Cars should have both, so they can be uniquely identified both coming and going.
For example when you run over a road pedestrian by not stopping for a red light, as he sees you coming and jumps out of the way he might see your plate, whereas once you’ve run over him, cracked his hips and given him a concussion he may not be able to read your rear plate
I see that was added to the conversation: so weird to have opposite terminology. I’ve always heard “tags” refer to the plates, never the registration sticker
MN requires plates on both sides and when you renew your registration they give you tabs for both sides too. It doesn’t make much sense to me to require plates on both sides if you are only going to put the tabs on one side.
I don’t think it’s just you, but I’d never heard someone refer to the registration decal as a tag before you.
I asked ChatGPT in the most neutral way I could think what “tag” meant in relation to motor vehicles just to get an aggregate perspective on what the internet at large says and it turns out both are definitely common:
I wonder if it’s geographic or what. Its odd to me that we both had only encountered one usage and it was the opposite
In response to your other comments, yes I should have said plates instead of tags. Here in MS, they’re basically one and the same, every year you stick a new tag sticker on your plate.
Oh, by the way, here in Mississippi, when you go to get a license plate, the office you go to is the tag office.
Every place I’ve been it’s either the DMV or RMV which isn’t a lot of places but still… Some places the tag goes on your car window not your license plate like NJ
What state requires a front and rear tag? Seems excessive?
Edit: People in here not understanding the difference between a tag and a license plate
Edit apparently it’s common for both to be called tags… Depending where your from… To make this whole thing confusing…
I think most states, I can at least speak for New England and most of the East coast.
I know PA is rear only, but most all of our neighbors have both.
North Carolina also does not do front plates
Cars should have both, so they can be uniquely identified both coming and going.
For example when you run over a road pedestrian by not stopping for a red light, as he sees you coming and jumps out of the way he might see your plate, whereas once you’ve run over him, cracked his hips and given him a concussion he may not be able to read your rear plate
Yeah but my question was for tags not plates
I see that was added to the conversation: so weird to have opposite terminology. I’ve always heard “tags” refer to the plates, never the registration sticker
All of the Northeast.
California requires front and rear plates.
The whole west coast does.
But not tags at least not 8 years ago when I still lived there
MN requires plates on both sides and when you renew your registration they give you tabs for both sides too. It doesn’t make much sense to me to require plates on both sides if you are only going to put the tabs on one side.
I think most countries require front and rear plates. I find it odd yours is kind of 50/50.
It’s more like 40/60, thank you very much.
It varies in Canada
I suspect the USA, Australia and Canada are. But as I say, most country’s probably require front and rear.
Maryland does.
It sounds like maybe you’re talking about the registration decal when you say “tag”.
Virginia requires them on both front and rear plates.
Yeah maybe it’s me but I’ve never heard someone call a licence plate a tag before…
I don’t think it’s just you, but I’d never heard someone refer to the registration decal as a tag before you.
I asked ChatGPT in the most neutral way I could think what “tag” meant in relation to motor vehicles just to get an aggregate perspective on what the internet at large says and it turns out both are definitely common:
I wonder if it’s geographic or what. Its odd to me that we both had only encountered one usage and it was the opposite
Well that could explain a lot of what is so confusing at least to me…
Ohio used to, but now we have county tags instead.
The reasoning had been in case you only saw the front of a reckless driver
In response to your other comments, yes I should have said plates instead of tags. Here in MS, they’re basically one and the same, every year you stick a new tag sticker on your plate.
Oh, by the way, here in Mississippi, when you go to get a license plate, the office you go to is the tag office.
Same thing, at least here anyways.
Every place I’ve been it’s either the DMV or RMV which isn’t a lot of places but still… Some places the tag goes on your car window not your license plate like NJ
Probably doesn’t help that people from other country’s are chipping in…
My tag is on my front windshield.