Ohio Front License Plates
Ohioans will soon be required to have only one license plate – well maybe. As part of a highway funding bill that raises gasoline taxes to 38 cents a gallon and imposes hefty registration fees on electric cars, a new regulation would eliminate the need for a front license plate in Ohio. The law would go into effect on July 1.
Ohio would join Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and fifteen other states in only requiring a front license plate.
But don’t start removing those license plates yet. The measure is still controversial. While those in favor of removing the front plates say it’s just an extra expense, especially considering that states bordering Ohio don’t require front plates, others argue that it’s a necessary tool for law enforcement.
According to State Senator Jay Hottinger, “The loss of that tool would diminish the ability of Ohio’s law enforcement agencies to identify violations of law and bring perpetrators of crime to appropriate justice.”
Hottinger and former Senator Joe Uecker introduced SB 179 to bring back the front plates before they can even be eliminated. Uecker left the Senate to go to work for the Ohio Department of Transportation, so you can expect he’ll continue to advocate against removing the license plate.
The bill had its first hearing before the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee in early December. Keeping the front plates is also backed by law enforcement agencies, school bus drivers, rideshare companies, and the Ohio Prosecutors Association.
Ohio Front License Plates
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