TRAFFIC SAFETY FOCUS
January 2008:

§ 502.404.  OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITHOUT LICENSE PLATE OR
REGISTRATION INSIGNIA.

(A)  A person commits an offense if the person operates on a public highway during a registration period a passenger car or commercial motor vehicle that does not display two license plates, at the front and rear of the vehicle, that have been:

• (1)  assigned by the department for the period;  or
• (2)  validated by a registration insignia issued by the department that establishes that the vehicle is registered for the period.

(B)  A person commits an offense if the person operates on a public highway during a registration period a passenger car or commercial motor vehicle, other than a vehicle assigned license plates for the registration period, that does not properly display the registration insignia issued by the department that establishes that the license plates have been validated for the period.

(C)  A person commits an offense if the person operates on a public highway during a registration period a road tractor, motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailer that does not display a license plate, attached to the rear of the vehicle, that has been:

• (1)  assigned by the department for the period;  or
• (2)  validated by a registration insignia issued by the department that establishes that the vehicle is registered for the period.

(D)  Subsections (A) and (B) do not apply to a dealer operating a vehicle as provided by law.

(E)  An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $200.

(F)  A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection (A) if the defendant:

• (1)  remedies the defect before the defendant's first court appearance; and
• (2)  pays an administrative fee not to exceed $10.

(G)  A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection (A) if the defendant:

• (1)  shows that:
  • (a)  the passenger car or commercial motor vehicle was issued a registration insignia by the department that establishes that the vehicle was registered for the period during which the offense was committed; and
  • (b)  the registration insignia described in Paragraph (a) was attached to the passenger car or commercial motor vehicle before the defendant's first court appearance; and
• (2)  pays an administrative fee not to exceed $10.

(B)  Except as provided by Subsection (B), a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or vehicle that is towed at the end of a combination of vehicles shall be equipped with at least two taillamps.

(B)  A passenger car or truck that was manufactured or assembled before the model year 1960 shall be equipped with at least one taillamp.

(C)  Taillamps shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle:

• (1)  at a height from 15 to 72 inches;  and
• (2)  at the same level and spaced as widely apart as practicable if a vehicle is equipped with more than one lamp.

(D)  A taillamp shall emit a red light plainly visible at a distance of 1,000 feet from the rear of the vehicle.

(E)  If vehicles are traveling in combination, only the taillamps on the rearmost vehicle are required to emit a light for the distance specified in Subsection (D)

(F)  A taillamp or a separate lamp shall be constructed and mounted to emit a white light that:

• (1)  illuminates the rear license plate;  and
• (2)  makes the plate clearly legible at a distance of 50 feet from the rear.

(G)  A taillamp, including a separate lamp used to illuminate a rear license plate, must emit a light when a headlamp or auxiliary driving lamp is lighted.

Submit a TIP online and earn a CASH REWARD of up to $1000

If you have information about a crime or the location of a fugitive, click the button below to access the TipSoft Web Tip Submission Form.

You will be directed to a secure site to upload your tip information and as always you WILL remain anonymous.