Motorbike number plates follow different rules from car plates: one plate instead of two, characters on two lines, and smaller characters in a fixed size. Get any of it wrong and you risk a fine or an MOT failure. This guide sets out the UK rules for motorbike and motorcycle number plates in plain English, based on the DVLA’s own guidance, so you can check your bike is legal.
Does a Motorbike Need a Front Number Plate?
No, not if it was registered on or after 1 September 2001. Those motorbikes must only display a number plate at the rear. If your bike or motor tricycle was registered before 1 September 2001, you can also display a front plate, but you do not have to.
Motorbike Number Plate Layout
On motorbikes and motor tricycles registered on or after 1 January 1973, the registration must be set on two lines. For a current-style registration, that means the first four characters on the top line and the last three on the bottom line, for example:
AB12
CDE
You cannot rearrange, space out or alter the characters to spell a word or make the plate harder to read.
Motorbike Number Plate Character Sizes
The characters on a motorbike plate are smaller than on a car plate, but they still have exact sizes set by the DVLA:
| Measurement | Motorbike plate | Car plate |
|---|---|---|
| Character height | 64mm | 79mm |
| Character width (except 1 and I) | 44mm | 50mm |
| Stroke (thickness of the print) | 10mm | 14mm |
| Space between characters | 10mm | 11mm |
| Space between the two groups | 30mm | 33mm |
| Margins at top, bottom and sides | At least 11mm | 11mm |
| Space between the two lines | 13mm | 19mm (two-line plates) |
What Size Is a Motorbike Number Plate?
The standard UK motorbike number plate is 9 x 7 inches (about 229 x 178mm). The law sets the character sizes rather than the plate size, but those sizes decide how big the plate has to be. Two lines of 64mm characters, a 13mm gap and 11mm margins need around 163mm of height, and four characters across need around 228mm of width. That is why 9 x 7 is the standard.
Smaller “mini” or “stubby” plates sold online cannot fit the characters at the legal size, so they are not road legal. If you want something smaller for a show bike, it has to be a show plate used off the road only.
What Every Road Legal Motorbike Plate Must Have
- A reflective yellow background, since it is a rear plate.
- Black characters in the standard font, with no italics or stylised letters.
- The BS AU 145e mark, plus the name and postcode of the supplier who made it.
- No background pattern, and nothing covering or coating the plate that makes it harder to read, by people or by cameras.
- It must be made by a DVLA-registered number plate supplier, who will ask for proof of your identity and proof you are entitled to the registration.
Can You Have a Flag or Green Flash on a Motorbike Plate?
Yes. You can show one of the permitted flags on the left-hand side of the plate: the Union flag, the Cross of St George, the Saltire or the Red Dragon of Wales, with an identifier such as UK, GB, ENG, SCO or CYM. The flag and letters cannot sit in the plate margin and cannot be more than 50mm wide.
Eligible zero emission vehicles, including fully electric motorbikes, can also display a green flash on the left-hand side of the plate.
Are 3D Gel and 4D Motorbike Plates Legal?
Yes, as long as they are made to BS AU 145e by a registered supplier, with solid black characters at the correct motorbike sizes and spacing. Raised gel or laser-cut characters are fine; changing the font, spacing or colour is not. See custom motorbike number plates for the styles you can choose, and our guide to 4D number plate law for the full rules.
What Happens If Your Motorbike Plate Is Illegal?
- A fine of up to £1,000.
- An MOT failure until the plate is replaced.
- For a personalised registration, the DVLA can withdraw it if it is displayed incorrectly.
The same goes for plates designed to hide from cameras. Our guide to ghost plates explains why they are illegal on any vehicle.
Get a Road Legal Motorbike Plate
Our motorbike number plates are made in the standard 9 x 7 inch size, to BS AU 145e, with the correct motorbike character sizes. Choose 2D printed, 3D gel or 4D, add an optional flag or border, and order online from £14.99 with same day dispatch on orders before 1pm. Or visit our shop at 133 Henry Street, Accrington, BB5 4EP, where plates are made while you wait.
Source: DVLA leaflet INF104, Vehicle registration numbers and number plates.
