License Plate Relocation

License plate relocation hardware moves your factory plate mounting point to a cleaner, more functional position — whether that means clearing an aftermarket bumper, satisfying track-day safety regulations, or eliminating the OEM rear diffuser obstruction that costs aerodynamic efficiency. Motor Sport Mayhem stocks 90 in-stock relocation solutions ranging from basic frames at under $2 to full billet side-mount and tow-hook integrated assemblies approaching $5,400, covering street cars, motorcycles, off-road trucks, and competition builds alike.

Our Top Picks for License Plate Relocation

Every product below was hand-selected based on verified fitment quality, material durability, and real-world performance across street, track, and off-road applications.

How to Choose the Right License Plate Relocation

The single most important factor separating a quality relocation kit from a problematic one is the mounting method: welded or bolt-on DOM steel brackets with a minimum 3mm wall thickness hold up under vibration and road debris impact, while thin stamped brackets with single-bolt attachment points will flex, lose hardware, and eventually put your plate on the pavement at speed. Beyond material, the mounting position itself must comply with your jurisdiction's visibility and illumination requirements — most states and provinces mandate the plate remain visible within a defined arc and lit by a white light during nighttime operation, both of which are easy to violate with a poorly designed side-mount or recessed bumper install.

Key Specifications

For street-driven vehicles, look for kits that retain or include a dedicated plate light bracket — moving the plate without accounting for illumination is the most common citation trigger after relocation. Most well-engineered kits include a pass-through wiring harness or a pre-drilled channel for LED plate lights, and the best of them use weatherproof connectors rated to at least IP67 to prevent corrosion failure in wet climates or undercarriage wash scenarios.

On motorcycles and sport bikes, side-mount relocation kits move the plate from the stock undertail position to a side-exit bracket, which requires specific attention to plate angle — most jurisdictions allow a maximum 45-degree horizontal and 30-degree vertical tilt before the plate becomes non-compliant. Billet aluminum mounts machined to 6061-T6 specification offer the best strength-to-weight ratio for motorcycle applications, and the hardware should be stainless steel Grade 304 minimum to resist corrosion from road salt and chain lube spray.

On trucks and off-road vehicles running aftermarket bumpers, the front plate relocation becomes mandatory the moment the factory bumper is removed, since nearly all aftermarket steel bumpers eliminate the OEM center-mount recess. Tow hitch-integrated plate mounts, swing-away tire carrier mounts, and D-ring bracket adapters all represent legitimate solutions, but each adds leverage arm length — a plate mounted on a 6-inch extended bracket experiences significantly more vibration fatigue at the fasteners than one mounted flush, so Nyloc hardware or thread-locking compound is not optional on extended mounts.

For track and autocross builds, the primary concern shifts from illumination to stability — a plate that separates from the car at speed becomes a debris hazard and an immediate disqualification event. Double-bolt pattern mounts with captive hardware and a secondary retention method (safety wire or secondary pin) are the only acceptable solutions on cars running over 80 mph in competitive events. Many sanctioning bodies publish specific plate mount geometry requirements in their technical regulations, so confirm compliance with your series rulebook before finalizing a bracket selection. When you're also modifying the bumper structure for aerodynamic purposes, pairing plate relocation with appropriate exterior styling components ensures the full rear fascia treatment is cohesive and legal.

License Plate Relocation: Mount Type vs. Application Reference

Price Guide

Entry ($1.95–$85): This range covers frames, basic bolt-on brackets, and standard hardware replacements — ideal for daily drivers who need a clean OEM-position solution or a quick fix after bumper damage, with no modification required and full legal compliance out of the box.

Mid-range ($85–$500): The sweet spot for most enthusiasts, where you'll find CNC-machined billet mounts, tow hook integration kits, and motorcycle side-mount assemblies with stainless hardware, integrated light brackets, and genuine fitment-specific engineering — this is where quality jumps significantly over budget alternatives.

Premium ($500–$5,390.00): At the top end, relocation hardware is part of complete bumper systems, overland carrier platforms, or aero packages where the plate mount is one engineered element in a broader fabricated assembly — justified for serious off-road builds, dedicated track cars, and full exterior overhauls where piecemeal solutions create fitment gaps.

Who Is This For?

License plate relocation hardware serves a wider range of builders than most exterior categories — from a weekend autocross driver clearing a splitter to a full overland expedition rig deleting its factory rear bumper entirely.

Visual / Aesthetic Upgrade — 7.7/10

This is the highest-scoring use case across the category, and it's consistent with how most street and motorcycle builds approach plate relocation — removing the bulky OEM undertail mount or front-center bracket transforms the visual profile of a vehicle more dramatically than its simplicity suggests. A clean side-exit mount on a motorcycle or a flush tow-hook bracket on a performance car removes visual mass from exactly the zones where aftermarket bumpers and aero kits need clean sightlines. The score reflects genuine product breadth here, with options ranging from branded frames to full billet assemblies purpose-designed for aesthetic integration.

Overlanding / Expedition — 7.4/10

Overland builds score high because plate relocation is essentially mandatory on any build that runs an aftermarket rear bumper, swing-out tire carrier, or full skid plate system — the OEM mount simply doesn't exist anymore. Purpose-built carrier-mounted brackets and swing-arm solutions in this segment need to handle real off-road abuse including rock strikes, mud packing, and recovery loads, which is why DOM steel and powder-coat finish dominate the overland-specific hardware. Brands with proven expedition pedigree like ARB, Rugged Ridge, and DV8 Offroad engineer their plate provisions as part of a complete rear end system rather than an afterthought.

Weekend Off-Roading — 7.4/10

Tied with overlanding, weekend off-road builds face the same bumper-deletion challenge but often on a tighter budget and with less extreme use requirements — a solid bolt-on bracket from a brand like Rugged Ridge or OMIX covers the majority of weekend wheeling scenarios without the cost of a full expedition carrier system. The key specification difference for weekend use is corrosion resistance rather than structural load rating, since the vehicle returns to street use regularly and is exposed to road salt and wash cycles that pure expedition rigs often avoid. A quality powder coat or anodized finish extends service life substantially in these mixed-use scenarios.

Easy DIY Install — 7.2/10

The category scores well here because the majority of relocation hardware is genuinely bolt-on, requiring only basic hand tools and a wiring connection for the plate light — most installs are under 45 minutes with no drilling on bolt-on variants. Where installs get more complex is on fully custom or fabricated mounts that require existing hole removal, welding, or bumper modification, which drops them into the mid-tier install difficulty zone. Brands like BikeMaster and Kuryakyn specifically engineer their motorcycle plate kits for straightforward DIY execution with included hardware and clear fitment documentation.

Track / Autocross — 6.3/10

Track use scores moderately because plate requirements vary significantly by sanctioning body — some events don't require a plate at all while others mandate a specific mounted position visible from the rear, which drives demand for purpose-built competition brackets. The functional priority at track speeds shifts entirely from aesthetics to retention security; hardware must be double-fastened and verified before each event since vibration at sustained high RPM will back out single-point fasteners over a session. Pairing a solid plate mount with appropriate lighting compliance hardware ensures you pass tech inspection without delaying your grid time.

Trusted License Plate Relocation Brands We Carry

The brands that consistently lead this category do so through application-specific engineering rather than generic hardware: Kuryakyn has built its reputation across 155 motorcycle-focused SKUs with billet aluminum side-mount systems refined over decades of fitment-specific development, while Rugged Ridge and DV8 Offroad bring truck and off-road credibility with steel-gauge carrier and bumper systems that treat plate mounting as an integrated engineering decision rather than a bolt-on accessory. Bikers Choice covers the cruiser and custom motorcycle segment with straightforward, compliant mounting hardware at honest price points, and OMIX delivers OEM-reference fitment accuracy for Jeep-platform builds where dimensional tolerances matter for legal compliance. Advan rounds out the street performance side of the catalog with branded frame solutions that satisfy aesthetic requirements without any structural modification, and Perrin Performance — known broadly for Japanese performance platform accessories — extends that engineering discipline into exterior mounting hardware where precision fitment and finish quality are non-negotiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are aftermarket license plate mounts and frames actually worth buying over OEM hardware?

For most builds that involve any kind of bumper modification, aftermarket mounts are not optional — they are the only compliant solution once the factory mount location is eliminated or obscured. Even on unmodified vehicles, aftermarket billet or stainless frames offer a measurable durability advantage over OEM plastic carriers, which crack under UV exposure and lose hardware from vibration over time. On motorcycles specifically, side-exit billet mounts eliminate the flexing undertail plastic that causes plate lights to fail and fasteners to back out. The value proposition is straightforward: a $30–$150 mount that keeps your plate legal and secured is dramatically cheaper than a moving violation or a plate separation incident at speed.

Are billet hood hinges and billet plate brackets made to the same quality standard?

Billet designation on both types of hardware indicates CNC-machined solid aluminum billet stock — typically 6061-T6 — but the structural requirements differ significantly between the two applications. Hood hinges carry cyclical fatigue loads from repeated open-close cycles and must maintain precise geometry for panel alignment, while plate brackets primarily need vibration resistance and corrosion protection rather than high-cycle fatigue strength. Both benefit from anodized or hard-coat finishes for corrosion resistance, and both should use Grade 8 or stainless fasteners in their hardware kits. When sourcing either, confirm the machining tolerances are published — quality billet suppliers hold ±0.005" on critical dimensions, while budget castings labeled as billet often don't meet that standard.

Are carbon fiber exterior panels worth it when combined with a plate relocation?

Carbon fiber rear diffusers, bumper caps, and fascia extensions frequently eliminate or reposition the OEM plate mount as a direct consequence of their geometry, making plate relocation a mandatory companion purchase rather than an optional upgrade. The weight savings on a full carbon rear fascia assembly over fiberglass or ABS range from 30–60% depending on part size, which is meaningful on a track build where unsprung or rear-biased mass reduction improves handling response. The plate bracket used with a carbon fascia should be thermally compatible — direct contact between steel hardware and carbon fiber without an isolating bushing can cause galvanic corrosion at the interface over time in wet conditions. For builds going this direction, coordinating the full rear exterior package through exterior styling ensures all components are dimensionally matched.

Are cheap license plate frames and brackets any good, or do they fail quickly?

Sub-$15 stamped steel frames with no finish coating will show rust within one to two winter seasons in any climate that uses road salt, and single-screw retention designs back out from road vibration within months on any vehicle driven over rough pavement regularly. The failure mode on budget hardware is rarely catastrophic but is consistently annoying — loose plates, corroded fasteners that require drilling out, and cracked ABS surrounds that cause rattles at highway speed. For a daily driver that won't see any exterior modification, a mid-grade stainless or anodized aluminum frame in the $20–$50 range is the practical minimum for long-term reliability. The rule of thumb is simple: if the hardware included in the kit is zinc-plated rather than stainless or Grade 8, budget for replacement fasteners before the first service interval.

Are crash bars the same thing as engine guards, and how does this relate to motorcycle plate relocation?

Crash bars and engine guards are functionally the same component — the terminology differs by manufacturer and region, with crash bar more common in European spec and engine guard dominant in North American catalogs, but both describe the tubular steel or aluminum frame that protects the engine cases in a tip-over or low-speed impact. The relevance to plate relocation is direct on motorcycles: many crash bar systems extend rearward along the frame and interact with the subframe geometry that side-mount plate brackets attach to, so the two components must be spec'd together to avoid clearance conflicts. On cruiser and adventure platforms especially, brands like Kuryakyn and Bikers Choice engineer their plate relocation kits to coexist with common crash bar diameters — typically 1" to 1.25" OD tube — but always verify clearance before ordering if both modifications are planned simultaneously.

Building something specific? Our performance specialists can help you select the right License Plate Relocation for your application — street, track, or full race build.