61-3-301. Registration -- license plate required -- display. (1) (a) Except as provided in 61-4-120, 61-4-129, and subsection (1)(b) of this section, a person may not operate a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer upon the public highways of Montana unless the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is properly registered and has the proper license plates conspicuously displayed, one on the front and one on the rear of the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, each securely fastened to prevent it from swinging and unobstructed from plain view.
     (b) A motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or travel trailer must display a single license plate on the rear of the vehicle. A custom vehicle or street rod registered under 61-3-320(1)(b) or (1)(c)(iii) may display a single license plate firmly attached to the rear exterior of the custom vehicle or street rod.
     (c) A person may not display on a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer at the same time a number assigned to it under any motor vehicle law except as provided in this chapter.
     (2) A person may not purchase or display on a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer a license plate bearing the number assigned to any county, as provided in 61-3-332, other than the county where the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is domiciled at the time of application for registration.
     (3) It is unlawful to:
     (a) display license plates issued to one motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer on any other motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or travel trailer unless legally transferred as provided by statute;
     (b) repaint old license plates to resemble current license plates; or
     (c) display a prior design of standard license plates issued under 61-3-332(3)(a) or special license plates issued under 61-3-332(8) or 61-3-421 more than 18 months after a new design of standard license plates or special license plates has been issued, except as provided in 61-3-332(3)(c) and (3)(d), 61-3-448, or 61-3-468.
     (4) For the purposes of this section, "conspicuously displayed" means that the required license plates are obviously visible and firmly attached to:
     (a) the front and the rear bumper of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer equipped with front and rear bumpers; or
     (b) other clearly visible locations on the front and the rear exteriors of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer.

     History: En. Subd. 6, Sec. 1, Ch. 158, L. 1933; re-en. Sec. 1759.5, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 154, L. 1937; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 73, L. 1941; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 127, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 18, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 53-119; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 421, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 15, Ch. 516, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 148, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 525, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 15, Ch. 409, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 23, Ch. 515, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 280, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 458, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 65, Ch. 542, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 48, Ch. 596, L. 2005.