Mississippi License Plates: Types, Display Rules, Fees and Penalties

What is a Mississippi License Plate?

The Mississippi Department of Revenue issues license plates and oversees vehicle registration throughout the state. Residents conduct all personal transactions at the tax collector’s office in their county, where the vehicle is located or parked overnight.

The current general license plate is the 2024-2029 series, featuring a magnolia flower design with the word “Mississippi” at the top. The alternative “Blackout” edition with a black background and white stripe costs an additional $38.25 per year according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-31(2)(b).

Types of License Plates in Mississippi

Standard: A magnolia license plate assigned at registration without an additional design fee. Replacement plates cost $10.00 according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-37.
Mississippi has one of the largest catalogs of special license plates in the country. Most organizational and charitable plates carry an additional annual fee of $33.00; university plates cost $53.00.
Personalized plates cost $30.00 per year for the standard design or $50.00 for the Blackout version, processed through the county tax collector according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-48.
Disabled veteran plates cost $1.00 overall, exempt from all other taxes and fees according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-53. Medal of Honor and active reserve plates carry no fee.
$28.00 buys an antique vehicle plate as a one-time fee, covering cars, trucks, and motorcycles separately according to §§ 27-19-47 through 27-19-47.2.

The full catalog of plates is available on the Department of Revenue’s available license plates page.

What Vehicles Require License Plates in Mississippi?

Every vehicle operated on public highways must be registered. New residents have 30 days to register after establishing residency; purchasers have 30 working days from the date of purchase. Both deadlines are set by the Mississippi Code § 27-19-63, with a $250 penalty for late registration.

Passenger vehicles have one rear license plate. The annual privilege tax is $15.00 according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-5, plus a registration fee of $12.75 and a local property tax calculated based on 30% of the MSRP multiplied by the county’s millage rate.
Motorcycles: one rear plate, $8.00 annual privilege tax, same registration fee structure.
Every trailer and semitrailer used on public highways is required to pay a $10.00 annual privilege tax according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-17(2). One rear plate is mandatory.
Carriers of loads over 10,000 pounds pay $8.50 per thousand pounds of excess weight, through the Mississippi Department of Transportation according to § 27-19-15.
Electric vehicles are required to pay a $150.00 annual additional fee; plug-in hybrids, $75.00. Both amounts are adjusted annually for inflation according to the Mississippi Code §§ 27-19-21 and 27-19-23.

License Plate Rules in Mississippi

One rear license plate is the statewide standard. Passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and trailers mount one plate on the rear, at a height of 12 inches or more above the ground, in a vertical position under or over the rear light. Mississippi Code § 27-19-31 regulates placement for all vehicle classes.
License plates must remain fully legible. No sticker, decoration, paint, tinted cover, or frame may obscure any part of the plate, its symbols, or any legally affixed decal. Month and year decals are placed in the lower right corner of the plate, in a vertical position. Violations are a misdemeanor with a fine up to $25.00 according to the same statute.

Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Mississippi Illegal?

Yes. Operating a vehicle without a valid plate or without paying the required privilege tax is a misdemeanor according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-131(1), subject to enforcement whether the vehicle is moving or parked on a public road.

Displaying a plate from another state or a plate issued for another vehicle triggers a separate, harsher tier according to § 27-19-131(2). The statute creates a presumption of willful intent if the owner is delinquent in paying privilege taxes for more than 90 days.

What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Mississippi?

Penalty levels for display and registration sections start small but quickly escalate to potential imprisonment.

No plate or unpaid privilege tax: Misdemeanor, fine from $10.00 to $100.00 or up to 30 days in county jail, or both, according to Mississippi Code § 27-19-131(1).
Displaying a plate from another vehicle or another state plate when delinquent: Fine up to $1,000.00 or up to one year in county jail, or both, according to § 27-19-131(2).
Obscured or damaged plate: Misdemeanor with a fine up to $25.00 according to § 27-19-31.
Late registration triggers an escalating penalty of 5% of the privilege tax for the first 15 days of delinquency, then an additional 5% for each 30 days thereafter, capped at 25% according to the Mississippi Code § 27-19-63(4).
Failure to register within 30 days of residency or purchase adds a fixed penalty of $250.00 in addition to the escalating percentage, assessed by the county tax collector according to the same section.