In Singapore, we have a variety of vehicle licence plates and these are dependant on the vehicle's category and its intended usage. The following are the requirements for its installation.
The vehicle licence plate shall consist of the index mark and the registration number assigned to the motor vehicle. The index mark and the registration number shall be suffixed with a letter of the alphabet, which serves as the official reference. The vehicle licence plate shall be exhibited at the front and at the back of the motor vehicle not more than one metre from the ground in a vertical position so that every letter or figure of the vehicle licence plate is easily distinguishable. No other figures or letters and no design advertisement or ornamentation shall be placed near the identification mark on the vehicle licence plate in such a manner as to render it more difficult to read or distinguish when the vehicle is in motion.
Vehicle licence plates normally have white letters and figures on black background for both front and rear of a vehicle. However, if the vehicle licence plate is made of reflex reflecting material, the front licence plate will consist of black letters and figures on a white background, and the rear licence plate will consist of black letters and figures on a yellow background.
There are exceptions to the following categories of vehicles and their vehicle licence plates shall be sealed:
- in the case of restricted use (RU) vehicles, the letters and figures are white on a red and green background;
- in the case of vehicles registered under the Off-Peak Car (OPC) scheme, the letters and figures are white on a dark red background;
- in the case of vintage cars and classic cars, the letters and figures are white on a dark red and yellow background;
- in the case of PU-registered vehicles, the letters and figures are white on a green background;
- in the case of special purpose licence (RD) vehicles, the letters and figures are white on a yellow and blue background;and
- in the case of Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Transportation Vehicles, the letters and figures are black on an orange background. ( The vehicle licence plate does not require to be affixed with a seal. )
The diagrams of a typical vehicle licence plate are shown below:
The vehicle licence plate shall meet the following requirements:
- the letters and figures are 70 mm high, 50 mm wide and 10 mm broad;
- the space between adjoining letters and between adjoining figures shall be 10 mm;
- the space between the letters and figures shall be 20 mm;
- a margin between the nearest part of any letter or figure and the top or bottom of the vehicle licence plate shall be 10 mm; and
- a margin between the nearest part of any letter or figure and the sides of the vehicle licence plate shall be 20 mm.
In the case of motorcycle, the front licence plate may be reduced by halved of the above dimensions due to the slight curvature of the mudguard. The rear licence plate of motorcycle shall meet the following requirements:
- the letters and figures are 50 mm high, 30 mm wide and 5 mm broad;
- the space between adjoining letters and between adjoining figures shall be 10 mm;
- the space between the letters and figures shall be 20 mm; and
- a margin between the nearest part of any letter or figure and the top, bottom and sides of the vehicle licence plate shall be 10 mm.
Some examples of Singapore vehicle licence plates are shown below:
Vehicle licence plates are distinguishing marks of identification for registered vehicles on the road. They are important in identifying vehicles for enforcement and emergency activities or other contingent conditions. As such, it is incumbent upon the registered owner and driver to ensure that proper vehicle licence plates are displayed prominently on the front and rear of the vehicle at all times.
Vehicle owners whose vehicles are found with improper licence plates face a maximum Court fine of $1,000 or 3 months' imprisonment upon conviction in Court.
