Idaho Code § 49-428
This is the official text of Idaho Code § 49-428, part of Idaho’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of Idaho, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
49-428 DISPLAY OF PLATE.
Official statutory text
49-428. Display of plate. (1) License plates assigned to a motor vehicle shall be attached, one (1) in the front, if the vehicle is equipped with a front license plate mounting bracket, and the other in the rear, with the exception of the following:
(a) The license plate assigned to a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, utility type vehicle, motorbike or semitrailer and the license plate assigned to a motor vehicle operated by a manufacturer, repossession agent or dealer shall be attached to the rear.
(b) Vehicles displaying year of manufacture, old timer, classic car, street rod, or custom vehicle license plates shall be allowed to display one (1) plate attached to the rear of the vehicle.
(c) The license plate attached to a tractor shall be attached to the front.
(d) The wrecker plate shall be displayed on the vehicle being towed in such a manner as to be visible when the vehicle being towed is approached from the rear.
License plates shall be displayed during the current registration year. For the purposes of this title, the license plates together with the registration card shall be considered as license plates for the year designated on the registration card.
(2) Every license plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned to prevent the plate from swinging, be at a height not less than twelve (12) inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, be in a place and position to be clearly visible, and be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.
History:
[49-428, added 1988, ch. 265, sec. 90, p. 621; am. 1990, ch. 391, sec. 3, p. 1095; am. 1992, ch. 35, sec. 18, p. 121; am. 1998, ch. 392, sec. 9, p. 1211; am. 2008, ch. 409, sec. 5, p. 1132; am. 2009, ch. 287, sec. 2, p. 862; am. 2020, ch. 125, sec. 4, p. 386; am. 2021, ch. 149, sec. 28, p. 420; am. 2021, ch. 200, sec. 2, p. 550; am. 2025, ch. 316, sec. 2, p. 1321; am. 2026, ch. 9, sec. 7, p. 70.]
(a) The license plate assigned to a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, utility type vehicle, motorbike or semitrailer and the license plate assigned to a motor vehicle operated by a manufacturer, repossession agent or dealer shall be attached to the rear.
(b) Vehicles displaying year of manufacture, old timer, classic car, street rod, or custom vehicle license plates shall be allowed to display one (1) plate attached to the rear of the vehicle.
(c) The license plate attached to a tractor shall be attached to the front.
(d) The wrecker plate shall be displayed on the vehicle being towed in such a manner as to be visible when the vehicle being towed is approached from the rear.
License plates shall be displayed during the current registration year. For the purposes of this title, the license plates together with the registration card shall be considered as license plates for the year designated on the registration card.
(2) Every license plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned to prevent the plate from swinging, be at a height not less than twelve (12) inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, be in a place and position to be clearly visible, and be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.
History:
[49-428, added 1988, ch. 265, sec. 90, p. 621; am. 1990, ch. 391, sec. 3, p. 1095; am. 1992, ch. 35, sec. 18, p. 121; am. 1998, ch. 392, sec. 9, p. 1211; am. 2008, ch. 409, sec. 5, p. 1132; am. 2009, ch. 287, sec. 2, p. 862; am. 2020, ch. 125, sec. 4, p. 386; am. 2021, ch. 149, sec. 28, p. 420; am. 2021, ch. 200, sec. 2, p. 550; am. 2025, ch. 316, sec. 2, p. 1321; am. 2026, ch. 9, sec. 7, p. 70.]
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Idaho?
Find a Idaho lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.