What Size Motorcycle Has To Be Registered

By - October seven, 2020

Whether yous want to personalise your number plate or are hoping to invest in a new bicycle, it's of import to know the laws around your motorcycle registration plate. Different size and colour plates on the roads in the UK can cause confusion around what is and isn't legal. Let's prepare the record straight with our ultimate guide to motorcycle number plate laws in the UK.

Why we demand number plates

Number plates are used by the police and government to identify your vehicle – from motorcycles to scooters and mopeds. Police tin use a vehicle's registration number if the bicycle has been stolen or involved in a crime, and the government can use information technology for tax and registration purposes.

The plate is registered with the vehicle and not its owner – therefore the number will remain associated with the vehicle until it'south broken up, destroyed or permanently exported. The owner of the vehicle tin can, however, employ to remove the number and place it on some other vehicle or a DVLA Retention Document V778. The document allows you lot to hold private registration of the number plate on the certificate until you are ready to transfer information technology to another vehicle. You cannot have a retention certificate if your plate is still registered to your vehicle.

What does the law say?

If your bike was registered on or after ane September 2001, the vehicle's registration plate must simply be displayed on the back. If your bike was registered before the cut-off point, you may display your registration number on the front and back of the vehicle if you wish to do so, but there is no legal obligation to do this.

How should your number plate look?

In that location are specific requirements for your plate, from size to color to lettering. Let's intermission them downwards:

The British Standard

The British Standard sets the requirements for the plate's visibility, strength and reflectivity. To meet the standard, every plate must exist permanently and legibly marked with the:

British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d)
Name, trademark or other way of identifying the manufacturer or supplier
Name and postcode of the supplying outlet.

UK number plate size

There is no specific legislation in place that determines the size of your motorcycle number plate. However, it should be noted that all motorbike plates must exist rectangular. Merely what size is a standard Britain motorcycle number plate?

Since 2001, the police states that each letter of the alphabet and number on your number plate must exist 64mm alpine and 44mm broad. This excludes the letter 'I' and the number 'i'. The character stroke (the thickness of the line) must be 10mm, and the spacing betwixt each character must too be 10mm. The historic period identifier and the random messages must exist 30mm autonomously, while the vertical space betwixt the historic period identifier and the random numbers must be 13mm. The space betwixt the margins at the top, lesser and side of the plate must exist at least 11mm broad.

UK motorcycle number plate design - fitted after 1st September 2001

It should exist noted that the standard number plate size is designed to accommodate the largest amount of space needed. A number plate with 'I's and '1'southward will non need every bit much space as plates with other numbers and messages, which would each need to be 64mm tall and 44mm broad.

Fitted before ane September 2001

If your number plate was fitted before 1 September 2001, information technology must comply to different sizing standards. The character height must be 89mm and the width must exist 64mm – excluding 'I' and 'ane' – while the character stroke should be 16mm. The infinite between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 38mm, and the vertical space between them must be 19mm. The top, lesser and side margins must all be a minimum of 13mm, also equally the space between characters.

Fitted earlier one January 1973

There are dissimilar specifications for classic motorcycle number plates – classic or traditional number plates are deemed to be on vehicles made before 1 January 1973. The character height and width (excluding 'I' and '1') must be 79mm and 57mm respectively, while stroke must exist 14mm.

Motorcycle number plates police states the space between characters and the margins be 11mm, besides every bit the space betwixt the age identifier and random numbers be 33mm. The vertical space must be 19mm.

Fitted earlier 1st January 1963

In that location was less standardisation for number plates fitted before 1963, pregnant these plates would often include very few characters. This, in turn, meant that number plates could exist smaller as they didn't need to arrange as many letters or numbers. For those fitted as vanity or historic plates, the minimum legal size of the plate is potentially farther reduced too.

Northern Ireland plates

Another alternative many people opt for is Northern Ireland number plates, which have a slightly dissimilar format compared to the rest of the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland equally they don't include the date. This makes them an attractive option for those wanting to disguise the age of their bike. As a issue of this deviation, Northern Ireland number plates tend to have more character width at the bottom of the plate.

New number plate guidelines

A new number plate standard is currently in the works, though its implementation has been delayed recently equally a result of COVID-19 and Brexit. The new rule is referred to as British Standard BS AU 145e and aims to improve automated number-plate recognition (ANPR) legibility, as well as the immovability of the plate itself. Under these new guidelines, information technology volition no longer be permissible to have plates with gradient, ii-tone, or 3D effects.

Whilst these are yet legal, they will become illegal on new plates once the act is passed in parliament. According to the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association (BNMA), this is due to come into effect either in 2020 or 2021, though it is dependent on when the issue can be raised in parliament.

Lettering

For standard plates (not custom), the current system, which was introduced in September 2001, uses a combination of letters and numbers. The first two characters are letters which refer to the region in which your vehicle was registered. These messages are followed past ii numbers, which represent when the plate was issued. Finally, three random letters are assigned.

If your vehicle was registered on or after 1 January 1973, the lettering on your number plate must exist spread onto two lines. All number plates use the Charles Wright font.

Number plates for classic motorcycles

Number plates made on or after 1 September 2001 must be yellow with black text. However, if your vehicle was registered earlier 1 January 1973 or more than 40 years ago (due to the 40-year exemption engagement that rolls forrard on 1 April every year), your plate can exist 'black and white'. This includes either white, silvery or grayness characters on a black background. For this plate to be legal, though, you lot must accept applied to DVLA and be registered nether the 'celebrated vehicle' revenue enhancement form.

Flags

You tin display i of the following flags on your number plate, as long as it doesn't exceed 50mm broad:

Union flag
Cross of St George
Cross of St Andrew (Saltire)
Red dragon of Wales.

You can brandish the following national identifiers, every bit long as they do not exceed 50mm in width:

Slap-up BRITAIN, Corking Britain or GB
UNITED KINGDOM, U.k. or Britain
ENGLAND, England, ENG or Eng
SCOTLAND, Scotland, SCO or Sco
CYMRU, Cymru, CYM or Cym
WALES or Wales.

You may also feature the European symbol and GB national identifier on your plate, which means you will not need a dissever GB sticker if travelling in the European union. This may be subject to change following the Britain's deviation from the EU.

Co-ordinate to the EC Council Regulation 2411/98, the symbol must:

Exist at least 98mm tall
Be betwixt 40mm and 50mm wide
Have a reflective blue groundwork with 12 reflective yellowish stars at the top
Characteristic the 'GB' in reflective white or yellow.

What happens if you break the law?

If your motorcycle'south number plate does not comply with UK laws, you could face a fine of upward to £i,000. Additionally, if yous accept your motorbike in for an MOT, yous will non pass.

Can I become a custom plate?

Yes, you tin can have a custom number plate made. The regime specifies that any number plate must exist made past a registered number plate supplier (RNPS). You can detect your nearest RNPS here. Any number plate that has been created must comply with all the above regulations.

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