Why Does Oregon Require License Plates on the Front and Back?

Let’s be honest: People with strong opinions about their car’s stylish appearance tend to be a-holes.

Traffic on North Denver Avenue, Kenton. (Brian Burk)
By Marty Smith

Why does Oregon require license plates on the front and back? My other travel states (Arizona, Florida and Tennessee) require only the rear plate. We could save money and time by doing the same, freeing up the front for something cool like “DR KNOWS.” —Paul B.

While I appreciate the flattery, Paul, I’ve antagonized The Man enough as it is. The only thing cops hate more than a guy who drives around with no front license plate is a guy who drives around with a fake front license plate featuring a number he made up himself. And anyway, if I ever start sporting “Dr. Know” vanity plates, please kill me, because either I’m having a massive stroke or I’ve been replaced by a particularly tacky alien.

Favorite travel states notwithstanding, Oregon’s front-and-back plate requirement is actually the norm for the majority of the nation. Just 19 states embrace the rear-only model—I don’t have room for a list, but they’re mostly Southern, and (weirdly? obviously?) all but one went for Trump in 2016.

The remaining 31 belt-and-suspenders states (including all of our own state’s nearest neighbors) probably share Oregon’s official position on the matter, which is that displaying a license plate on both ends of the vehicle makes it easier to identify, both for law enforcement and for private citizens.

A cynical observer might add red-light cameras (which often photograph vehicles from the front) to that list. But in spite of what you might suspect, rear plate-only states are just as likely to have such cameras as the front-and-back crowd. This suggests that front plate laws aren’t just a conspiracy to give out more camera tickets. (Probably.)

Whatever the reason for them, the vast majority of drivers are perfectly fine with having front license plates. Those who object tend to fall into two groups: (a) people who think the front plate greatly detracts from the stylish appearance of their expensive sports car, and (b) people who are currently stuck behind a cop at a traffic light while driving a stolen vehicle.

Obviously, I have some sympathy for the latter group, but the former? Let’s be honest: People with strong opinions about their car’s stylish appearance tend to be a-holes. (The fact that a lot of the complaints are coming from Tesla owners doesn’t exactly dispel this impression.) In short: Just put on the damned plate, it won’t kill you.

Questions? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com.

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