N.J.S.A. 39:3-33 — Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment.

39:3-33. Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment. 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 to be furnished by the commission; provided, that if two registration plates are issued they 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 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. Amended 1943,c.173; 1952,c.46,s.2; 1968,c.363,s.1; 1973,c.164; 1981,c.133,s.1; 1983,c.428; 1989,c.132,s.1; 1989,c.202,s.1; 2023, c.49. 39:3-33a Additional charge for personalized, courtesy, special license plates. 1. Whenever the Division of Motor Vehicles is authorized to charge an additional application fee for the issuance of a personalized, courtesy or special license plate, the division shall charge that additional application fee only upon the initial issuance of the plate. If a personalized, courtesy or special plate is issued to a lessee in a motor vehicle leasing agreement, upon termination of the lease the lessee may apply to the director to have the plate reissued to another motor vehicle leased or owned by the lessee upon payment of a fee of $4.50. If a personalized, courtesy or special license plate is issued to an owner of a motor vehicle, the owner may apply to the director to have the plate reissued to another motor vehicle leased or owned by the owner upon payment of a fee of $4.50. Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the division from charging, at the time of annual registration renewal, the payment of the additional fee which has been required under any other section of law for a special license plate. L.1999,c.192,s.1. 39:3-33b Subsequent personalized, courtesy, special license plates permitted. 1. a. The lessee in a motor vehicle leasing agreement or the owner of a motor vehicle who obtains a base set of personalized, courtesy or special license plates with special identifying marks may obtain and use subsequent sets in a series for use upon other motor vehicles if they are owned or leased from the same or different lessor by that person, provided that there is sufficient space for the series' subscript. b. The fees for the subsequent sets in a series shall be prescribed by the director. c. The administrator may promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act. L. 2001, c.35, s.1; amended L.2004,c.91. 39:3-33c Merchandise intended to conceal, degrade license plate legibility prohibited; fine. 1. A person shall not sell, offer for sale, distribute, transfer, purchase, receive, or possess any merchandise, including but not limited to retractable license plate holders, reflective spray, or anti-photograph license plate covers, knowing that such merchandise is designed or intended to be used to conceal or degrade the legibility of any part of any marking imprinted upon a vehicle's license plate for the purpose of evading law enforcement. The penalty for a violation of this section shall be a fine not to exceed $500. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a newspaper that accepts or publishes classified advertising for merchandise that is designed or intended to be used to conceal or degrade the legibility of any part of any marking imprinted upon a vehicle's license plate for the purpose of evading law enforcement. L.2015, c.49, s.1.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 39:3-33, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.