Two months into Rivian R1S ownership and I finally got around to putting the plates on. Not the first thing you’d expect from a two-month update, but here we are.
Rivian R1S: Two Months, 2,269 Miles
August 29th marked exactly two months since I took delivery of the R1S. The odometer read 2,269 miles — already over my target of 1,000 miles a month, but the R1S makes it easy to find excuses to drive. We took a road trip and I’ve been putting it through its paces since day one.
My overall thoughts after trading the R1T for this R1S: still love it. A proper closer look video is coming — just taking my time to make sure it’s worth your time to watch.
Installing the Rivian License Plate
The plates actually arrived 2–3 weeks after delivery. I just hadn’t made the time. Today I finally did, with a small assist from Joe who donated his license plate frame — so shout out to Joe.
A few things worth knowing before you do this on your own R1S:
Use the longer screws. The kit includes new screws for a reason — the original ones are shorter and won’t sit flush. Use what’s in the frame kit.
The rubber spacers are one-use. Rivian includes rubber spacers that sit between the license plate frame and the body to protect the paint. They’re not reusable, so if you ever swap frames down the line you’ll need new ones. They’re available on Amazon, though I didn’t note the specific measurements — something to look up before you order.
Once registration arrived, the temporary paper plate came off and the real one went on. The frame sits clean against the rear — no rattles, no paint contact.
California Registration
In California, vehicle registration sends two stickers with your initial plate: the month and the year. Every annual renewal after that gets you a new year sticker. Renewal is expensive — and unlike some states where you can prepay multiple years, I’m paying annually. Even if multi-year were an option, I wouldn’t prepay on a depreciating vehicle. Pay it when it’s due.
If you’re still deciding on the Gen 2 R1S and want to know what ownership actually feels like beyond the first drive, I’ll have more on that soon. And if you’re ready to pull the trigger, Rivian referrals include free charging on the Adventure Network plus Gear Shop points.
Let me know what you think in the comments — and if you’ve done the plate install on your Rivian, any tips I missed?
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