Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XIV Chapter 90
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 6 (2026)

Display of number plates; temporary number plates

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 6. Every motor vehicle or trailer registered under this chapter when operated in or on any way in this commonwealth shall have its register number displayed conspicuously thereon by the number plates furnished by the registrar in accordance with section two or five or by temporary number plates authorized by the registrar as hereinafter provided, one number plate to be attached at the front and one at the rear of said motor vehicle, and one number plate to be attached at the rear of said trailer, but if the registrar issues but one number plate it shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle so that it shall always be plainly visible. The said number plates shall be kept clean with the numbers legible and shall not be obscured or the appearance obstructed in any manner by the installation of any device obscuring said numbers, and during the period when the vehicle or trailer is required to display lights the rear register number shall be illuminated so as to be plainly visible at a distance of sixty feet. No number plates other than such as are procured from the registrar or such as may be authorized by him for temporary use, except as provided in section three, shall be displayed on any motor vehicle or trailer so operated; provided, that a motor vehicle or trailer which by reason of its interstate operation is registered in this commonwealth and elsewhere may display the register number plates of this and any other state or country in which it is registered, if, while being operated on the ways of this commonwealth, the number plates furnished by the registrar, or temporary number plates authorized by him as hereinafter provided, are displayed as required hereby. If any number plate supplied by the registrar is lost or mutilated or if the register number thereon becomes illegible, the owner or person in control of the vehicle for which said number plate was furnished shall make application for a new number plate, and thereupon the registrar shall issue to such applicant a permit allowing him to place a temporary number plate bearing his register number on said vehicle until a number plate of the regular design is made and delivered to said applicant; provided, that all such temporary number plates and the register numbers thereon shall conform to the regular number plates and be displayed as nearly as may be as herein provided for said regular number plates. Any motor vehicle or trailer may, if duly registered, be operated, pushed, drawn or towed or remain upon any way between the hours of twelve o'clock noon on the date on which its registration expires and twelve o'clock noon on the following day, if the following day is the first day of the new registration period, and if such vehicle or trailer displays its register number for either registration period as otherwise required by this section.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 18 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1925–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Bernard, 3 N.E.3d 1113 (Mass. App. Ct. 2014).
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Commonwealth v. Bernard, 3 N.E.3d 1113 (Mass. App. Ct. 2014). · cites it 9× “At issue is a State trooper’s decision, based on G. L. c. 90, § 6, to stop a vehicle because it had a tinted plastic cover over its rear license plate.”
United States v. Starks, 301 F. Supp. 2d 76 (D. Mass. 2004). · cites it 5× “Officer Kalp decided to stop the vehicle for a violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 6 . 1 The officers pulled the Jeep over in the Holiday Inn parking lot in front of the entrance to the hotel.”
Commonwealth v. Miller, 944 N.E.2d 179 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 5× “23(3) (2008), did not exceed the scope of the enabling statute, G. L. c. 90, § 6, as amended through St. 1971, c.”
Commonwealth v. Daley, 672 N.E.2d 101 (Mass. 1996). “See G. L. c. 90, §§ 6, 9, and 34J (1994 ed.).”
Shapiro v. Lyon, 149 N.E. 543 (Mass. 1925). · cites it 2× “Lyon testified, in substance, that the front registration plate of the Ford car had been lost on July 28,1921, and that he had, or had caused to be put in its place, a “substitute paper plate”; and that there had been no application to the registrar of motor vehicles for a new…”
Commonwealth v. Barbosa, 961 N.E.2d 560 (Mass. 2012). “The defendant was found responsible on a charge of registration plate violations, G. L. c. 90, §§ 6 and 6C. This finding was filed and is not before us.”
Commonwealth v. Starr, 773 N.E.2d 981 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002). “In pertinent part, G. L. c. 90, § 6, requires that “[ejvery motor vehicle or trailer .”
Commonwealth v. Barbosa, 931 N.E.2d 60 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). “The defendant also was found responsible on charges of license plate violations, G. L. c. 90, §§ 6 and 6C. The defendant does not challenge the search of the vehicle.”
Staley v. Wilbur, 155 N.E. 659 (Mass. 1927). “110 , the owner had substituted temporary number plates for his regular registration plates, without having a permit to make that substitution (G. L. c. 90, § 6), and the court held that the operation of the automobile on a.”
Commonwealth v. Pizzano, 260 N.E.2d 643 (Mass. 1970). “…alleges that on July 21, 1968, the defendant operated a motorcycle without displaying proper registration plates. (G. L. c. 90, § 6.)”
STANDIFIRD v. Town of Boxborough, 84 F. Supp. 2d 213 (D. Mass. 2000). · cites it 2× “In particular, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 9 prohibits towing a trailer upon any Massachusetts way unless the trailer is registered with the Commonwealth.”
State v. Hunt, 302 S.W.3d 859 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2009). “§ 32:304(C); Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 90, § 6 ; Mich. Comp.”
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