Number plates are sized in millimetres, and the size you need depends on the vehicle, the recess it sits in and how many characters are on the reg. These are the sizes we make.
| Size | Dimensions | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 520 x 111 mm | Most cars, front and rear |
| Short | 408 x 106 mm | Private regs of up to six characters |
| Large rear | 535 x 152 mm rear, 520 x 111 mm front | Vans and cars with a tall rear recess |
| 4x4 square rear | 280 x 203 mm rear, 520 x 111 mm front | 4x4s and pickups with a square recess |
| Motorcycle | 228 x 178 mm, rear only | Bikes, with 64 mm characters |
Standard: 520 x 111 mm
The UK standard for cars. If your bumper has a full-width recess and your reg has seven characters, this is almost certainly the size.
Short: 408 x 106 mm
Short plates suit a private reg of six characters or fewer and a narrow recess. A badge takes about 50 mm, which reduces the usable width, so the builder limits a short plate with a badge to five characters. The characters stay full size: shrinking them to fit is what makes a plate illegal.
Large rear: 535 x 152 mm
A taller rear plate for vehicles with a deep recess. The front stays standard at 520 x 111 mm. Character size and spacing are the same as a standard plate.
4x4 square rear: 280 x 203 mm
Square rears fit 4x4s, pickups and some imports with a square recess. As with the large rear, the front plate stays standard.
Motorcycle: 228 x 178 mm
Motorcycles use a smaller plate with 64 mm characters, rear only. The legal minimum character height for bikes is lower than for cars, and the plate is smaller to match.
Character sizes
The plate size is only half the story. On cars, characters are 79 mm high, 50 mm wide with a 14 mm stroke, 11 mm apart with 11 mm margins, and a 33 mm gap between the age identifier and the random letters. Motorcycles use 64 mm characters. Those numbers are set by the display rules, not by the plate manufacturer, and a plate that crowds them is not legal however good it looks. Our number plate rules explain each one.
Measuring your recess
Measure the flat area inside the recess, not the outer edge of the bumper, and leave a few millimetres for the plate to sit flat. If you are between sizes, choose the larger plate: trimming or bending a plate damages the reflective surface and the characters.
Pick your size in the plate builder
Published 24 October 2026