMassachusetts requires passenger cars to display plates on both the front and the rear.
- Vermont Front and rear platesVermont requires a front and a rear plate when the state issues two plates, as it does for ordinary cars.
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