(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and subsection (6), a registration plate issued for a vehicle shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle. A registration plate issued for a truck tractor or road tractor shall be attached to the front of the vehicle.

    (2) A registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which the plate is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging. The plate shall be attached at a height of not less than 12 inches from the ground, measured from the bottom of the plate, in a place and position that is clearly visible. The plate shall be maintained free from foreign materials that obscure or partially obscure the registration information and in a clearly legible condition. The attachment to the rear of a vehicle of a tow ball, bicycle rack, removable hitch, or any other device designed to carry an object on the rear of a vehicle, including the object being carried, does not violate this subsection.

    (3) A registration plate or an expiration tab on the registration plate shall be of a different color designated by the secretary of state with a marked contrast between the color of the registration plate and the numerals or letters on the plate. The secretary of state may provide a distinctive registration plate as a replacement for a standard plate. To honor a special or historical event, the secretary of state may provide a commemorative plate as a replacement for a standard plate.

    (4) A person shall not attach a name plate, insignia, or advertising device to a registration plate in a manner that obscures or partially obscures the registration information.

    (5) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle that has a name plate, insignia, or advertising device attached to a registration plate in a manner that obscures or partially obscures the registration information.

    (6) A registration plate issued for a historic military vehicle that is authorized to be operated on the roads of this state is not required to be attached to the rear or the front of the historic military vehicle unless the historic military vehicle was originally manufactured with lighting and mounting provisions for a registration plate. However, if the registration plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it shall be present in the historic military vehicle to which it refers and shall be made available upon demand of a police officer. As used in this subsection, "historic military vehicle" means a vehicle, including a trailer, regardless of the vehicle's size, weight, or year of manufacture, that was manufactured for use in any country's military forces and is maintained to represent its military design and markings accurately.

    (7) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.