Displaying number plates

How to display number plates on vehicles.

Rules for number plates

Number plates must show your registration number correctly. You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they're hard to read.

The number plates on your vehicle must:

• be clearly visible from the front and rear of the vehicle, so they can be read up to 20 metres away
• be displayed at the front and rear of the vehicle (unless it's a motorcycle, trailer, caravan or special-purpose vehicle which only requires one number plate displayed at the rear)
• not be obscured by anything, including a tow ball, plastic cover, dirt buildup or any part of the vehicle's bodywork
• at night, have the number plate on the rear of the vehicle lit with a white light, so it can be read from 20 metres away
• display an approved safety label if you drive an electric, hybrid or hydrogen powered vehicle.

Bike rack plates

A bicycle rack attached to a motor vehicle, and any bicycle on the rack, must not cover the rear number plate of the vehicle. When attaching a bicycle rack to the rear of a vehicle, you can either:

• display a bicycle rack number plate on the rack
• take the rear number plate off the motor vehicle and attach it to the bicycle rack.

You must not display a standard number plate on both the rear of the vehicle and on a bicycle rack, or use homemade number plates.

When you are carrying bicycles on your rack, if the brake lights on the vehicle are not visible from 200 metres away under normal weather conditions, you must attach an additional brake light to the rack that is visible from 200 metres.