(a) License plates shall be of the type prescribed by the Director of Motor Vehicles and shall bear the distinctive license numbers or personalized license assigned under the provisions of section 332 of this title. License plates shall be effective for a license year expiring on the last business day of the month issued. When two plates are issued, two plates shall be displayed. One plate must be affixed to the front of the body of the vehicle and the other to the rear, and both plates must be clearly visible from the front and rear of the vehicle. Personalized license plates shall be effective for a license year expiring on the last business day of the month of registration. A license plate may be made effective for such additional license years as is deemed appropriate by the Director, expiring each year on the last business day of the month represented by the last digit of the number of the license plate, by the proper placement of a registration sticker (or tags) prescribed and issued by the Director on each license plate or on the windshield of the licensed vehicle; provided, however, notwithstanding the requirements of this section to the contrary, that buses, motorcycles and bicycles shall be inspected in August of each calendar year, and all vehicles belonging to the Virgin Islands Government shall be inspected in December of each calendar year. Commencing with calendar year 1978, license plates or revalidation stickers shall be issued throughout the calendar year in conjunction with the vehicular inspection required by section 461 of this title, according to the schedule established by this subsection. The Director shall impose a penalty for late registration of vehicles equal to one-twelfth of the annual registration fee for each month that the registration is late. The Director shall promulgate rules and regulations consistent with the provisions of this section; Provided, however, That no penalty shall be imposed for late registration of a vehicle if the owner of said vehicle submits a sworn affidavit to the Director stating that the vehicle was not being operated during the period for which no registration was obtained.
(b) For motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, trailers, backhoes, forklifts, rollers, and cranes, one plate shall be issued which shall be carried in a position clearly visible from the rear. Each vehicle shall be required to carry a license plate and there shall be a tail lamp or a separate lamp so constructed and placed on the vehicle as to illuminate with a white light the rear plate and render it clearly legible for a distance of 50 feet to the rear.
(c) License plates and stickers (or tags) shall be securely attached in such a manner as to be clearly visible and to prevent swinging. They shall be maintained in a legible condition at all times. If they become disfigured or marred to such an extent that they are not clearly legible and visible, they shall be replaced pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of section 332 of this title. Except for dealers plates under section 336 which may be affixed to the rear window of a motor vehicle, it is unlawful to place a license plate anywhere on the dashboard or the rear window of the motor vehicle.
(d) Every automobile dealer in the Territory shall ensure that all vehicles sold by the dealer are equipped to display two license plates as described in subsection (a).
(e) A license plate shall not be transferred from one vehicle to another except in accordance with the provisions of section 332 of this chapter; provided, however, that a license plate issued pursuant to sections 336 and 340 of this title may be transferred from one vehicle to another of the same licensee. Each such licensee shall keep a written record of the vehicles upon which a plate issued pursuant to such sections 336 and 340 are used and the time during which each such plate is used on a particular vehicle, which record shall be open to inspection by the Director of Motor Vehicles or his designee.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 23 of Title 31, the Director of Motor Vehicles may by public sale dispose of surplus license plates which remain unsold at the end of the calendar year for which they were issued to be used as souvenirs of the Virgin Islands. The fee for such plates shall be established by the Director with the approval of the Governor.
(g) No license plate, or any portion of license plate may be covered with any tinted material, nor may any other material be placed on or around a license plate which would conceal or obscure any information contained on the license plate, including the registration expiration sticker. License plate frames that do not conceal or obscure any information contained on the license plate are not prohibited by this section.
(h)
(1) It is unlawful to sell any license plate cover or frame that would violate subsection (f) if placed on a Virgin Islands license plate, unless the seller posts a sign in close proximity to the product which states clearly and conspicuously that it is illegal to place such a plate cover or frame on a Virgin Islands license plate.
(2) Any person convicted of a violation of this subsection shall be fined not less than $50 and not more than $100 and shall pay restitution to the purchaser of the license plate cover or frame in the amount of 10 times the purchase price.