Are license plates referred to as "tags" in some parts of the United States?

[SumGuy]

In Ontario, the OPP calls them "markers" over the radio. Registration stickers that were printed in different colors showing the month/year of expiry ended a few years ago. There are no longer any costs to "renew" your plate. That's because a lot of cop cars now have LPR's (license plate readers) that alert cops to plates that have issues.

Also in Ontario, the plate is registered to the owner, not the vehicle. You sell your car, you take your plate off it, put it on your next car.

 

[AZjeff]

"Tax,title, and tags extra" is what the ads say in PA. Not as common in Az.

 

[K-Man]

"Tags" for license plates is widely used in the mid–Atlantic.

 

[BHopkins]

Here in Utah, they are referred to as license plates, sometimes abbreviated to plates. The proper term for the year/month stickers are called decals, but most often referred to as stickers.

When I lived in South Carolina and Kentucky, license plates were commonly called tags. This was confusing to me when I first moved to South Carolina, as I had never heard the use of tags to refer to license plates, and was unsure if tags was meant to refer to the decals or the entire license plate. It was only confusing to those of us that were transplants, as everyone else knew what they meant by tags.

 

[y_p_w]

Here we have a plate. When registered we put a small sticker on the plate called a tag. You have to slice your tag with a rasor so when someone tries to peel it off to put on their cars plate they just get pieces.

In California the DMV refers to plates for the big metal thingy, tab for the month, and sticker for the expiration year. Some states have specific month date on one sticker, but I think Florida calls it a decal. Says it right on the spot on the plate.

 

[y_p_w]

NEVER heard of those ...not even the word.
Plates made of soy fibers which mice would eat, yes. Metal tabs held with a screw, never.

I looked it up, and how they were attached varied by state or even plate type. Some didn’t go on the plate but outside the plate on the frame. Found one that's for sale. Looks used but in good condition with the original card. A 1949 California motorcycle tab. But it's for the year. It looks like the original plate comes with an expiration. Not sure if the plate expired after just one renewal and a new one is needed. But I'm guessing that's the case since the packaging says that it only goes on 1947 plates.

 

[cammyfive79]

Here in the South (USA), the substitution of "tags" instead of "license plates" is so normal that even our county DMV website has a section called "tag renewal/transfer".

 

[Chevyc10]

In Mississippi called “tag”.

 

[Leo99]

"Tags" for license plates is widely used in the mid–Atlantic.

I'm in NJ. The car dealers say "tax and tags extra". So, we all know tags means license plates but we all call them license plates. For example, I've got a stack of old license plates in my garage that I need to return to the DMV. (They changed their name to MVC but we (I) still call in the DMV.)

We had the little orange date stickers on our license plates for a year or two a while back but that went away. It came back for young drivers. Then went away. Someone wrote above that it came back. I know cops that think it's such a bad idea that they didn't have their own kids follow that law.

 

[Allaned]

I never really heard the term before until I started watching some videos of police interactions. I haven't heard anything other than "license plate" in person, and looking up laws and various DMV websites of states where these interactions took place, they legally call them "license plates".

I guess a similar one is "tabs" for the little sticker that goes on the license plate to mark the registration expiration year. We call that a registration sticker around here. But I'm getting a bit confused because the context sometimes is for "tags" referencing registration stickers. I do understand that in some states these go on windshields, but even those are legally called stickers and not tags/tabs.

I did a little more research, and in my state the vehicle code refers to "tabs" as stickers that represents the month of registration expiration.

Yes

 

[y_p_w]

Here in the South (USA), the substitution of "tags" instead of "license plates" is so normal that even our county DMV website has a section called "tag renewal/transfer".

I looked on the Mississippi Dept of Revenue website. They seem to use "tags" and "plates" interchangeably.

https://www.dor.ms.gov/tags-and-titles
https://www.dor.ms.gov/tagstitles/motor-vehicle-licensing-faqs

And their laws use them interchangeably too. Like this one on a special plate for Silver Star recipients. It actually says "plate or tag" like they're separate things.

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-27/chapter-19/article-1/section-27-19-56-284/​

• (1) Beginning with any registration year commencing on or after July 1, 2011, any legal resident of the State of Mississippi who is a recipient of the Silver Star is privileged to obtain one (1) motor vehicle license plate or tag on an annual basis in his county of legal residence. The registration year of such motor vehicle shall commence the first day of the month in which application for registration is made, as provided in Section 27-19-31.

• (2) This section pertains only to tags or plates for private passenger motor vehicles or pickup trucks.
• (3) Proof of ownership of the particular motor vehicle for which a license plate or tag is requested and proof that the owner thereof is a recipient of the Silver Star must be shown at the time of application for such plate or tag. A certificate from the State Veterans Affairs Board stating that the individual is a recipient of the Silver Star shall be sufficient proof.
• (4) Vehicles owned by a recipient of the Silver Star, or the unremarried surviving spouse of any such person, for which a distinctive license tag or plate is issued under this section are exempt from all motor vehicle registration fees and privilege taxes.
• (5) The Department of Revenue is directed to furnish to the tax collector of each county a sufficient number of distinctive motor vehicle license plates or tags which shall be of such color and design as the Department of Revenue shall prescribe subject to the approval of the Mississippi License Tag Commission and in accordance with the provisions of Section 27-19-41. However, such distinctive plates or tags shall bear and include the words "Silver Star."
• (6) A license plate or tag issued under this section shall not be transferable to any other person; however, the surviving spouse of a deceased person who was issued a license plate or tag under this section shall be entitled to apply for or retain a license plate or tag issued under this section and may continue annually to renew registration for one (1) motor vehicle license plate or tag under this section for as long as the spouse remains unremarried. At the time of application or renewal registration, a surviving spouse who desires to retain the distinctive plate or tag issued under this section shall file with the county tax collector a sworn statement that the spouse is unremarried.

 

[TiGeo]

I guess I've always used these terms plate and tag interchangeably. Getting plates is "plates", getting "tags" are the registration stickers that go on the plates in my vernacular typically here in VA.

 

[y_p_w]

I guess I've always used these terms plate and tag interchangeably. Getting plates is "plates", getting "tags" are the registration stickers that go on the plates in my vernacular typically here in VA.

Part of the confusion for me is in the inconsistency in how these are used. About a year ago, I would have had no idea what "tag" meant in relation to vehicle licensing. I would have assumed it meant the registration expiration marking in whatever form. And some people do use that as the vernacular for those little stickers.

 

[Auto tech]

Southern Missouri near Arkansas we call em tags.

 

[burbguy82]

View attachment 278195

i get it. round' these parts, we dont know what to call them there stickers

 

[AutoMechanic]

Most places down south here I’ve heard them called tags. I call them tags too except when talking in collecting terms it’s weird to say I collect tags but not weird to say I collect license plates. So I have tags from every state and some countries and Canada too since I collect them. When it comes to the sticker I call them stickers.

 

[D60]

Every once in a while there is a funny one.

My buddy in HS had IFORGOT (on a Dodge Daytona nonetheless, which was kinda cool for a HS kid). The idea being the cop would call in the plate saying, well, "I forgot". Too this day I think it's moderately clever....I also still eat Elmer's....

 

[hank2]

Every once in a while there is a funny one.

I'm sure that must have been pretty famous plate/tag in Va. I actually saw that plate in two different years and areas in Va. Once in the Richmond area, I believe and again a year or two later on I-81. Both times were well after 2009. I think that someone had once posted that this plate was eventually withdrawn by the state.

 

[SC Maintenance]

South Carolina - Tag = plate, as in tax, title and tag when you buy the car.

The sticker is officially known as the "registration decal", but everyone calls it a "sticker"

North Carolina was same when I lived there.

In the midwest I recall it being called the "plates" - likely because you had front an back, and the sticker was a "tab" ?

 

[John105]

Have to be careful with using jimmies instead of sprinkles in other places…..

Go to Boston and tell someone you want a hoagie and they will look at you like you are a Martian.

In Boston they are usually “subs” but in some neighborhoods (not necessarily Italian) they are called “spukies” (spucadella), and down towards Rhode Island, “grinders.”

In other places, also called heroes, blimpies, torpedoes, and who knows what.

Seen in Boston. Yes, he was a Caddyshack fan….
View attachment 278197

We had grinders growing up. Even the place my said bought them was the “Corner Grinder Shop.” Since that was what I knew, I would be surprised when we ordered grinders elsewhere, and it was a deep fried veal patty.