The license plate remains a vital, cost-effective, and readily identifiable law enforcement tool. Every U.S. state and Canadian province mandates its display, and information concerning one is accessible to police officers in real time. Noncompliance with a jurisdiction’s vehicle registration laws objectively provides probable cause to believe a violation is occurring and has been demonstrated time and again to be a gateway to clearing serious crime. This year’s Looking Beyond the License Plate grand prize winners and honorable mentions are no exception: They used a vehicle displaying one plate in a state requiring two, as well as a license plate absent a validation tab, one that was obscured, another that was stolen, and one more that was unlighted, to apprehend felons who had committed heinous violent crimes.