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Licence plateUnited States

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of United States. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.

Traffic signs
Traffic rules
United States

72. Licence plate

A licence plate, also called a registration plate or number plate, is a plate displaying a unique registration identifier assigned to a vehicle by the competent registration authority. It allows the vehicle to be identified for purposes such as registration, traffic enforcement, taxation, insurance and parking control.

The appearance, format, placement and number of plates required vary between countries and vehicle categories. Drivers must ensure that required licence plates are correctly fitted, clearly visible and legible and must follow the local rules when a plate is lost, stolen, damaged or replaced.

Licence plate
License plate of the United States.
Wikimedia.org • Kgbo • CC BY-SA
What is a licence plate?

A licence plate is a plate displaying the registration identifier assigned to a vehicle. It allows authorities and other authorised systems to identify the vehicle's registration.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Articles 35–37 and Annex 2, vehicle registration and registration numbers; international framework subject to national law

Is a licence plate the same as a registration plate?

Yes. Licence plate, registration plate and number plate are different terms commonly used for the plate displaying a vehicle's official registration number.

🔗 wetten.overheid.nl • Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Articles 35–37 and Annex 2, vehicle registration and registration numbers; international framework subject to national law

What should you do if a licence plate is lost or stolen?

Follow the local reporting and replacement procedure. For example, UK guidance says stolen plates should be reported to the police and DVLA, and replacement plates are needed before driving. Check the registration authority’s procedure for a lost plate; it may differ from the theft process.

🔗 gov.uk • UK Government, stolen registration plates

1 United States 2 Motorway 3 Expressway 4 Speed limit 5 Minimum speed 6 Advisory speed 7 Bike path 8 Pedestrian warning 9 Tunnel 10 Bridge 11 Speed bump 12 Toll road 13 One-way traffic 14 Slope 15 Bus lane 16 Bus stop 17 Dead end 18 Stop sign 19 Give way 20 Roundabout 21 Road narrowing 22 Pedestrian crossing 23 Railway crossing 24 Mandatory direction 25 Turn prohibition 26 School area 27 Crossing animals 28 Slippery road 29 Rockfall 30 Aircraft 31 Curve 32 Chevron 33 Wrong-way driving 34 Roadworks 35 Height limit 36 Weight limit 37 Radar speed sign 38 Selective barriers 39 Traffic lights 40 Traffic lights warning 41 Pedestrian lights 42 Road markings 43 Bike box 44 Speed feedback 45 Driving licence 46 Traffic mirror 47 Emergency telephone 48 Cycling route 49 Parking 50 No parking 51 No stopping 52 Parallel parking 53 Park and ride 54 Kiss and ride 55 Disabled parking 56 Traffic management 57 Reversing 58 U-turn 59 Carpool 60 Detour 61 Uncontrolled crossroad 62 Ramp 63 Exit 64 Horse riding 65 Emergency exit 66 Runaway truck ramp 67 Oversize load 68 City limit 69 Tourist attraction 70 Horn 71 Axle weight limit 72 Licence plate 73 Charging station 74 Flooding 75 Dip 76 Horse 77 Local traffic 78 Pedestrian 79 Cyclist 80 Motorcycle 81 Truck 82 Bus 83 Police 84 Ambulance 85 Police signals 86 Gravel road 87 Pothole 88 Median strip 89 Public property 90 Path 91 Particulates 92 Air pollution 93 Interchange 94 Rush hour 95 Filling station 96 Road code 97 Two-way traffic 98 Passing lane 99 Street gutter 100 Road debris ...