§ 1332. Display of registration plate.
(a) General rule.--Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle
to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations
promulgated by the department.
(a.1) Motorcycle registration plate.--
(1) A registration plate issued for a motorcycle may be mounted on the motorcycle in a
vertical manner if:
(i) the identifying characters on the plate are displayed in a vertical alignment; and
(ii) the mounting complies with all other provisions of this section.
(2) A registration plate that has its identifying characters displayed horizontally shall
not be displayed and mounted vertically.
(3) The department shall produce a registration plate for motorcycles which displays the
identifying characters on the plate in a vertical alignment. The department shall
issue such a plate upon request and upon payment of a fee of $20, which shall be in
addition to the annual registration fee.
(4) No later than January 1, 2016, the department shall report to the chairman and minority
chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority
chairman of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives on the number
of motorcycle registration plates issued in a vertical alignment, the cost of issuance
and any required revision to the fee so as to maintain necessary financial support
for the highway system in this Commonwealth.
(b) Obscuring plate.--It is unlawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which:
(1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the number or letters thereon at a reasonable
distance;
(2) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits
the proper operation of an automated red light enforcement system in place pursuant
to section 3116 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in first class
cities) or 3117 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in certain municipalities)
or any other automated enforcement system authorized by this title or an electronic
toll collection system as authorized under 74 Pa.C.S. § 8117 (relating to electronic
toll collection);
(3) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner at a reasonable
distance;
(4) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits
the visibility of the issuing jurisdiction at a reasonable distance; or
(5) has a tinted plate cover.
(b.1) Construction.--Nothing under subsection (b) shall be construed to prohibit a vehicle from being affixed
with a registration plate frame that minimally outlines the registration plate in
such a manner that the registration plate's number and issuing jurisdiction is identifiable
by an automated enforcement system under subsection (b)(2) or by law enforcement.
(c) Penalty for obscured plate.--Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) or (4) commits a summary offense and shall,
upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100.
(d) Validating registration stickers.--Validating registration stickers shall not be issued or required to be displayed.
(Feb. 9, 2004, P.L.65, No.8; July 2, 2012, P.L.735, No.84, eff. 90 days; Nov. 25,
2013, P.L.974, No.89; Nov. 4, 2016, P.L.1277, No.165, eff. 9 months; Nov. 3, 2022,
P.L.1734, No.112)
2022 Amendment. Act 112 amended subsec. (b) and added subsec. (b.1). Section 10(1)(ii) of Act 112
provided that the amendment or addition of subsecs. (b)(2), (3) and (4) and (b.1)
shall take effect immediately and the remainder of the section shall take effect in
60 days.
2016 Amendment. Act 165 amended subsecs. (b) and (c).
2013 Amendment. Act 89 added subsecs. (a.1) and (d), effective in 90 days as to subsec. (a.1) and
December 31, 2016, as to subsec. (d). See the preamble to Act 89 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating
to legislative findings and declarations.
Cross References. Section 1332 is referred to in sections 6110.1, 6309.1 of this title.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
19
cases (
11 in the last 5 years), 1994–2026 · leading case:
Com. v. Ruffin, D., 282 A.3d 796 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).
Com. v. Ruffin, D., 282 A.3d 796 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).
· cites it 6× “75 Pa.C.S. § 1332 (emphasis added). Plainly, investigation beyond the officer’s initial observations would have provided no additional information to Officer Kristensen as to whether a violation of § 1332(b) occurred.”
Com. v. Cahill, M., 324 A.3d 516 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
· cites it 5× “When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
Commonwealth v. Klingensmith, 650 A.2d 444 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1994).
· cites it 2× “75 Pa.C.S. § 1332. 4 . In addition, the trial court found appellant guilty of the latter summary offenses.”
Com. v. Cahill, M., 2024 Pa. Super. 202 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
· cites it 5× “When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
Com. v. Retzler, W. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
· cites it 7× “” 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(1). Photographs of the obscured license plate were submitted as Exhibits C-1 and C-2.”
Com. v. Robinson, K. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025).
· cites it 3× “Further, Appellant argues that police did not have -4- J-S33020-25 reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop his vehicle based upon a violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332. See id. at 18-23. Appellant again argues that the suppression court’s factual findings are not supported by…”
Com. v. Davis, W. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025).
· cites it 2× “____________________________________________ 3 The suppression court later opined that the license plate frame did not violate subsection 1332(b)(4) of the Vehicle Code and therefore did not provide probable cause for a stop.”
Com. v. Liptok, J., Jr. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
· cites it 2× “1 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(3). Appellant also appears to challenge an alleged conviction for improperly having emergency signals on his vehicle, but he was not convicted of that offense.”
C. Pedro v. Bureau of Admin. Adjudication (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2018).
“§1301, if the vehicle does not display a registration plate as required by [Section 1332,] 75 Pa. C.S. §1332, if the vehicle is not covered by financial responsibility as required by [Section 1786,] 75 Pa.”
G.M. Martinez v. City of Reading Police PA DOT (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2023).
“”); (3) Section 1332(a), 75 Pa. C.S. §1332(a) (“Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations promulgated by [DOT].”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(a) — 7 cases
Commonwealth v. Klingensmith, 650 A.2d 444 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1994).
“75 Pa.C.S. § 1332. 4 . In addition, the trial court found appellant guilty of the latter summary offenses.”
G.M. Martinez v. City of Reading Police PA DOT (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2023).
“”); (3) Section 1332(a), 75 Pa. C.S. §1332(a) (“Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations promulgated by [DOT].”
Com. v. Robinson, K. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025).
“Further, Appellant argues that police did not have -4- J-S33020-25 reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop his vehicle based upon a violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332. See id. at 18-23. Appellant again argues that the suppression court’s factual findings are not supported by…”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(b) — 2 cases
Com. v. Cahill, M., 324 A.3d 516 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
Com. v. Cahill, M., 2024 Pa. Super. 202 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(b)(1) — 1 case
Com. v. Retzler, W. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
“” 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(1). Photographs of the obscured license plate were submitted as Exhibits C-1 and C-2.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(b)(2) — 1 case
Com. v. Retzler, W. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
“” 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(1). Photographs of the obscured license plate were submitted as Exhibits C-1 and C-2.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(b)(3) — 5 cases
Com. v. Ruffin, D., 282 A.3d 796 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).
“75 Pa.C.S. § 1332 (emphasis added). Plainly, investigation beyond the officer’s initial observations would have provided no additional information to Officer Kristensen as to whether a violation of § 1332(b) occurred.”
Com. v. Cahill, M., 324 A.3d 516 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
Com. v. Cahill, M., 2024 Pa. Super. 202 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“When the General Assembly later added a provision to permit certain registration plate frames, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b.1), it directed that the addition “shall take effect immediately.”
Com. v. Liptok, J., Jr. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
“1 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(3). Appellant also appears to challenge an alleged conviction for improperly having emergency signals on his vehicle, but he was not convicted of that offense.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(c) — 1 case
Com. v. Retzler, W. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).
“” 75 Pa.C.S. § 1332(b)(1). Photographs of the obscured license plate were submitted as Exhibits C-1 and C-2.”
— 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1332(d) — 1 case
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