What is a Nebraska License Plate?
A Nebraska license plate is a state-issued plate that confirms a vehicle is registered in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Registration Act. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles sets the standards for license plates and oversees their issuance statewide. County treasurers handle all registration transactions in person at local offices.
The current general license plate was launched in January 2023. Its design features the “Genius of Creative Energy” mosaic from the Nebraska State Capitol, rendered in full reflective color in accordance with the Nebraska Revised Statute § 60-3,100.
Types of License Plates in Nebraska
- General license plates are automatically assigned upon registration. A replacement plate costs $4.10 through the county treasurer.
- Over 30 special designs cover universities, causes, and organizations. The annual fee for organizational plates drops to $40 starting October 1, 2025, in accordance with § 60-3,104.01.
- Personalized message plates cost $40 per year. Your chosen combination appears on the current general design, ordered through the Nebraska DMV message plate program.
- Nebraska offers military plates for Disabled American Veterans, former POWs, Pearl Harbor survivors, Purple Heart recipients, military honor, and Gold Star family members. Applicants must first register with the Nebraska Veterans Registry.
- Collectors may apply for special interest plates at $50 per year, limited to vehicles used for hobby rather than daily transportation.
The full catalog is available on the Nebraska DMV license plate page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in Nebraska?
Every vehicle and trailer operated on Nebraska highways must be registered. The Nebraska Revised Statute § 60-362 creates a rebuttable presumption that any vehicle stored in-state for over 30 days requires registration. New purchases from private sellers have a 30-day window under § 60-365.
- Passenger vehicles (ten passengers or fewer, not for hire) have a registration fee of $15 and receive two plates. Counties may add local wheel taxes to this base fee.
- One rear plate is affixed to each motorcycle, with a registration fee of $6 under § 60-3,153.
- Trailers receive one plate. Commercial trailers and semitrailers register for $1; utility trailers pay $1 per 1,000 pounds of gross weight up to 9,000 pounds. Cabin trailers range from $9 to $15 by weight class under § 60-3,151.
- Commercial trucks start at $18 for three tons or less and increase, reaching $85 at seven tons, then $25 per additional ton under § 60-3,147.
- Alternative fuel vehicles pay an annual additional fee of $150 on top of standard fees. Plug-in hybrids and electric motorcycles pay $75, under § 60-3,191.
License Plate Rules in Nebraska
- Two plates are required on passenger vehicles, one front and one rear. Motorcycles, trailers, tractors, and apportioned vehicles receive one plate, placed at the rear. Nebraska Revised Statute § 60-3,100(2) contains the full set of exceptions for a single plate.
- All letters, numbers, and identifying marks must remain clearly visible at all times, day and night. Section 60-399(3) prohibits grease, dirt, or any blurring material that obscures the plate. Modifying the design, color, or appearance of the displayed plate is separately prohibited under § 60-399(4).
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Nebraska Illegal?
Yes. Operating or parking a vehicle on Nebraska highways without displaying required plates violates § 60-399. Plates must be mounted vertically, at least twelve inches off the ground.
Displaying a plate assigned to another vehicle, a fictitious plate, an altered plate, or a plate without current validation stickers each has its own prohibition under § 60-399(2). The statute treats these offenses separately from the simple infraction of lacking a plate.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Nebraska?
Penalties under Nebraska’s Motor Vehicle Registration Act start as administrative inconveniences but quickly escalate into the criminal realm. Chapter 60 sets the escalation.
- Violations of plate display or registration requirements without more specific punishment default to a Class III misdemeanor under § 60-3,170: up to three months in jail, up to $500 fine, or both.
- Drivers showing proof of registration may operate a vehicle for 30 days while awaiting plate delivery by mail, under § 60-3,100(5). This window functions as a built-in correction period.
- Attaching a fictitious or altered plate is prohibited under § 60-399(2)(b). The same Class III misdemeanor ceiling applies, but courts treat this as a separate offense from simple non-display.
- Modifying the design, color, or appearance of a plate displayed on a vehicle violates § 60-399(4), carrying the same range of penalties.
- Operating an unregistered vehicle falls under § 60-3,164, which points back to the Class III misdemeanor penalties in § 60-3,170. A 30-day grace period applies after registration expiration before the violation takes effect.