Signs/ Plates

A vehicle registration plate, usually called license plate or number plate (often referred to simply as a plate, or colloquially tag) is a small metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. more...

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On many vehicles, they appear in pairs, with one attached to the front and another attached to the rear, although certain jurisdictions and/or vehicle types only require one plate, usually the rear. The plate has a serial number or other alphanumeric number on it which is specific for the vehicle; all plates attached to that vehicle display this number. This number, when coupled with other information on the plates (such as the color scheme, name of the issuing jurisdiction, and/or the type of vehicle) is unique to the vehicle and identifies it in government databases by make, model, year, VIN, and the name and address of the vehicle's registered owner. The unique nature of each set of license plates also makes them useful for vehicle indentification by other entities, such as automobile insurance companies, service stations, parking facilities, and within fleets. In certain jurisdictions, having a current license plate can also be evidence of a vehicle being licensed for use on a public highway, or of a tax having been paid in connection with the vehicle.

In some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, where they are known as number plates, one set of plates usually remains with a vehicle from its initial sale through its ultimate demise, as the information displayed on the plates is static throughout the vehicle's life. In others, such as some U.S. states, where they are known as license plates, they are required to be changed periodically (though, for cost-saving purposes, the recent tendency has been to simply replace a small decal on the plate's surface). Additionally, some jurisdictions follow a "plate-to-owner" policy, meaning that when a vehicle is sold, the seller removes the current plate(s) from the vehicle and the buyer must either obtain new plates from his jurisdiction of residence, or attach plates that he already holds from that jurisdiction, as well as formally registering the vehicle, under his name and the plate number, with the appropriate authorities. If the person who sold the car then purchases a new car, he can apply to have his old plates put onto this car. Otherwise, depending on the local laws involved, he must turn them in, destroy them, or simply keep them if he wishes.

Plates usually are either directly fixed to a vehicle or located in a plate frame which is itself fixed to the vehicle. Sometimes the plate frames contain advertisements inserted by the vehicle service center or the dealership from which the vehicle was purchased. Vehicle owners can also purchase customized and specialty frames to replace the original frames. In some U.S. states, license plate frames are illegal. Plates are usually designed to conform to certain standards of clarity with regards to being read by the human eye in day or at night, or by electronic equipment. Some drivers purchase clear, smoke-colored or tinted covers that go over the license plate, usually to prevent such electronic equipment from scanning the license plate number. Although perhaps useful to those avoiding detection from police, these covers are not legal in the entire United States and their use is discouraged in other countries.

Read more at Wikipedia.org