Bill Text: NJ A5134 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Eliminates front registration plate and requires issuance of single rear registration plate.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-28 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A5134 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5134-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Eliminates front registration plate and requires issuance of single rear registration plate.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning registration plates, amending R.S.39:3-33, and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.39:3-33 is amended to read as follows:
39:3-33. The owner of an automobile which is driven on the public highways of this State shall display not less than 12 inches nor more than 48 inches from the ground in a horizontal position, and in such a way as not to swing, [a registration plate or plates] a single registration plate to be furnished by the commission [; provided, that if two registration plates are issued they] , which registration plate shall be displayed on the [front and] rear of the vehicle [; and provided, further, that if only one registration plate is issued it shall be displayed on the rear of the vehicle; and] provided [, further,] that the [rear] registration plate may be displayed more than 48 inches from the ground on tank trucks, trailers, and other commercial vehicles carrying inflammable liquids and on sanitation vehicles which are used to collect, transport, and dispose of garbage, solid wastes, and refuse. Motorcycles shall also display a single registration plate [or plates; provided, that if two registration plates are issued they shall be displayed on the front and rear of the motorcycle; and provided, further, that if only one registration plate is issued it shall be displayed] on the rear of the motorcycle.
The registration plate shall contain the number of the registration certificate of the vehicle and shall be of such design and material as prescribed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1989, c.202 (C.39:3-33.9). All registration plates shall be kept clear and distinct and free from grease, dust, or other blurring matter, so as to be plainly visible at all times of the day and night.
A person shall not drive a motor vehicle which has a registration plate frame or holder that conceals or otherwise obscures the name of the State or the registration number furnished by the commission imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate, or any part of any insert which the commission, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate, or that conceals or otherwise obscures the name of the State, the registration number, or the expiration date on any temporary registration certificate or temporary registration plate issued by the commission. It shall not be a violation of this section and therefore not a basis for a lawful stop if part of the name of the State or the registration number imprinted on a vehicle's registration plate, or part of an insert issued by the commission inserted in or attached to the registration plate, or part of the name of the State, the registration number, or the expiration date on a temporary registration certificate or temporary registration plate is concealed or otherwise obscured in a way such that the information to which this provision applies can still reasonably be identified or discerned. The Attorney General shall issue such guidance as the Attorney General deems necessary for law enforcement officers to properly interpret and enforce the provisions of this section.
The chief administrator is authorized and empowered to issue registration plate inserts, to be inserted in and attached to the registration plates described herein. They may be issued in the place of new registration plates; and inscribed thereon, in numerals, shall be the year in which registration of the vehicle has been granted.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle the owner of which has not complied with the provisions of this subtitle concerning the proper registration and identification thereof, nor drive a motor vehicle which displays a fictitious number, or a number other than that designated for the motor vehicle in its registration certificate. During the period of time between the application for motor vehicle registration and the receipt of registration plates from the commission, no person shall affix a plate for the purpose of advertisement in the position on a motor vehicle normally reserved for the display of the registration plates required by this section if the plate is designed with a combination of letters, numbers, colors, or words to resemble the registration plates required by this section.
A person convicted of displaying a fictitious number, as prohibited herein, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days.
A person violating any other provision of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100. In default of the payment thereof, there shall be imposed an imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 10 days. A person convicted of a second offense of the same violation may be fined in double the amount herein prescribed for the first offense and may, in default of the payment thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 20 days. These penalties shall not apply to the display of a fictitious number.
(cf: P.L.2023, c.49, s.1)
2. (New section) Any person who was issued two registration plates prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall return one registration plate to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in a manner to be determined by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and display a single registration plate on the rear of the vehicle pursuant to R.S.39:3-33.
3. (New section) The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall conduct a public awareness campaign to inform New Jersey residents about the new registration plate requirements pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and the potential benefits of this change.
4. (New section) No later than one year following the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Chief Administrator of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature. The report shall include, at a minimum, an analysis of the cost savings associated with the elimination of the requirement for the display of a front registration plate.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month following enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill amends current law to require the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue one registration plate for each automobile and motorcycle registered in the State. The bill requires that the single registration plate be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The bill requires any person who was issued two registration plates prior to the effective date of the bill to return one of those plates to the commission in a manner to be determined by the commission. The bill requires the commission to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform New Jersey residents about the new registration plate requirements and the potential benefits of this change. The bill also requires the chief administrator to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature that includes an analysis of the cost savings associated with the elimination of the requirement for the display of a front registration plate.
It is the sponsor's intent to reduce unnecessary costs and inconvenience on New Jersey drivers by eliminating the requirement of having a front registration plate. The sponsor believes that issuing a single rear registration plate will reduce production and delivery costs significantly and contribute to environmental sustainability by minimizing waste. Additionally, the sponsor believes that modern vehicles are increasingly equipped with safety technologies that can be obstructed or damaged by front registration plate installation. The sponsor believes that the financial challenges facing the State necessitate prudent fiscal measures, including the reduction of unnecessary expenses related to the production and issuance of front registration plates.
