2023 New York Laws › VAT - Vehicle and Traffic › Title 4 - Registration of Vehicles › Article 14 - Registration of Motor Vehicles › 402 - Distinctive Number; Form of Number Plates; Trailers.

§ 402. Distinctive  number; form of number plates; trailers. 1. (a) No
person shall operate, drive or  park  a  motor  vehicle  on  the  public
highways  of  this  state  unless  such vehicle shall have a distinctive
number assigned to it by the commissioner and a  set  of  number  plates
issued by the commissioner with a number and other identification matter
if  any,  corresponding  to  that  of  the  certificate  of registration
conspicuously displayed, one on the front and one on the  rear  of  such
vehicle,  each securely fastened so as to prevent the same from swinging
and placed, whenever reasonably possible, not  higher  than  forty-eight
inches  and  not  lower  than  twelve  inches from the ground; provided,
however, that in any registration year for which only one  number  plate
is issued, such number plate shall constitute a set of number plates for
the time in which such use is authorized, shall be displayed on the rear
of  the vehicle and none shall be displayed on its front, except in case
of a tractor, when such number plate shall be displayed on the front  of
the vehicle and none shall be displayed on its rear.
(b)  * (i)  Number plates shall be kept clean and in a condition so as
to be easily readable and shall not be covered by glass or  any  plastic
material.
* NB Effective until September 1, 2024
* (i) Number plates shall be kept clean and in a condition so as to be
easily readable.
* NB Effective September 1, 2024
* (ii) Number plates shall not be knowingly covered or coated with any
artificial  or synthetic material or substance that conceals or obscures
such number plates or that distorts a recorded or photographic image  of
such number plates.
* NB Effective until September 1, 2024
* (ii) Number plates shall not be knowingly covered or coated with any
material  or  substance  that conceals or obscures such number plates or
that distorts a recorded or photographic image of such number plates.
* NB Effective September 1, 2024
* (ii-a) Number plates shall not be covered by glass  or  any  plastic
material,  nor  shall  they be covered with a material appearing to be a
number plate for display as proof of lawful registration but  which  has
not  been lawfully issued by the commissioner, the commissioner's agent,
or the equivalent official or  agents  from  another  state,  territory,
district, province, nation or other jurisdiction.
* NB Effective September 1, 2024
(iii)  The  view  of such number plates shall not be obstructed by any
part of the vehicle  or  by  anything  carried  thereon,  except  for  a
receiver-transmitter  issued  by  a  publicly  owned tolling facility in
connection    with    electronic    toll    collection     when     such
receiver-transmitter  is  affixed  to  the  exterior  of  a  vehicle  in
accordance with mounting instructions provided by the tolling facility.
2. Such number plates shall be of  such  material,  form,  design  and
dimensions  and contain or set forth such distinguishing number or other
identification marks as  the  commissioner  shall  prescribe,  provided,
however,  that there shall be at all times a marked contrast between the
color of the number plates and that of the numerals or letters  thereon,
and  provided further that no vehicle shall display the number plates of
more than one state at a time except where the vehicle is required to be
registered in more than one state, and provided further that the  number
plates  of  a  rental  vehicle  shall  not display any indication of the
rental status of such vehicle nor shall any plate  be  used  other  than
those issued by the commissioner.
3.  No person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle drawing a trailer
on the public highways of the state, unless such trailer  shall  have  a

distinctive number assigned to it by the commissioner and a number plate
issued  by  such commissioner with a number corresponding to that of the
certificate of registration displayed and fastened on the  rear  in  the
manner  provided  for  number plates on the rear of a motor vehicle. The
provisions of subdivision two of this section relating to number  plates
for  motor  vehicles  shall apply to number plates for any such trailer.
The provisions  of  this  subdivision  shall  not  apply  when  a  newly
constructed  trailer is being drawn to or from a weighing station solely
for the purpose of determining the weight thereof.
4. No person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle  upon  the  public
highways of this state having displayed thereon number plates not proper
for  such  vehicle  under  the  provisions  of  this chapter and, upon a
conviction for this offense, the number plates shall be  surrendered  to
the  court  for delivery to the commissioner. The failure to produce the
certificate of registration or registration renewal stub  of  a  vehicle
shall be presumptive evidence of displaying number plates not proper for
the  vehicle. Every annual number plate issued shall remain the property
of the state until the correct registration fee is  paid.  Every  number
plate  of  a  permanent  nature  for use with a removable date tag which
shall be issued shall remain the property of the state unless and  until
the  commissioner  finds that the state no longer has use for it. Number
plates belonging to  the  state  shall  be  under  the  control  of  the
commissioner.
5. No person shall knowingly authorize or permit a number plate issued
for  a  motor  vehicle  or  trailer  owned  and  registered by him to be
displayed on any motor vehicle or trailer other than a motor vehicle  or
trailer   to   which   such  number  plate  has  been  assigned  by  the
commissioner, or upon which such number plate may legally  be  displayed
under  a  temporary certificate of registration issued by a dealer under
the provisions of section four hundred twenty of this chapter.
6. No owner shall knowingly cause or permit a vehicle owned by him  to
be  operated, driven or parked upon the public highways of this state in
violation of this section. Any violation of  this  section  that  occurs
while  a  motor  vehicle  is parked on the public highways of this state
shall constitute a parking violation.
* 7.  It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person,  firm,   partnership,
association, limited liability company or corporation to sell, offer for
sale or distribute any artificial or synthetic material or substance for
the purpose of application to a number plate that will, upon application
to  a  number  plate,  distort  a recorded or photographic image of such
number plate.
* NB Effective until September 1, 2024
* 7.  It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person,  firm,   partnership,
association, limited liability company or corporation to sell, offer for
sale or distribute any:
(a)  artificial  or synthetic material or substance for the purpose of
application to a number plate that will, upon application  to  a  number
plate, distort a recorded or photographic image of such number plate; or
(b)  plate  cover,  material or device for the purpose of installation
on, near or around a number plate that will, upon installation on,  near
or  around  a  number  plate, obstruct or obscure all or any part of the
distinguishing number or  other  identification  marks  of  such  number
plate; or
(c)  a material appearing to be a number plate for display as proof of
lawful registration but which  has  not  been  lawfully  issued  by  the
commissioner,  the  commissioner's  agent, or the equivalent official or
agents from another state,  territory,  district,  province,  nation  or
other jurisdiction.
* NB Effective September 1, 2024
* 8.  A violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not
less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, except  that  a
violation of subparagraph (ii) or subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of
subdivision  one  of  this  section shall be punishable by a fine of not
less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars.
* NB Effective until September 1, 2024
* 8. A violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of  not
less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, except that:
(a)   A   violation  of  subparagraph  (ii),  subparagraph  (ii-a)  or
subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of  this  section
shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than
five hundred dollars.
(b)  A  person  convicted  of  a  violation  of subparagraph (ii-a) of
paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this  section  shall  surrender  the
glass or plastic covering or material appearing to be a number plate, as
applicable,  to the court or administrative tribunal for delivery to the
commissioner.
(c) Upon conviction of a violation of subparagraph (ii)  of  paragraph
(b)  of  subdivision  one  of  this section, the court or administrative
tribunal having jurisdiction may, in addition to any penalty that may be
imposed for such  violation,  order  the  removal  of  any  material  or
substance   that   conceals  or  obscures  such  number  plates  or  the
replacement of such number plates.
* NB Effective September 1, 2024