It depends a lot on what the law says, the intent of the law, and whether you and the officer stopping you are using the same brand ouija board. As a general rule, issues regarding the configuration of a vehicle must follow the state of registration. Case in point, when NC passed a law saying that rear tires could not extend past the fender wells, tickets issued against out-of-state vehicles were usually thrown out....but not always. Craven County kept on finding them guilty. That's because if it pertains to vehicle operation, even if it is hardware related, the laws of the state in which the vehicle is operated must be followed. As an example, at the same time they passed the law regarding tires extending past the fender, they made it illegal to display a white light to the rear while moving in a forward direction. (Stuck back-up lights/cracked red lens) That offense was ticketed against any vehicle, regardless of the state of registration. This case of the license frame is a gray area very similar to the problem we had years ago with vacationing Northeastern volunteer firemen, who used to use blue lights on their car. Technically, they could have been ticketed or arrested the minute they hit the state line even though they were perfectly legal in their home state. Instead, troopers carried brown paper bags and tape with them. They'd stop the fireman, tell him what was up, and tape the bag over his light. This is similar. My bet is that out of state vehicles won't be stopped on I-95 (just passing through) but that Jacksonville, Fayetteville and Havelock PD will have a field day issuing tickets. Like the tire issue, it will be up to the courts to decide whether they stand or not.