You may be prudent about making sure to renew your license plate, but even if you do it on time every year, you could still get fined if you’re not careful.
The rigmarole of ensuring your vehicle’s registration is up to date is something every car owner goes through, because all 50 states in the U.S. (and the District of Columbia) require it. Not all states do it annually, though; some go every other year, or even every three or four years. Meanwhile, Arizona has a five-year option depending on the type of vehicle you’re registering.
Part of this process involves placing stickers of some kind (e.g., the month or year) on your vehicle’s license plate. Speaking of, when was the last time you actually looked at the condition of yours? Unless you went the extra mile and personalized one, you probably got it, stuck it on, and forgot all about it. The thing is, you need to keep tabs on it, because if it shows any signs of deterioration (blistering, peeling, discoloration, loss of reflectivity, etc.) and becomes illegible — to police, automated license plate readers, traffic cameras, or toll readers — you’re just asking to be pulled over and fined.
