Aircraft N-number decals
Type your N-number, pick your aircraft type and letter height, and see it on a fuselage at true scale. Printed and laminated, sold as a pair for both sides.
Live previewType your N-number and watch it update.
- Letters drawn to the 14 CFR 45.29 proportions: width two-thirds of the height, strokes one-sixth.
- Printed 3M or Oracal vinyl with a matching gloss UV-protective laminate.
- No proof step: the preview is what prints, so check the number against your registration.
- Free U.S. shipping on orders of $99 or more.
What the rules ask for
U.S. aircraft show the letter N followed by the registration number. Most fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters need marks at least 12 inches high; gliders, powered parachutes, weight-shift-control aircraft, balloons, airships and certain experimental aircraft may use 3 inches, and some antique and exhibition aircraft 2 inches (14 CFR 45.29, 45.22). The marks must contrast with the background and be legible, with no ornamentation (45.21), and fixed-wing aircraft carry them on both sides (45.25). Our guide to aircraft N-number size requirements goes through each case.
How the size works
The letters are drawn two-thirds as wide as they are high, so the length of the mark follows from the height: a six-character mark like N123AB is about 13 inches long at 3 inch letters and about 52 inches at 12 inch letters. The preview shows the real size for your number. Marks up to 6 inches come as one piece per side; 12 inch marks come as one piece per character, with the spacing printed on your order.
Before you order
- Check the number against your registration. The FAA format is N plus up to five numbers and letters, with no I or O and no leading zero; the page flags anything else.
- Pick the right type. A standard airplane needs 12 inch marks; the page will not offer smaller letters for it.
- Match the background to your paint, so the thin border around the letters blends in.
Questions about N-number decals
What letter height does my aircraft need?
Most fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters need marks at least 12 inches high. Marks at least 3 inches high are allowed on gliders, on powered parachutes, weight-shift-control aircraft, balloons and airships, and on certain experimental aircraft (exhibition, amateur-built, kit-built or former light-sport) with a maximum cruising speed of 180 knots CAS or less. Some antique and exhibition aircraft may use 2 inch marks under 14 CFR 45.22(b). The rule is 14 CFR 45.29; read it, or ask your mechanic or inspector, before you order.
Are the letters the right shape?
We draw them to the proportions in 14 CFR 45.29: each character two-thirds as wide as it is high (the 1 a single bar one-sixth as wide, M and W as wide as they are high), strokes one-sixth of the height, and at least a quarter of the character width between characters. The letters are plain and solid, with no outline or shadow.
Why do 12 inch marks come as separate pieces?
A 12 inch N-number is 4 to 5 feet long, wider than our printer. So each character is its own printed piece with a half-inch border, and the order shows how far apart to place them. Marks of 2, 3 and 6 inches come as one piece for each side.
Why is it sold as a pair?
Fixed-wing aircraft show the marks on both sides, at the same size on each side (14 CFR 45.25 and 45.29(g)), so one order is two matching sets, one for each side.
Are these FAA approved?
No. The FAA does not approve decals. Its Advisory Circular 45-2E lists decals among the ways to apply N-numbers, and you are responsible for choosing the right size and position for your aircraft. If you are unsure, ask your A&P, inspector or local FAA office.
What is the material?
Printed 3M or Oracal vinyl with a matching gloss UV-protective laminate, the same as our truck lettering. Each piece is cut with a thin border around the letters in the background color you pick, so choose the one closest to your paint and the border blends in.