license plate

American  

noun

1. a plate or tag, usually of metal, bearing evidence of official registration and permission, as for the use of a motor vehicle.

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license plate British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): numberplate.  a plate mounted on the front and back of a motor vehicle bearing the registration number

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Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Once a bike crosses those thresholds through design or modification it is treated as an e-motorcycle and subject to the same requirements as a traditional motorcycle: a valid license, registration, insurance and a license plate.

From Los Angeles Times

A separate study of the department’s overall license plate reader network is already underway, and is expected to be completed this summer.

From Los Angeles Times

“I don’t know that automated license plate readers are all that effective when owned by neighbors living on the street who decided to get together.”

From Los Angeles Times

Inside he found a hidden camera feeding a vast surveillance network that logs the license plate of every driver passing through this stretch of remote backcountry between San Diego and the Arizona state line.

From Los Angeles Times

The company’s catalog includes license plate readers, gunshot detectors and automated drones, with plans to expand into even more massive people-tracking software.

From Salon