S.L. 368.2 Art. 32Plates bearing registration mark and international distinguishing sign.

(1) The Authority shall give to the licensee of any motor vehicle two registration plates bearing the registration mark in respect of his or her vehicle against payment of the cost of such plates as provided for in the First Schedule.

(2) Besides the registration mark, the plate shall also bear the international distinguishing sign of Malta in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 on the recognition in intra-Community traffic of the distinguishing signs of the Member States in which motor vehicles and their trailers are registered.

(3) No other letter, number, mark or sign, except those authorised by the Authority shall be permitted on the registration plate.

(4) When such new plates are given to a licensee, such licensee shall cause them to be immediately securely affixed to the satisfaction of the Authority on the vehicle to which they refer, one fixed vertically on the front and one on the rear of the vehicle in such a position that every letter and figure on the plate is upright, easily visible and distinguishable: Provided that where the vehicle is towing a trailer or more trailers, the plate behind the vehicle shall be fixed on the rear of the trailer or the rearmost trailer as the case may be: Provided further that in the case of a motor cycle or motor tricycle the registration plate shall only be fixed at the rear of the vehicle.

(5) No plates may be affixed to any motor vehicle unless such plates have been issued by the Authority and they refer to and belong to that particular vehicle.

(6) Any such registration plates obtained from the Authority on payment of the appropriate fee shall belong to the said Authority and shall be returned to the said Authority if and when the vehicle has been garaged for a period of time, scrapped or has been permanently exported. New plates shall only be re-issued for vehicles which had been so garaged upon the payment of the stipulated fee.

(7) Any motor vehicle standing or plying not having the plates referred to in sub-regulation (1) or plates issued by any other competent authority in the case of vehicles brought temporarily into Malta shall be deemed to be an unlicensed vehicle.