Motorcycle Number Plates
Personalised Number Plates for Motorcycles
Many people in the UK associate personalised registration numbers with cars, but most vehicles are allowed to display private number plates, including motorbikes. You can search our database of over 50 million available registration numbers to find the perfect personalised plate for your motorcycle.
At CarReg, we can supply you with the DVLA certificate of entitlement and make up a number plate for you that conforms to the legal standard. But what are the legal specifications for motorcycle number plates? Follow our handy guide to avoid any confusion and keep you on the right side of the law.
Laws For Motorbike Number Plates
If your motorbike was registered on or after 1st September 2001, you can only display a number plate at the back. The characters must be 64mm tall and, apart from the number 1 and letter I, 44mm wide. The thickness of the character stroke has to be 10mm. The space between characters must be 10mm, while the vertical space between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 13mm. The margins at the top, bottom and sides of the plate need to be at least 11mm.
All number plates fitted since 1st September 2021 must conform to British Standard BS AU 145e. While there is no specific rule for the size of a motorcycle rear number plate, the standard size is 9 x 7 inches. For shorter registration numbers, the plate can be smaller, as long as the characters and spacing are the correct sizes. You might see bikes with a 7 x 5-inch rear plate, but they can only be used as show plates and are not legal for road use.
Rules For Older Bikes
The DVLA applies slightly different rules for older and vintage bikes. For motorcycles with number plates fitted before 1st September 2001, the character sizes are different, as are those for bikes made before 1973. If you ride a bike that was first registered before 1st September 2001, you can fit a number plate on the front, but it is optional. Motorbikes registered on or after 1st January 1973 must have number plates with the characters set on two lines. Bikes registered before 1973 can have the characters set over three lines.
Bikes built before 1973, or those made over 40 years ago, are allowed to display a traditional ‘black and white’ number plate. The plate can have white, grey or silver characters set on a black background. However, for the plate to be legal, you must have applied to the DVLA and the bike must be registered in the historic vehicle tax class and be exempt from road tax.
Get Your Motorbike Number Plates
So, now you know the rules for motorcycle number plates, you can start looking for the ideal personalised plate for your bike. Just enter your search criteria and see what comes up within your budget. We even have bike-themed plates available. How about ‘B19 KER’, ‘B141 KER’, ‘H12 BKE’ or ‘B119 KES’?
