A fictitious plate is generally considered a license plate that does not accurately represent what should be on the vehicle's registration or a plate that is intentionally altered to appear different from the real plate. This can include covering the plate or modifying the numbers or letters to look like something else—for example, your plate starts with a letter "P", but you put paint on it to make it look like a letter "B"

People often get in trouble with this offense when trying to avoid paying tolls, such as E-ZPass fees. Others commit this offense believing that if their license is suspended, they can hide this fact from the police by using a plate from a friend's or family member's car. However, with today's license plate scanners in police vehicles, it is nearly impossible to get away with this.

The last group of offenders are those who purchase new cars and think they can simply transfer the plate from their old car to the new one, assuming they will register the vehicle at the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) when it opens the next day.

Regardless of the situation, you are subject to the same penalties: up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The judge may offer an alternative sentence to jail time, such as 60 days of community service. However, for many people, this is not a desirable option, as the assigned jobs often take place in less favorable locations like the local recycling center, municipal garbage dump, or cleaning the municipal building.