Q&A on the News

Q: I frequently see what looks like local trucks driving in Georgia without license tags. Don’t all vehicles require visible license tags? Does Georgia collect taxes and fees from these unlicensed vehicles? —Ken Uyl, Gainesville

A: Visible license tags are required, but the location varies. Georgia law states that if a truck or trailer engages in activities where the rear plate would be “defaced, destroyed or lost,” it can be displayed on the front.

For example, tractor-trailers always have their plate in front, Lt. Jonathan Mouchet with the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division told Q&A on the News. Dump trucks often also use front tags, while passenger cars and pickup trucks that don’t regularly pick up and haul items have them in the back, he said.

Mouchet added that it is rare for vehicles to be unregistered.

Operating a motor vehicle without a properly displayed license tag is a misdemeanor, Mouchet wrote. Each court system sets its fine amounts, which could range anywhere between $1 and $1,000, he added.

Q&A on the News runs Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Dillon Thompson contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).