West Virginia · WV · Vehicles
West Virginia: Do you need a front license plate?
Rear plate only
West Virginia requires only a rear license plate on passenger cars.
State law says registration plates go on the rear of the vehicle. The only front-plate rule is for truck tractors and road tractors built to pull trailers. West Virginia issues one plate for an ordinary car.
What the law says
Registration plates issued for vehicles required to be registered under this article shall be attached to the rear of the vehicles except that on truck tractors and road tractors designed and constructed to pull trailers or semitrailers, the registration plate shall be mounted to the front.
Sources
- W. Va. Code § 17A-3-15 Official · code.wvlegislature.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
- Phone
- 1-304-558-3900
- Website
- dmv.wv.gov
How bordering states compare
- Kentucky Rear plate onlyKentucky requires only a rear license plate on a passenger car.
- Maryland Front and rear platesMaryland requires passenger cars to display registration plates on both the front and the rear.
- Ohio Rear plate onlyOhio requires only a rear license plate on a passenger car, since July 1, 2020.
- Pennsylvania Rear plate onlyPennsylvania issues a single plate for a passenger car, and it goes on the rear.
- Virginia Front and rear platesVirginia requires ordinary cars to display license plates on both the front and the rear.
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