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 crimes. The basis for choosing this year’s Looking Beyond the License Plate grand prize winner is a typical traffic stop for an expired license plate, which blossomed into the arrest of a methamphetamine distributor wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service, and clearly demonstrates the positive value of looking beyond the license plate during traffic stops.