Pennsylvania could soon join the ranks of “front-plater” states like New York and New Jersey under one state lawmaker’s proposal.
State Sen. Katie Muth, D-Montgomery, plans to introduce legislation that would require both front and back license plates on all vehicles in the state. Pennsylvania is one of 22 states that does not require them for most vehicles.
Muth said in a memo to Senate members last week that adding front plates would improve vehicle identification and improve public safety.
“Far too often there are hit-and-run accidents, traffic incidents, or crimes committed where only the front of a vehicle is captured by cameras or witnesses,” she said.
PennDOT reported 45,800 hit-and-run crashes statewide from 2022 to 2024. Throughout the state, cities such as Allentown have implemented anticrime surveillance technology that includes license-plate readers.
Muth said not only would the front plates help law enforcement, but they would also help witnesses and private cameras more easily identify vehicles. They could also improve toll collections, she said in the memo.
On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, there has been a surge in toll scofflaws in recent years, particularly following the switch to all-electronic tolling in May 2020. Toll collectors have been replaced with license-plate readers, and motorists that don’t have E-Z Pass transponders get a bill sent to them in the mail. While some motorists simply don’t pay their bills, other scofflaws take steps to avoid their plates from being seen by the cameras.
Twenty-eight states, including nearby New Jersey, New York and Maryland, already require plates on the front and back of their vehicles. Legislation requiring front plates in Florida is also pending.
Pennsylvania once did require front license plates on all vehicles, though the experiment was short-lived. The state introduced the requirement in 1946 but reversed course by 1952, according to eTags.com, which provides information about motor vehicle registration throughout the United States.
While the Keystone State mulls joining the ranks of the “front-platers,” Utah this year has gone in the opposite direction by dropping its front-plate requirement. Lawmakers there cited saving money as a reason for the switch.
Muth, whose district also covers parts of Berks and Chester counties, did not specify when she plans on introducing her legislation, only saying it would be “in the near future.”
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