United Kingdom number plate: Motorcycle

Format, years and the law

Format

LL99 LLL, for example WX36 NGD (L is any letter, 9 any digit)

The format above follows the issuing rules: a registration that fits it is one this series could have issued.

Years issued

2001 to today. Still issued.

Vehicle class

Motorcycle: reduced-size series for motorcycles where format/design differs. Issued for motorcycle, tricycle, and quadricycle.

Colours

Characters #000000 Background #FFFF00

Typeface

prescribed font (Sch 4 Part 2, 64 mm); mandatory; Schedule 4 has a SECOND drawing specifically for 64 mm characters, the reduced set is a distinct statutory font, not a scaled copy of the 79 mm one · license plate fonts

About this plate

BRITISH MOTORCYCLES CARRY AN ORDINARY MARK ON AN EXTRAORDINARY PLATE. Two edge cases INF104 § 07 states and this series carries: a tricycle "made from four-wheeled bodies, such as saloon cars" may use EITHER the car or the motorcycle requirements, while a tricycle built from a motorcycle must use the motorcycle rules; and a quadricycle must display FRONT AND REAR plates but may use the reduced 64 mm set if its net engine power is 15 kW or less and its unladen weight is 400 kg or less (550 kg for a goods vehicle).

Legal basis and sources

1. reg 6(5)(a)-(b): no front plate on a motor cycle or non-car-bodied motor tricycle first registered on or after 1.9.2001 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/6
2. reg 13(2): the nine single-line diagrams are unavailable to a motor cycle https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/13
3. reg 14(3): 64 mm characters permitted for motor cycles, motor tricycles, quadricycles, agricultural machines, works trucks and road rollers https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/14
4. Table B column (4): 44 mm width, 10 mm stroke, 10 mm within group, 30 mm between groups, 13 mm vertical, 11 mm margin https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedule/3
5. INF104 § 07 'Motorcycles and tricycles': rear only from 1.9.2001; two lines from 1.1.1973; the quadricycle 15 kW / 400 kg (550 kg goods) threshold https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6694e379fc8e12ac3edafc60/inf104-vehicle-registration-numbers-and-numbe...