View Rule

This rulemaking would harmonize the license plate mounting angle requirements for motorcycles with European regulatory requirements in response to a petition from the Motorcycle Industrial Council (MIC). MIC claimed that changing the license plate mounting angle would not adversely affect safety or law enforcement. MIC stated that by allowing a 30 degree upward angle, the license plate lamp can be physically located closer to the plate, retaining the incident angle and providing the same amount of illumination. In response to this petition, this rulemaking would amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) on lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment to allow the licenses plate mounting surface on motorcycles to be at an angle of up to 30 degrees beyond vertical. The Agency believes this rulemaking action would result in minor benefits resulting from cost saving associated with increased design flexibility. Because the Agency does not believe that benefits from this rulemaking action would be economically significant, it does not anticipate conducting a separate economic analysis for this rulemaking.