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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>67466</law_id><section_number>46.2-711</section_number><catch_line>Furnishing number and design of plates; displaying on vehicles required</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.48:1</reference><reference>46.2-1548</reference><reference>46.2-1553</reference><reference>46.2-697</reference><reference>46.2-714</reference><reference>46.2-730</reference><reference>46.2-908.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Titling, Registration and Licensure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Titling and Registration of Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="9">License Plates, Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall furnish one <span class="dictionary">license plate</span> for every registered <span class="dictionary">moped</span>, <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span>, <span class="dictionary">autocycle</span>, <span class="dictionary">tractor truck</span>, <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, and two <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for every other registered <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, except to licensed <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> dealers and persons delivering unladen <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> who shall be furnished one <span class="dictionary">license plate</span>. The <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for <span class="dictionary">trailers</span>, <span class="dictionary">semitrailers</span>, commercial <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span>, and <span class="dictionary">trucks</span>, other than <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for dealers, may be of such design as to prevent removal without mutilating some part of the indicia forming a part of the <span class="dictionary">license plate</span>, when secured to the bracket. <a id="paragraph-244465" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> appropriately designated <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for: <a id="paragraph-244466" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Passenger-carrying <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> for rent or hire for the transportation of passengers for private trips, other than TNC partner <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/46.2-2000/">46.2-2000</a> and emergency medical services <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> pursuant to clause (iii) of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Registration of vehicles owned and used by volunteer fire departments or volunteer, commercial, or private emergency medical services agencies" href="/46.2-649.1_1/">46.2-649.1:1</a>; <a id="paragraph-244467" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Taxicabs; <a id="paragraph-244468" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Passenger-carrying <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> operated by common carriers or restricted common carriers; <a id="paragraph-244469" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Property-carrying <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> registered pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Contingent effective date &#x2014; see Editor's note) Fees for vehicles not designed or used for transportation of passengers" href="/46.2-697/">46.2-697</a> except <span class="dictionary">pickup or panel trucks</span> as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/46.2-100/">46.2-100</a>; <a id="paragraph-244470" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Applicants, other than TNC partners as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/46.2-2000/">46.2-2000</a> and emergency medical services vehicles pursuant to clause (iii) of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Registration of vehicles owned and used by volunteer fire departments or volunteer, commercial, or private emergency medical services agencies" href="/46.2-649.1_1/">46.2-649.1:1</a>, who operate <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> as passenger carriers for rent or hire; <a id="paragraph-244471" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B6" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Vehicles operated by nonemergency medical transportation carriers as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/46.2-2000/">46.2-2000</a>; and <a id="paragraph-244472" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B7" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> <span class="dictionary">Trailers</span> and <span class="dictionary">semitrailers</span>. <a id="paragraph-244473" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#B7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> appropriately designated <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> held for rental as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/58.1-1735/">58.1-1735</a>. <a id="paragraph-244474" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> appropriately designated <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for <span class="dictionary">low-speed vehicles</span>. <a id="paragraph-244475" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> appropriately designated <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> for <span class="dictionary">military surplus motor vehicles</span> registered pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="License plates for military surplus motor vehicles; fee; penalty" href="/46.2-730.1/">46.2-730.1</a>. <a id="paragraph-244476" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> No vehicles shall be operated on the <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">highways</span></span> in the Commonwealth without displaying the <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> required by this chapter. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to vehicles used to collect and deliver the United States mail to the extent that their rear <span class="dictionary">license plates</span> may be covered by the &#x201C;CAUTION, FREQUENT STOPS, U.S. MAIL&#x201D; sign when the vehicle is engaged in the collection and delivery of the United States mail. <a id="paragraph-244477" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> For any <span class="dictionary">summons</span> issued for a violation of this section, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, in its discretion, dismiss the <span class="dictionary">summons</span>, where proof of compliance with this section is provided to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> on or before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> date. <a id="paragraph-244478" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-711/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 46-96, 46-160; 1950, p. 625; 1954, c. 211; 1958, c. 541, &#xA7; 46.1-99; 1974, cc. 150, 477; 1989, c. 727; 1993, c. 290; 1995, c. 46; 1997, cc. 774, 816; 2001, c. 596; 2005, c. 140; 2011, cc. 405, 639, 881, 889; 2013, c. 783; 2014, cc. 53, 256; 2015, cc. 2, 3; 2016, cc. 125, 133; 2017, cc. 670, 790, 815; 2018, c. 555.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
