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LicensePlates Louisiana

Louisiana License Plate

What is a Louisiana License Plate?

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, a division of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, issues all license plates and manages registration policy according to the Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 47, Chapter 4. Parish-level public tag agencies and OMV field offices handle registrations, renewals, and plate transfers.

The current standard Louisiana license plate features a flat digital design with the state pelican emblem. Plates may be retained when vehicles are replaced if they remain legible, according to R.S. 47:505(H).

Types of License Plates in Louisiana

  • Standard plates are issued upon registration. A destroyed or illegible plate can be replaced by notifying the commissioner according to R.S. 47:505(C).
  • Louisiana offers hundreds of specialty designs for universities, nonprofits, and organizations. Most carry an annual royalty of $25 in addition to regular registration, though some organizations charge a $50 royalty (R.S. 47:463.73).
  • Personalized prestige plates cost $25 annually for multi-character combinations and $250 annually for a single character, ordered through the OMV personalized plate portal.
  • There is no fee for disabled veteran, disabled veteran with Purple Heart, or Congressional Medal of Honor plates; each is exempt from standard renewal requirements (R.S. 47:490.4, 490.32, 490.5). Former prisoner of war plates follow the same structure.

The full catalog is available on the OMV specialty plate viewer.

What Vehicles Require License Plates in Louisiana?

Every automobile, trailer, and semi-trailer operated on Louisiana highways must be registered prior to use according to R.S. 47:501. New residents have 30 days to apply for registration (R.S. 47:513.2).

  • Vehicle registration is based on a fee of 0.1% of the vehicle’s value per year, sold for two years with a minimum of $20. A vehicle valued at $30,000 pays $60 per cycle (OMV fee schedule). A processing fee of $8 is charged per transaction.
  • Motorcycles cost $12 for a four-year cycle. One rear plate.
  • Boat trailers up to 1,500 pounds pay $25 for four years; utility trailers up to 500 pounds pay $12 for four years. All other trailers cost $10 per year, $40 for four years, or $70 for permanent registration (R.S. 47:462).
  • Trucks weighing up to 6,000 pounds GVW pay $40 for a four-year cycle. Class 6,001 to 10,000 pounds costs $112 for four years.
  • Electric vehicles pay an annual road usage fee of $110, and hybrids $60, collected alongside the registration tax (R.S. 32:461).

License Plate Rules in Louisiana

  • One rear plate is mandatory for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, and semi-trailers (R.S. 32:53(A)(2)). Trucks over 10,000 pounds GVW and dump trucks may mount the plate either front or rear.
  • Each plate must be securely fastened, free of foreign materials, and clearly legible at a minimum height of twelve inches from the ground. No cover, coating, electrochromatic film, or electronic device may obscure the plate, registration sticker, or state name from any angle (R.S. 32:53(A)(3)).

Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Louisiana Illegal?

Operating a vehicle without a mounted license plate is illegal according to R.S. 47:536(A)(1). The statute covers unregistered vehicles, vehicles without an assigned plate, and vehicles without a current registration sticker.

Displaying a fake, canceled, or altered plate is penalized separately according to R.S. 47:536(A)(2). Fake temporary tags have their own range of penalties according to R.S. 47:521(C).

What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Louisiana?

Louisiana divides license plate fines into two titles, and the range between a no-plate fine and a fake tag prosecution is wide enough to matter.

  • Operating without a plate or with an unregistered vehicle according to R.S. 47:536(B) carries a fine of up to $100, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
  • A fake plate according to R.S. 47:536(A)(2) carries a $250 fine. Fake temporary tags according to R.S. 47:521(C) carry a fine of $100 to $500, up to six months imprisonment, or both.
  • Violations of plate display and legibility rules according to R.S. 32:57(A)(1) are punishable by a fine of up to $175 or 30 days for a first offense. Subsequent offenses raise the ceiling to $500 or 90 days.
  • Committing a plate violation while committing a crime adds $200 and up to 30 days according to R.S. 32:57(A)(2), and the vehicle may be immediately impounded.
  • Separate fines for late registration and incorrect weight classification apply according to R.S. 47:516.

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