Thousand-hour classAccelerated weathering
Accelerated weathering for sun, rain and long outdoor life.
One plate, three layers of work.
From the front it looks like one plate; side-on it is three layers bonded seamless.
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01 · Front layer
Printed on a professional plate printer
Characters, the Bat Plate mark and the “B.S. AU 145a” legend are printed on a professional plate printer — sharp edges, even black; characters themselves are non-reflective, as required.
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02 · Middle layer
Shatter-resistant plate film
High-impact acrylic — clear, resists yellowing; bevelled edges you can feel and see.
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03 · Rear layer
Japanese reflective sheeting
Uses Japan Nikkalite™ reflective sheeting to B.S. AU 145a reflective plate standards — white front, yellow rear, clear at night.
Want to preview your own plate?
Enter the mark, pick size and typeface — preview front white / rear yellow instantly. Happy? WhatsApp the workshop.
What is a B.S. AU 145a plate?
British Standard Specification for Reflex-reflecting Number Plates
B.S. AU 145a is the British Standards Institution reflective plate specification. Hong Kong’s Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations Schedule 4 require local reflective plates to meet it. STMHK Bat Plate is a TD-recognised manufacturer product marked B.S. AU145a.
Multi-angleReflective intensity
Reflective sheeting must meet the standard’s minimum under set viewing conditions.
Impact / bendVibration simulation
Simulates road impact, bending and vibration.
Water soak + heatStable lamination
Checks reflective layer, film and bond in humid heat.
Cheap plates on the market
Yellows easily
Breaks easily
Reflectivity fails standard
Typeface non-compliant
Characters fade easily in sun
STMHK Bat Plate
Weather-stable, resists yellowing
Strong structure, shatter-resistant
Compliant reflective intensity
Compliant plate typeface
Characters resist sun fade
Watch-like bevelled edgesBevelled edges
Japanese-brand reflective sheeting
Japanese-brand reflective face stock with workshop lamination.
Made in Hong Kong
Local workshop; TD-recognised manufacturer product.
Meets British B.S. AU 145a
Face marking meets British reflective plate standard.
Cheap plates on the market often fail these standards.
On-screen notes are an overview only; real quality follows workshop making and approval process. This page lists no lab figures. Hover the left “cheap plate” to compare with Bat Plate on the right.
Why “Standard” and “Statutory” type?
Guests often ask why the preview shows two typeface names. In short: the only face that meets Cap. 374E Schedule requirements is “Statutory type”. Both faces come from the UK; “Standard type” stayed in use from long local practice following UK plates, and appears alongside Statutory type in the market and our preview.
How to choose:For a safer pass and Schedule compliance, choose “Statutory type”. Prefer a traditional squared look? Choose “Standard type” (still common). Embossed custom orders default to “Statutory type”.
Squarer face · common on UK plates
“Standard type” is squarer — common on British plates. Makers following British plate practice kept it in use locally.
Schedule requirement · likely from British road-sign faces
“Statutory type” is the only face that meets Cap. 374E Schedule requirements. It likely came from a British road-sign face of the period; officials drafting HK plate rules brought it onto local plates.
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Schedule-compliant face is “Statutory type” — safer for inspection and compliance.
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Both faces come from Britain: Standard is squarer (common UK plates); Statutory likely came via road-sign faces.
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Standard type remains in the market and preview from long local use; labels simply say Standard / Statutory.
BRAND STORY
Brand story
STMHK has made plates and supplied plate materials to distributors since 1984 — one of Hong Kong’s longest-running plate makers. We are proud to have supplied dealers and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Bat Plate, launched in 1986, is still common on the roads and appears across China, HK and Macao — including in films.
We keep production standards high and use quality materials to meet BS AU 145a reflective requirements. Most production technicians have over ten years’ experience. Thank you for years of support — we keep improving.
This year we opened plates once reserved for OEMs and government to owners online and in-store — so more drivers can choose quality plates.
- 1984Started making plates
- 1986Bat Plate launched
- 1997Opened Tsuen Wan shop
HK plates — starting from a single number
Hong Kong’s earliest motor plates (from 1911) were black with white characters. In the 1930s private cars moved to white grounds; goods vehicles and taxis kept black grounds until 1983, when reflective white-front/yellow-rear plates phased them out. Marks went from digits only to HK, XX, then AA onwards. STMHK has made plates since 1984 and lived this history.
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Hong Kong plates
1863
Vehicle registration begins
The Government began registering vehicles for hire that must display a mark.
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Hong Kong plates
Early
Digits only: 1 to 9999
Earliest marks had no letters — 1 to 9999.
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Hong Kong plates
1911–1924
Earliest motor plates: black with white
Per Government Gazette: in 1911 private cars needed a black-with-white rear plate; from 1912 private cars needed black-with-white front and rear, as did motorcycles; from 1916 buses needed black-with-white front and rear. Hong Kong motor plates began as black with white.
2468 -
Hong Kong plates
1924–1935
Gradually shifted to white with black characters
From 1924 plate design sat with the Police; white-with-black plates appeared. In 1932 buses were required to use white with black plus “Public Vehicle”; by 1935 the Gazette stated private cars and buses both used white with black.
2468 -
Hong Kong plates
Around 1950
Digits used up — add “HK”
When pure numeric series ran low, HK was prefixed. Police lists by 1950 already showed HK marks.
HK 1234 -
Hong Kong plates
1950s
“XX” prefix appears
After HK came XX. Press and owner records show XX plates on the road by the mid-1950s.
XX 1234 -
Hong Kong plates
Late 1950s
From “AA” in letter order
After XX, issue continued from AA in letter order to today.
AA 1234 -
Hong Kong plates
1950s–1983
Colours by class: goods & taxis black with white
By the mid-1950s colours split by class: private cars white with black (“white-plate cars”), goods vehicles black with white (“black-plate”), buses (incl. minibuses) red with white. Taxis once used green with white, switching to black with white from 1960. That black-with-white system lasted until reflective plates in 1983 — same colour front/rear, non-reflective.
AA 1234AA 1234AA 1234L→R: private · goods/taxi · bus (schematic) -
Hong Kong plates
1973
Special marks can be auctioned
Marks are ordinary or special; owners may bid for special marks at TD auctions.
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Hong Kong plates
1983
Reflective plates · white front / yellow rear
From 1 Jun 1983 newly licensed vehicles needed BS AU 145a reflective plates: white front / yellow rear with black characters. Old plates (including black-with-white goods and taxi plates) had to be replaced by 1 Jun 1985 — black-with-white plates then disappeared from Hong Kong.
AB 1234AB 1234 -
STMHK
1984
STMHK started making plates
Started making plates and supplying materials to distributors.
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STMHK
1986
Bat Plate launched
Our Bat Plate brand launched and later appeared across China, HK and Macao — including in films.
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STMHK
1997
Opened Tsuen Wan shop
Opened Tsuen Wan shop focused on flat print work.
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Hong Kong plates
2006
Personalised marks
TD personalised marks scheme opened 1 Apr 2006 — up to 8 characters, after approval and auction.
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STMHK
2008
STMHK developed seamless plates
Print layer, shatter-resistant film and reflective sheeting fused seamless — tougher and cleaner looking.
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Hong Kong plates
2025
Reached ZZ, then restarted from WA
After traditional marks reached ZZ, WA series reissued returned unused marks in reverse letter order.
THE XX STORY
Why XX plates?
1–9999→HK→XX→AA
Early HK plates were digits only. After 1–9999, the HK prefix was added; when that nearly ran out, the next batch was XX, then AA onwards in letter order.
A popular story: when the HK prefix ran out, the issuing officer scribbled two crosses “XX” meaning “pick any two letters” — staff treated it as a new prefix, and XX plates were born.
* Folklore only — not confirmed in official papers; XX prefix dates also vary (mid-1950s). Shared for interest.
Sources: Hong Kong Government Gazette plate notices (1911–1935, via Wikipedia “Vehicle registration plates of Hong Kong”); Kung Sheung Daily News (1956); Ta Kung Pao (18 Jan 1960); TD publications; Cap. 374E; ISD; Gwulo.com and related public sources.
Plates around the region at a glance
Colours and materials differ by place; table compares common practice in UK, Malaysia, Macao, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Region
Style diagram
Colours today
Black-with-white period
When white/yellow reflective arrived (or never)
Main materials
Hong KongHong Kong
Colours todayWhite front / yellow rear · black characters (private & general)
Black-with-white periodFrom 1911 earliest plates were black with white characters; 1924–1935 gradually shifted to white grounds. Private cars later used white with black characters, while goods vehicles and taxis (from 1960) kept black grounds until 1983; buses used red with white (same front/rear, non-reflective).
When it changedFrom 1 Jun 1983 new vehicles must use reflective white/yellow; old plates replaced by 1 Jun 1985
Main materialsReflective base (e.g. Japan Nikkalite) + acrylic / shatter-resistant film; B.S. AU 145a / 145e
UKUnited Kingdom
Colours todayWhite front / yellow rear · black (modern cars)
Black-with-white periodTraditional black with white/silver/grey characters; now only qualifying historic vehicles (DVLA) may keep them
When it changedVehicles made after 1 Jan 1973 must use reflective white/yellow (DVLA); reflective plates optional from late 1967
Main materialsReflective sheeting; common mark now B.S. AU 145e (plates fitted after Sep 2021)
SingaporeSingapore
Colours todayBlack with white/silver (common)
or white/yellow · black (coexist)
or white/yellow · black (coexist)
Black-with-white periodBlack grounds are still common — not “abolished”
When it changedBlack grounds not fully banned; white/yellow reflective coexistFull mandate date not verified
Main materialsWhite/yellow must be reflective; black-plate materialsNot verified
MalaysiaMalaysia
Colours todayUsually black with white front and rear (except taxis, dealers, diplomatic, etc.)
Black-with-white periodStill the mainstream standard colours
When it changedOrdinary vehicles never switched to HK-style white/yellow; from Sep 2024 new EVs use white reflective JPJePlate (special class)
Main materialsTraditional black platesNot verified; JPJePlate is white reflective
MacaoMacau
Colours todayBlack with white front/rear; commercial often black with yellow characters
Black-with-white periodStill mainstream for private cars
When it changedNever adopted HK-style white/yellow reflective systemOfficial changeover date not seen
Main materialsNot verified(often made by workshops)
Hong Kong’s earliest motor plates (from 1911) were black with white characters; during 1924–1935 they gradually became white with black. Private cars then used white with black, while goods vehicles and taxis (from 1960) kept black with white and buses red with white — same colour front/rear and non-reflective — until 1983. From 1 Jun 1983 newly licensed vehicles switched to reflective white-front / yellow-rear with black characters; old plates (including black-with-white) had to be replaced by 1 Jun 1985.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons — Hong Kong number plates 2009（Woodennature，CC BY-SA 3.0）； UK Front、UK Rear Registration Plate（ZElsb，CC BY-SA 4.0）； Singaporean License Plate GBF307K（Deoma12，CC BY-SA 4.0）； Singapore licence plate 2000 front and rear（Woodysee，CC BY-SA 3.0）； Double rowed Malaysian license plate（Jolt737，CC BY-SA 4.0）； 2024 Malaysian JPJePlate（Ahmad Ali Karim，CC0）； Macau licence plates for private vehicles 2009(Woodennature, CC BY-SA 3.0). Image reduced; no other changes. Licence:CC BY-SA 4.0／3.0。
Notes
More plate notes
Reference clip: RTHK Flash Hong Kong on registration marks (1983, new plate rules). No public source link, so no outbound card.
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