Mississippi License Plate Decal Placement and Plate Frames: What the Law Says

You paid the renewal, the new decal arrived in the mail, and now it is sitting on the counter. Where does it go, and does that dealer-installed plate frame cause any trouble? Mississippi's tag display rules are short, and they are worth reading before you stick anything on the plate.

What Mississippi law says

The rules sit in Miss. Code § 27-19-31. We read the copy FindLaw publishes (marked current as of January 1, 2025) because the official site was not available to us, so treat the details below as a summary and check the current text with the Legislature or your county tax collector. As summarized there:

• The tag is fastened to the rear of the vehicle, at least twelve inches above the ground, with the number upright. Special rules apply to tractors and vehicles pulling trailers or implements.
• The renewal decal goes upright in the lower right corner of the tag.
• The tag and decals must be plainly visible and legible at all times, and readable at night from 60 feet.
• The plate, its characters and any legal decals may not be defaced or blocked by an object, sticker, paint or bracket. The county name may be covered without violating this rule. FindLaw's copy describes the violation as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $25.
• A vehicle without current decals properly attached is treated as operating without a license tag.

The Department of Revenue pages we reviewed do not describe display rules at all, beyond noting that replacing a lost decal alone costs $2.50 and that a lost or stolen plate is replaced with a substitute tag and decal at the tax collector. For anything about your own plate, call your county tax collector or Motor Vehicle Services at (601) 923-7200.

What that means for plate frames and covers

The statute, as summarized, protects the plate number, its characters and the legal decals. It says nothing about frames being forbidden. A frame is a problem only if it blocks any of those. So when you check a frame, look at three things:

1. The registration number. No letter or digit should be touched by the frame, even at the edge.
2. The decal in the lower right corner. This is the one that gets hidden most often, because a thick frame overlaps the corner.
3. Legibility. A tinted or glare-heavy cover can make a plate hard to read at night, and the rule is about reading it from 60 feet.

As summarized, covering the county name is not a violation. We found no published rule in these sources about the state name on the plate, so if a frame hides it and you want certainty, ask your tax collector.

Putting on the new decal, step by step

1. Wipe the corner of the plate clean and dry. Dirt and wax leave an adhesive decal peeling by the first car wash.
2. Check the plate is in its place: rear, upright, at least twelve inches off the ground.
3. Decide whether last year's decal should come off. We found no Mississippi source on whether old decals must be removed, so ask your tax collector. Many people peel the old one so the new one lies flat and is clearly the current one.
4. Press the new decal into the lower right corner, working from one edge to avoid bubbles.
5. Step back and read the plate from a distance. If the frame or a screw head touches a number, reposition it.

Optional supplies

You do not need to buy anything for this. Mississippi's rules are about display, not accessories. If you want to tidy the job, here is what to look for:

• A license plate frame with a slim border, especially along the bottom and right edges. Hold the plate up against it before you buy, or check the product's stated opening dimensions, so the lower right corner stays clear.
• A plate screw and fastener kit in a rust-resistant finish, matched to the hole thread your vehicle uses. A loose plate that rattles or hangs by one bolt is not “fastened immovably.”
• A set of screw caps if you want a clean look, again checking that they sit clear of any characters.
• A plastic scraper for lifting an old decal without scratching the plate, if you choose to remove it.

Keep the paperwork in step

A fresh decal does not replace an insurance card in the car; our glovebox checklist covers that. And if the decal has not arrived and your month is ending, the renewal steps and late penalties pages explain what to do next. Our glovebox and plate supplies page lists the same ordinary items in one place.

This is general information from published sources, not legal advice. We are not affiliated with any government agency.