of Tennessee statutes states that the registration plate issued for passenger vehicles and trucks under ¾-ton should be attached to the rear of the vehicle. This also applies to motorcycles, motorhomes, and trailers. The registration plate for trucks weighing more than ¾-ton and truck tractors should be affixed to the front of the vehicle.

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Classic car insurance in Tennessee

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What is the penalty for driving without a license plate in Tennessee?

Whether your Tennessee license plate is on the rear of your car or the front of your 1-ton truck, it has to be displayed properly at all times. Driving without a properly-displayed license plate is a primary offense and a Class C misdemeanor in Tennessee, which means it carries a $50 fine and the potential for up to 30 days in jail.

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Which US states do not require a front license plate?

Tennessee is among the 19 states in the U.S. that do not require a front license plate. Here is the full list of states that don’t require a front plate.

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Michigan

Mississippi

New Mexico

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

West Virginia

Why doesn’t Tennessee require a front license plate?

While we’d love to have a well-researched reason for why Tennessee and the other “Rugged Nineteen” states don’t require a front plate, it really boils down to one thing: aesthetics. Tennessee residents don’t like the look of a front plate.

Some will argue they obstruct airflow on some of your fancier cars, but there’s little to no empirical evidence to support that. Others may argue that a front plate doesn’t make it any easier to identify your vehicle, but there are literal piles of evidence refuting this. Not only can a front plate make your vehicle easier for law enforcement to identify—especially in cases of vehicle theft—but one can also make it easier for onlookers to report in cases of witnessed crimes, like hit and runs.

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Does my car insurance cover car theft?

How to find cheap car insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee and the other “Rugged Nineteen” states may be “hands-off” when it comes to requiring a front license plate, but that’s not the case when it comes to

car insurance

. Tennessee—and the rest of the Nineteen—all require drivers to carry

minimum amounts of coverage

to drive legally. But just because

car insurance is required

doesn’t mean it can’t be affordable.

When you shop for insurance with

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