07/31/2026
Is Lane Splitting Legal in Utah?
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No. Most Utah vehicles no longer need a front license plate. Utah Senate Bill 45, the License Plate Revisions bill, was signed by the governor on March 14, 2024, and the provisions ending the general front-license-plate requirement took effect on January 1, 2025.
For most Utah drivers, this means one valid license plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The rear plate must be properly attached, visible, readable, and issued for that vehicle.
If you received a citation involving a license plate, registration, or another traffic issue, Jardine Law Offices can help you understand your options. Call (801) 451-9555 for a free consultation.
Yes. Most Utah drivers may legally have one license plate, as long as the vehicle is properly registered and a valid plate is displayed on the rear.
Before 2025, Utah generally required many vehicles to display plates on both the front and rear. That changed on January 1, 2025. Most drivers now need only one rear plate.
The new rule does not eliminate all license-plate requirements. The required rear plate must still be valid, issued for the vehicle, and clearly visible.
For most properly registered Utah vehicles, the absence of a front plate alone should not be a violation.
However, an officer may still stop or cite a driver when there is a suspected violation involving, for example:
If you were pulled over or received a traffic ticket, review the citation and its response deadline carefully before paying it. Jardine Law Offices represents drivers facing traffic citations in Salt Lake City, Farmington, and surrounding Utah communities. Call (801) 451-9555 for a free consultation.
Many Utah drivers registered their vehicles before the law changed and may still have a front plate installed. Utah law does not generally require a driver to remove a previously issued front plate solely because a front plate is no longer required.
The important requirement is that the rear plate remains valid, issued for the vehicle, securely attached, and clearly visible. A front plate does not replace the required rear plate.
Whether your vehicle has one or two plates, the required rear plate must remain valid, issued for that vehicle, and properly displayed.
Although most Utah drivers no longer need a front plate, the required rear plate must still be properly displayed. It should be securely attached, mounted horizontally, clearly visible, and readable.
Do not use a tinted or translucent plate cover, or a frame that obscures the plate number, letters, registration decal, or other required information.
Do not use a novelty plate, a plate issued for another vehicle, or an altered plate in place of the required state-issued rear plate. A missing, covered, damaged, altered, or unreadable rear plate can still result in a citation.
A license-plate citation may involve more than a missing or improperly displayed plate. It may also be connected to registration issues, an equipment allegation, or another traffic charge.
After receiving a ticket, read it carefully, note the response deadline, and preserve photographs of the vehicle, plate, frame, and registration documents. Correcting a plate-display issue may be appropriate, but it does not automatically resolve an existing citation.
Jardine Law Offices represents people facing license-plate citations, registration allegations, speeding tickets, driving without a license charges, and other traffic offenses.
For a free consultation in Salt Lake City, Farmington, or a nearby Utah community, call Jardine Law Offices at (801) 451-9555 or contact us online.
