yorkshirelad wrote:
I got caught a few years ago with a single line plate. I got a £30 fine and when I asked if I needed to get it changed and then produce proof it was legal, I was told I did not have to remove and change the plate but obviousley would be fined if caught again. The officer told me if I then persistently displayed an illegal plate, the DVLA could revoke the registration and deem the vehicle unregistered.
I fitted a new plate to the exact minimum dimensions on the DVLA website. As trojan said, the plate can be any size as long as the lettering, spacing and border are correct.
This is taken from the DVLA website
Motorcycles registered from 1 September 2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle.
Motorcycles registered before 1 September 2001 can display a number plate at the front, but do not have to. The number plate must be a 'two-line' number plate.
Motorcycle number plates should have a:
character height - 64 millimetres
character width - 44 millimetres (except the figure 1 or letter I)
character stroke - 10 millimetres
space between characters - 10 millimetres
space between groups - 30 millimetres
top, bottom and side margins - 11 millimetres (minimum)
vertical space between groups - 13 millimetres
Tricycles made from motorcycles must meet the number plate requirements for motorcycles.
Tricycles made from four-wheeled vehicles, such as saloon cars and quad bikes must meet the same number plate requirements as all other vehicles.
There is an upside to this of course. If you get a ticket for a 'small number plate' then the officer concerned should of course take measurements of the exact size of the numbers/letters on your plate. If they just measure the dimensions of the plate you could quite reasonably challenge this in court and ask for his/her evidence of the exact size of your plate numerals to prove they were undersize. You would have to go to court of course, with the risk of a larger fine etc, but it would be reasonable to do so. However if your plate is so small that the minimum size letters wouldn't physically fit onto it then pay up and keep quiet
I know someone who was issued with an endorsable (3 points) ticket for a bald tyre a while ago. The police evidence was that the tyre was 'less than measurable tread depth' but as they had not actually measured the depth of tread and recorded it in their evidence on the rear of the ticket the case was thrown out and the penalty cancelled.