Irish number plate sizes
The standard Irish car plate measures 520mm × 110mm. Below is the full legal specification for dimensions, characters and spacing under S.I. No. 318 of 1992, and it's exactly what we print to.
The legal specification
| Measurement | Legal value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plate size | 520mm × 110mm | The oblong plate fitted to almost every Irish car |
| Character height | 70mm max | Measured on the digits and letters of the registration |
| Character width | 36mm max | Excluding the digit 1 |
| Stroke width | 10mm | The thickness of each character stroke |
| Space between characters | 10mm | Consistent across the registration |
| Space between groups | 20mm | Between year code, county code and numerals |
| Margin | 10mm min | Clear space around the registration |
| County name height | 20mm max | Irish-language county name along the top |
| Background | White retroreflective | Black characters, no tint or shading |
| EU band | Blue, 12 gold stars, IRL | On the left-hand side of the plate |
Source: Statutory Instrument No. 318 of 1992, Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, as amended.
How to measure your existing plate
Measure the plate itself edge to edge — a standard Irish car plate should come out at 520mm wide and 110mm tall. Then measure the height of a character: if it is taller than 70mm, or the strokes are thicker or thinner than 10mm, the plate is outside the specification even if it looks fine at a glance.
Why the wrong size fails an NCT
NCT inspectors check that the registration is legible, correctly spaced and displayed on a white reflective background front and rear. Undersized plates, squeezed spacing and non-reflective sheet are the usual reasons a plate is marked down, and they're all avoidable by ordering a plate printed to the spec in the first place.
Check your registration format
Sizing is only half the job — the registration also has to be laid out in the correct year, county and numeral groups. Our free plate format checker tells you whether yours is valid, and the year and county code reference explains what each part means.
Frequently asked
What size are Irish number plates?
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The standard Irish car plate is 520mm × 110mm — the oblong plate fitted front and rear to almost every car on Irish roads. That is the size we print.
What character height is legal on an Irish plate?
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Characters may be up to 70mm tall and 36mm wide (the digit 1 excepted), with a 10mm stroke width, 10mm between characters and 20mm between groups, as set out in S.I. No. 318 of 1992.
Is there a legally required font in Ireland?
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Irish law specifies character dimensions and spacing rather than one named typeface, so there is no single mandated font. We print in the standard character style used on factory-fitted Irish plates so plates look and measure the same as the ones your car came with.
Do my plates need the county name and EU band?
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Yes. A road-legal Irish plate shows the Irish-language county name along the top and the blue EU band with twelve gold stars and IRL on the left.
Plates printed to spec
520mm × 110mm reflective plates from €17, posted the same working day.
Design your plate