Motorbike Number Plate Laws: Explained

Adding new number plates is an easy way to make your motorcycle stand out on the road. However, to be Road Legal, motorbike plates have to adhere to strict rules. If your plates don't comply, you could face fines and costly legal issues.

Regulations for motorbikes differ slightly to those for cars, so it's vital you know what they are if you're in the market for some new replacement number plates.

Motorcycle Plate Laws

DVLA regulations for both cars and motorbikes state that:

- Plates must be manufactured from reflective material.

- The backplate must have a yellow background with black characters.

- Patterned backgrounds are not permitted.

- Number plates must show the supplier.

- All plates must be marked with the British Standard Number (BSAU 145e).

Specific Motorbike Laws state:

- Number Plates must always be displayed at the back of the vehicle.

- Front number plates are optional, but if you choose to have one it must have a white background with black lettering.

- All motorcycles and tricycles must have a number plate with lettering spreading on two lines.

Motorcycle Number Plate Size Laws

While there are no laws for the exact size of the outline of motorcycle plates, there are rules regarding spacing and character sizes that you must adhere to.

For Motorbikes Manufactured after 1st September 2001, these are:

  • Characters must be 64mm tall
  • Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be 44mm wide
  • The character stroke must be 10mm
  • The space between characters must be 10mm
  • The space between the age identifier and the random letter must be 30mm
  • The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm
  • Vertical space between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 13mm

For Motorbikes made before 1st September 2011, but after 1st January 1973, they are:

  • Characters must be 89mm tall
  • Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be 64mm wide
  • The character stroke must be 16mm
  • The space between characters must be 13mm
  • The space between the age identifier and the random letters must be 38mm
  • The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 13mm
  • The vertical space between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 19mm

For Classic Motorcycles Manufactured before 1st January 1973, they are:

  • Characters must be 79mm tall
  • Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be 50mm wide
  • The character stroke must be 14mm
  • The space between characters must be 11mm
  • The space between the age identifier and the random letters must be 33mm
  • The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm
  • Vertical space between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 19mm