What is a Delaware License Plate?
The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles issues all license plates and manages vehicle registration throughout the state. Residents process titles, registrations, and renewals at DMV offices in Dover, Wilmington, Delaware City, and Georgetown or online through myDMV for eligible renewal transactions.
The standard Delaware license plate features gold letters on a blue background with “The First State” at the bottom. The state provides one plate per vehicle per 21 Del. C. § 2121(a), making Delaware a single-plate state.
Types of License Plates in Delaware
- Standard plates are assigned upon registration and remain state property per § 2125. A duplicate plate with a validation sticker costs $10; without a sticker — $5.
- Three special background designs (environmental, animal welfare, farmland preservation) have a one-time fee of $50. Dozens of organizational plates cover civic, service, and military groups, most costing between $10 and $20 one-time.
- Vanity plates allow up to seven characters for passenger vehicles and cost $40 annually in addition to the standard registration fee.
- Military organizational plates for $10 include designations for Purple Heart, Survivors of Pearl Harbor, Prisoner of War, Disabled American Veterans, and Gold Star Family.
- Holders of a valid FCC license may apply for amateur radio plates with an additional fee of $10 per § 2121(g).
The full catalog is available on the Delaware DMV specialty plates page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in Delaware?
Every vehicle operating on Delaware highways must be registered per 21 Del. C. Chapter 21. New residents have 60 days to register after establishing residency (§ 2102).
- Passenger vehicles weighing up to 5,000 pounds have one rear plate and pay $40 annually, the most common rate for Delaware drivers.
- One rear plate for motorcycles costs $15 annually; mopeds cost $5.
- Trailers receive one plate. Fees vary by weight: $15 for 0 to 1,000 pounds, $20 for 1,001 to 2,000, $40 for 2,001 to 5,000, plus $18 for each additional 1,000 pounds over 5,000.
- Trucks, buses, and cargo vans over 5,000 pounds pay $40 for the first 5,000, then $18 for each 1,000 pounds over that.
- Battery electric vehicles weighing up to 6,000 pounds MGVWR pay a $110 annual alternative fuel fee. Plug-in hybrids pay $85 at the same weight; non-plug-in hybrids pay $60.
License Plate Rules in Delaware
- One plate, mounted at the rear, is standard for all registered vehicles. Tractors attached to trailers or semitrailers are exceptions: they display the plate at the front. 21 Del. C. § 2126(a) governs placement. Specialty plates may be mounted at the front or rear, but the regular license plate must remain visible at the opposite end.
- Plates must be horizontal, at least 12 inches off the ground, secured against swinging, and free of foreign materials. Section 2126(c) prohibits tinted covers and any materials that obscure or distort information on the plate, including the validation sticker. Frames that leave all information visible are allowed. Section 2126(e) separately bans any devices or sprays that alter the image intended to prevent photographing the plate.
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Delaware Illegal?
Operating a vehicle on any Delaware highway without a valid plate violates 21 Del. C. § 2115(1). The statute covers both driving and allowing the operation of an unregistered vehicle.
Displaying a fictitious, canceled, or altered plate falls under § 2115(2), while using a registration on a vehicle other than the one intended triggers § 2122. Both carry harsher penalties than simple display violations per the penalty tiers described below.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Delaware?
Delaware penalties under Chapter 21 start with modest fines for installation issues but quickly escalate into imprisonment territory for fictitious or unregistered plates.
- Display violations (plate improperly mounted, not visible, or swinging) carry a fine of $25 to $50 per § 2126(d).
- Tinted cover or material obscuring any information on the plate incurs a separate fine of $100 to $200 per § 2126(c).
- Using an image-altering device or spray to hinder photographing the plate costs $50 to $1,000 for the first offense; repeat within three years rises to $200 to $2,000 (§ 2126(e)).
- Violations for a fictitious, canceled, or unregistered plate per § 2115(1) to (5) carry a fine for the first offense of $50 to $200 or 30 to 90 days imprisonment or both per § 2116(b). Subsequent offenses reach $100 to $300 or 90 days to 6 months.
- Failure to register by new residents per § 2102(b) carries its own tier: $400 to $600 for the first offense, $800 to $1,200 or 10 to 30 days or both for subsequent offenses.