Utah · UT · Vehicles
Utah: Do you need a front license plate?
Rear plate only
Since January 1, 2025, Utah requires only a rear license plate and issues a single plate to most vehicles.
A law change moved Utah to one plate, attached to the rear, starting January 1, 2025. The state could still hand out two-plate sets from leftover stock through December 31, 2025. Under a 2026 amendment, a registrant may ask for two plates to display on the front and rear, but the front plate is optional. The Utah DMV says a front plate is no longer required.
What the law says
Except as provided in Section 41-1a-301 relating to a vehicle with apportioned registration, the owner or operator of a vehicle shall ensure that the license plate is attached to the rear of the vehicle as described in this section.
Sources
- Utah Code § 41-1a-404 (eff. 1/1/2025) Official · le.utah.gov
- Utah Code § 41-1a-401 (eff. 5/6/2026) Official · le.utah.gov
- Utah DMV, Plates Official · dmv.utah.gov
- Utah S.B. 45 (2024), License Plate Revisions Official · le.utah.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Utah Division of Motor Vehicles
- Phone
- 801-297-7780
- Website
- dmv.utah.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arizona Rear plate onlyArizona requires only a rear license plate on passenger cars.
- Colorado Front and rear platesColorado requires passenger cars to display license plates on both the front and the rear.
- Idaho Front and rear platesIdaho requires front and rear plates on a passenger car, but only if the car has a front plate mounting bracket.
- Nevada Front and rear platesNevada requires front and rear plates, but cars built without a front plate bracket may display only the rear plate.
- New Mexico Rear plate onlyNew Mexico requires only a rear license plate on a passenger car.
- Wyoming Front and rear platesWyoming requires plates on the front and rear, though several vehicle types are exempt from the front plate.