Certificate of conformity for a motorcycle or scooter

Category L, from moped to quadricycle

European type-approval law places light two-, three- and four-wheeled vehicles in category L. It covers a very wide range: mopeds, scooters, motorcycles of every capacity, powered tricycles and light and heavy quadricycles.

As for cars, these vehicles are type-approved at European level, and the certificate of conformity issued by the manufacturer certifies that the individual machine corresponds to an approved type. That is the document required to register a two-wheeler bought in another Member State.

Our dedicated page: certificate of conformity for motorcycles.

Where to find the identification number

On a two-wheeler there is no windscreen and no door pillar: the number is stamped directly into the frame. The most common locations:

• on the steering head, at the front of the frame, below the handlebars;
• on the frame tube on the right-hand side, sometimes hidden by fairing;
• on a manufacturer’s label under the seat or inside a scooter’s storage compartment;
• copied onto the registration document of the country of origin.

The engine number, stamped on the casing, is a different identifier: it does not identify the type-approval file. Do not confuse the two.

Three things to watch on two-wheelers

• Restricted versions. The same motorcycle can exist in full-power and restricted form depending on the market. The certificate describes the approved version, and that is what counts.
• Modifications. Exhaust, air filter, final drive: two-wheelers are modified more often than cars. None of it appears on the certificate, which describes the machine as it left the factory.
• Imports outside the network. A motorcycle sold new in Japan or the United States has no European certificate. On sought-after older machines the case is far from rare: the frame number settles it.

Why category L is a case apart

On a car, variation comes mainly from options and trim. On a two-wheeler it comes from power and licence. The same machine may be sold at several power levels depending on the market, each corresponding to a distinct approval, and the licence required depends on that level. The certificate of conformity is what establishes, unambiguously, which version you have.

A second factor is service life. Motorcycles cover few kilometres a year and stay in use far longer than cars. Machines of fifteen or twenty years in excellent condition are common. Yet the ten-year rule applies to category L too: beyond it, issuing a duplicate is no longer an obligation for the manufacturer. In practice this is the leading cause of a blocked two-wheeler file.

A third, happier factor: motorcycle manufacturers often keep remarkably complete records by frame number, including for older models. A negative answer on a twenty-year-old car is close to certain; on a motorcycle of the same age it is worth trying.

Prices and scope

Our public price list covers car manufacturers. Two-wheeler brands are not in it: they are handled case by case, and the exact price and turnaround are confirmed before anything is started.

A few manufacturers in our list also build two-wheelers or quadricycles: in that case the request channel is the group’s.