As many New Yorkers know, there are several ways to park in the right way, in the right place, at the right time, and still get a ticket. An improperly displayed license plate is one of those ways.

License plate violations are easy to avoid, providing that you adhere to the following guidelines:

• Your license plate(s) must be properly displayed.

  • If you are registered in the state of New York, you must have one front and one back plate, both of which should be securely attached.
  • Your plates have to be between 12 and 48 inches from the ground.
  • They must be clean, easy to read and not covered by anything, including clear glass or plastic.
  • Motorcycles registered in the state of New York and vehicles from another state are ok if they have at least one plate securely attached to the back of the vehicle.

• Vehicle covers are prohibited on parked or standing cars.

  • If the license plate is covered, this is obviously a violation, but it also applies if the vehicle is covered in a way that hides the make, color, VIN, registration and inspection stickers, or blocks entry to the vehicle.

Remember these rules and take several photos if you ever come back to a ticket on your car for your license plate. It could save you $65.