Senate 410

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 410

By Senator Rucker

[Introduced January 15, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure]

A BILL to amend and reenact §17A-3-15 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to changing registration stickers and their placement on cars so that they are harder to steal.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.

§17A-3-15. Display of registration plates.

(a) Registration plates issued for vehicles required to be registered under this article shall be attached to the rear of the vehicles except that on truck tractors and road tractors designed and constructed to pull trailers or semitrailers, the registration plate shall be mounted to the front.

(b) Every registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a height of not less than twelve inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, an owner of a motor vehicle with a Class G registration as defined in section one, article ten of this chapter may choose to:

(1) Display a standard, Class G registration plate in a horizontal position; or

(2) Display a specially designed Class G registration plate in a vertical position issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles if the owner:

(A) Pays a one-time fee of $25 to cover the additional cost and services necessary to issue the special registration plate to be deposited into a special revolving fund to be used for the administration of this chapter; and

(B) Pays all other required fees and complies with all other applicable provisions of this code regarding the titling, registration and operation of the vehicle.

(d) After January 1, 2027, all registration renewal stickers, with the exception of Class G registration renewals, shall be made to adhere to the inside of the back glass of the motor vehicle instead of to be applied to the license plate in order to protect the sticker from theft. These stickers shall be visible at all times in the back window of the vehicle.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the placement of the registration renewal stickers from the license plate to the back glass of the vehicle so that they are harder to steal.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.