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To: Judiciary, Division B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Fillingane
SENATE BILL NO. 2109
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROHIBIT THE EQUIPPING OF A MANUAL, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL 2
DEVICE THAT HIDES OR OBSCURES A LICENSE PLATE; TO BRING FORWARD 3
SECTION 27-19-131, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR POSSIBLE 4
AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 27-19-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
27-19-31. (1) The Department of Revenue is authorized and 9
directed to establish and maintain a vehicle registration renewal 10
system whereby the license tag attached upon a motor vehicle or 11
trailer may be issued for five (5) years with the approval of the 12
License Tag Commission, except for motor vehicles registered in 13
excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross vehicle weight, motor 14
vehicles in a fleet registered under Section 27-19-66, motor 15
vehicles in a rental fleet registered under Section 27-19-66.2, 16
apportioned vehicles, rental and commercial trailers and buses, 17
which shall be issued for a period of time determined by the 18
Department of Revenue. During each intervening year of the period 19
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for which license tags are issued, the Department of Revenue shall 20
issue up to two (2) license decals, in lieu of the license tags, 21
the month and year in which the license tag expires shall be 22
specified on one (1) of the decals so issued. Motor vehicles in a 23
corporate fleet registered under Section 27-19-66, trailers in a 24
fleet registered under Section 27-19-66.1, motor vehicles in a 25
rental fleet registered under Section 27-19-66.2, and apportioned 26
vehicles shall not be issued decals specifying the month and year 27
of expiration. 28
Any series of tags may be cancelled by the commissioner with 29
the approval of the License Tag Commission and a new series of 30
tags issued. 31
(2) (a) The license decals issued in lieu of the license 32
tags shall indicate the month and the last two (2) figures of the 33
year for which such license shall expire. The license decals 34
shall be attached to the license tag of the motor vehicle or 35
trailer, and when so attached shall be deemed to be the license 36
tag for the ensuing registration year. The month and year decal 37
shall be attached in an upright position in the lower right corner 38
of the license tag. Decals specifying the month and year of 39
expiration shall not be required to be attached to license tags on 40
motor vehicles in a corporate fleet registered under Section 41
27-19-66, trailers in a fleet registered under Section 27-19-66.1, 42
motor vehicles in a rental fleet registered under Section 43
27-19-66.2, or apportioned vehicles. 44
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Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the 45
registration year shall be a period of one (1) year commencing on 46
the first day of the month following the month in which the 47
vehicle was acquired. Beginning October 1, 1982, original 48
registrations of motor vehicles, except motor vehicles registered 49
in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross vehicle weight, 50
apportioned vehicles and buses, may be made and shall be prorated 51
for a period of from six (6) to eleven (11) months according to 52
regulations established by the Department of Revenue to reduce a 53
disproportionate number of registrations for a particular month. 54
Beginning July 1, 1995, original registrations and renewal 55
registrations of motor vehicles in corporate fleets registered 56
under Section 27-19-66, shall be prorated according to regulations 57
established by the Department of Revenue so as to cause the 58
registration of such fleet motor vehicles to coincide with the 59
anniversary month for corporate fleets established by the 60
Department of Revenue. Beginning July 1, 2011, original 61
registrations and renewal registrations of trailers in trailer 62
fleets registered under Section 27-19-66.1 shall be prorated 63
according to regulations established by the Department of Revenue 64
so as to cause the registration of such trailers to coincide with 65
the anniversary month for trailer fleets established by the 66
Department of Revenue. Beginning January 1, 2025, original 67
registrations and renewal registrations of motor vehicles in 68
rental fleets registered under Section 27-19-66.2 shall be 69
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prorated according to regulations established by the Department of 70
Revenue so as to cause the registration of such fleet motor 71
vehicles to coincide with the anniversary month for rental fleets 72
established by the Department of Revenue. Where a vehicle is 73
registered for a period less than twelve (12) months, the 74
anniversary month shall be the month of the expiration of the 75
original license tag. 76
Beginning July 1, 1996, original registrations and renewal 77
registrations of motor vehicles in individual fleets registered 78
under Section 27-19-66 shall be prorated according to regulations 79
established by the Department of Revenue so as to cause the 80
registration of such fleet motor vehicles to coincide with the 81
anniversary month for individual fleets established by the county 82
tax collector. Where a vehicle is registered for a period less 83
than twelve (12) months, the anniversary month shall be the month 84
of the expiration of the original license tag. 85
The Department of Revenue, with the approval of the License 86
Tag Commission, shall so specify the area or areas on the license 87
tag where the license decals shall be attached. The number of the 88
license tag shall be written across its face, and the number of 89
the tag shall represent the registration number; and upon all the 90
tags for private passenger vehicles the word "MISSISSIPPI" shall 91
be written across the top of the tag in capital letters 92
sufficiently large to be easily read, but upon all other tags such 93
word may be abbreviated. The number of the license tag shall not 94
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exceed seven (7) letters, numbers or a combination of such letters 95
and numbers. Also, on all tags sold and issued, an appropriate 96
place will be provided thereon to place license decals indicating 97
the expiration date of the tag. For the purposes of this section 98
and Section 27-19-32, Mississippi Code of 1972, the term "decal," 99
"decals" or "license decal" shall mean a tab, sticker or other 100
similar device attached to a license tag which validates same for 101
a stated period of time. One (1) license tag and up to two (2) 102
license decals shall be furnished for all vehicles and shall be 103
fastened immovably twelve (12) inches or more above the ground, at 104
the rear of the vehicle under or over the rear light, with the 105
number in upright position so that it will be plainly visible and 106
legible at all times, and at night at a distance of sixty (60) 107
feet. In the case of tractors or other motor vehicles drawing or 108
pulling trailers, semitrailers or farm implements, the tag shall 109
be fastened upon such vehicle twelve (12) inches or more above the 110
ground, upon the front or back of such vehicle, with the number in 111
an upright position. Such license plate, all characters and any 112
legally affixed decals shall not be defaced, covered or obstructed 113
from view by any object, decal, sticker, paint, marking or license 114
plate bracket or holder and shall not be equipped with a manual, 115
electronic, or mechanical device that hides or obscures the 116
license plate, all characters and any legally affixed decals. Any 117
person who defaces, covers or obstructs any portion of a license 118
tag with any sticker, decoration, paint, marking, license plate 119
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bracket or holder or any other thing or device, in such a manner 120
that the characters and any legally affixed decals on the tag 121
cannot be read, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon 122
conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than 123
Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00). However, it shall not be unlawful 124
for the county name to be partially or completely obstructed from 125
view by any object, decal, sticker or license plate bracket or 126
holder. Unless the license tag with current decals is fastened to 127
the vehicle as herein provided, the said vehicle shall be regarded 128
as operating without a license tag, and the owner or operator 129
shall be liable for the penalties herein provided. 130
In addition to the above requirements, license tags for 131
private passenger vehicles shall have a county designation thereon 132
referencing the name of the county in which such vehicle is 133
registered. 134
Law enforcement officers of this state shall remove from a 135
motor vehicle or trailer any license tag and/or decals which are 136
so defaced that proper identification cannot be reasonably made. 137
The officer shall issue to the driver of such vehicle a tag permit 138
which shall be valid for a period of five (5) days. Each person 139
receiving such tag permit shall purchase, within five (5) days 140
from the date of the issuance of the permit, a new tag and/or 141
decals for the fee set forth in Section 27-19-37, Mississippi Code 142
of 1972, for a substitute tag. 143
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Any person who has a license tag or decals on a vehicle which 144
may be so defaced that proper identification cannot be reasonably 145
made may remove such and purchase another license tag and/or 146
decals for the same fee required for a substitute tag. If any 147
license tag shall deteriorate due to age so that identification 148
cannot be reasonably made, the owner may surrender such tag to the 149
issuing authority and be issued a new tag and like decals at no 150
cost. 151
(b) Beginning January 1, 2024, an owner of a private 152
carrier of passengers or motorcycle may choose a tag with a black 153
background and a white pinstripe border. "Mississippi" shall be 154
printed at the top, and the name of the county shall be printed at 155
the bottom. The application and the additional fee of 156
Thirty-eight Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($38.25), less Two 157
Dollars ($2.00) to be remitted to the Department of Revenue 158
License Tag Acquisition Fund created in Section 27-19-179, shall 159
be remitted to the department on a monthly basis as prescribed by 160
the department. The remaining Thirty-six Dollars and Twenty-five 161
Cents ($36.25) of the additional fee shall be deposited to the 162
credit of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Death 163
Benefits Trust Fund established in Section 45-2-1. In all other 164
respects, tags issued under this paragraph (b) shall follow the 165
guidelines for tags issued under paragraph (a) of this subsection. 166
(3) The Department of Revenue is authorized to promulgate 167
appropriate rules and regulations to govern the use and display of 168
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license decals and to publish a summary thereof which shall be 169
available to state officials and the public upon request. 170
SECTION 2. Section 27-19-131, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 171
brought forward as follows: 172
27-19-131. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 173
(2) of this section, any owner, operator, dealer, agent, or any 174
other person who shall operate or cause to be operated upon the 175
highways of this state, without having paid the privilege license 176
tax or fee required by the provisions of this article, or without 177
having the license tag or required license tag and decals affixed 178
upon such vehicle as required by law, or who shall alter or change 179
any license tag or decals issued in any way, or who except for a 180
violation of subsection (2) of this section, shall violate any 181
other provision of this article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor 182
and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than 183
Ten Dollars ($10.00) and not more than One Hundred Dollars 184
($100.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 185
thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. 186
(2) Any owner, operator, dealer, agent or any other person 187
who shall operate or cause to be operated upon the highways of 188
this state, without having paid the privilege license tax or fee 189
required by the provisions of this article and who knowingly and 190
intentionally (a) displays an out-of-state license tag on the 191
motor vehicle; or (b) displays a license tag or decal on the motor 192
vehicle which was issued for another vehicle, shall upon 193
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ST: License plates; prohibit equipping of
device that hides or obscures.
conviction be fined not more than One Thousand Dollars 194
($1,000.00), or be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than 195
one (1) year, or both. For the purposes of this subsection (2) a 196
prima facie case of a knowing and intentional violation of this 197
subsection shall be established upon evidence that such person is 198
more than ninety (90) days delinquent in paying the privilege 199
license tax and fees for such vehicle as required under this 200
article. 201
(3) Any vehicle hereinabove described may be cited whether 202
the violation is observed when the vehicle is actually in 203
operation on the highway or not. 204
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 205
and after July 1, 2026. 206