All motor vehicles operated on Minnesota highways must be registered with the state and display valid license plates or registration certificates. This includes cars, motorcycles, scooters, and other vehicles. License plates must be clearly displayed and unobstructed.
Minnesota law specifies where license plates must be placed, depending on the type of vehicle. For most passenger vehicles, two plates are required, one on the front and one on the rear.
Motorcycles, motor scooters, motorized bicycles, sidecars, trailers with a registered gross weight over 3,000 pounds, and semi-trailers require only one license plate displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The plate must be displayed horizontally or vertically, with the numbers and letters facing outward.
Small trailers with a registered gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less and registered for life will have a plate or sticker affixed to the side of the trailer frame near the hitch.
Certain vehicles are exempt from displaying license plates, such as roadable aircraft.
Antique and collector vehicles may be allowed to display only one license plate on the rear or may choose to display one plate on the front and one on the rear.
Truck tractors, road tractors, and farm trucks are only required to display one license plate on the front of the vehicle. This does not include semi-trailers and trailers.
All license plates must be securely fastened to prevent them from swinging, displayed horizontally with the numbers and letters facing outward, and mounted in an upright position. Drivers must keep their license plates clean, legible, and unobstructed by dirt or any other material. It is illegal to cover any letters, numbers, or the name of the state of origin on the license plate with any material, including transparent or colorless material.
Minnesota license plates display the month of expiration in the lower left corner and the year of expiration in the lower right corner of each plate. Fleet vehicle license plates will either display fleet registration validation stickers or have distinct plates with “FLEET REG” displayed in the bottom center of each plate.
Tax-exempt vehicles must have tax-exempt license plates and follow vehicle marking requirements. This makes it easy for authorities to identify tax-exempt vehicles. Failure to comply with registration and license plate display regulations may result in fines.
