You might want to personalize your existing private number plate, or you may be looking to buy a new motor bike. But before you decide you need to be aware of the current laws on number plates in the UK.
You can easily get confused by the different formats and the different fonts used on number plates on the roads. To clear up any confusion and make things easier, we have provided a comprehensive guide for you about the UK’s motorcycle number plate rules and laws. First of all you need to understand the purpose of the number plates. We will explain this to you.
Why Do We Need Number Plates?
The fundamental purpose of number plates is to provide a means of “identification.” The number plates are used by the appropriate authorities to identify your vehicle should you be involved in an accident or should the vehicle be used as part of a crime. You can own a motorcycle or a moped, and the physical look of the number plates will be the same. A quick way to differentiate between them is through your private number plates.
The owner can also choose to remove their number plates by making an application through the DVLA Retention Process. The number plate can be removed from the vehicle and retained on a V778 retention document. Once held on a retention document the owner can retain the private registration on the certificate until they are ready to transfer the number plate to another vehicle. The V778 retention document is valid for 10 years at which point it has to be renewed through the DVLA at no additional cost.
What Exactly Does the Law Say?
Motorcycle number plates have to be displayed on the rear of the bike and there is no longer a requirement to have a number plate on the front of the vehicle as these are deemed to be dangerous. Prior to the introduction of the new style registrations in 2001 it was optional for a motorcycle to have both a front and a rear number plate. After 1st September 2001 motorcycles are not permitted to display a front number plate due to the risk of injury to pedestrians in the event of an accident.
How Should the Number Plate Look?
A rear number plate on a motorcycle has to conform to a number of standards and these are defined within the Display of Registration Mark Regulations. These regulations determine the size and shape of the number plate, the reflective materials to be used, the size and type of font, the background and font colours permissible, and the permitted use of National Flags, and Borders. The regulations also stipulate the markings that are legally required to identify the manufacturer/supplier of the number plate.
The British Standard
In accordance with the regulations the plate’s strength, visibility, and reflectivity have to meet a minimum requirement. To meet the regulations, every number plate must be legibly and permanently marked with the following information:
● The postcode and name of the supplier
● British Standard Number (currently BS AU 145d) and (from 1st September 2021 BS AU 145e)
● Trademark, Name, or Marking of the supplier or manufacturer.
UK Number Plate Size and Standard
The minimum legal size for the rear number plate of a Motorcycle is 228 mm Wide by 165 mm High (9” by 6.5”). An alternative size is 242 mm Wide by 178 mm High (9” by 7”). In order to allow a border to be included in the design of the number plate the size has to increase further as there is a minimum requirement for the free space around the letters and numbers. The number plate size increases to 228 mm Wide by 190mm High (9” by 7.5”) for a plate with a border.
It is a requirement to have 2 rows of letters and numbers displayed on the rear number plate of a motorcycle. It is illegal to have a number plate similar to a car with all the letters and numbers on a single row.
Northern Ireland Plates
Many people opt for this number plate as a private number plate. For this format, the styling format differs to the rest of the UK. In this style of number plate, the registration year is excluded. This feature of the registration means it is dateless and it provides the user with an opportunity to disguise the age of their vehicle. Owners looking for personalized number plates can choose this style of number plate for their motorbike.
What Are the New Number Plate Guidelines?
A new number plate standard is currently in place. Implementation of the new number plate standard has however been delayed primarily due to the Covid-19 outbreak and also because of Brexit. The new rule set determining the requirements for the display of number plates is referred to as “British Standard BS AU 145e”.
The new standard aims to improve the durability and “Automatic Number-plate Recognition” or ANPR legibility of the number plate. According to these standards, plates with two-tone digits, a gradient, or 3D printed digits will no longer be deemed as legal for new number plates supplied after 1st September 2021.
With all these rules in place, you will be questioning whether or not you can customize your plate.
Well, you can and we will explain how:
How Can I Get a Custom Plate?
You can buy a personalized number plate from arecognised reseller of DVLA number plates. Once you have confirmed the registration has been assigned to your motor bike you can use the Ve948 document provided by the reseller in order to have the rear number plate manufactured. Alternatively you can order the rear number plate when you purchase the personalised number plate providing that the reseller is also a RNPS (Registered Number Plate Supplier). The number plate design you opt for must however comply with the regulations issued by the UK government. To make sure you don’t fall foul of the regulations you need to order your number plate from a RNPS registered supplier.
You may love your Bike and love riding your Bike but be sure that you comply with these regulations. If you fail to comply with the regulations you can be fined up to £1,000 and have your personalised number plate removed from your vehicle.
