[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR45.29]

[Page 871-872]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 45--IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION MARKING--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart C--Nationality and Registration Marks
 
Sec. 45.29  Size of marks.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, each 
operator of an aircraft shall display marks on the aircraft meeting the 
size requirements of this section.
    (b) Height. Except as provided in paragraph (h) of this part, the 
nationality and registration marks must be of equal height and on--
    (1) Fixed-wing aircraft, must be at least 12 inches high, except 
that:
    (i) An aircraft displaying marks at least 2 inches high before 
November 1, 1981 and an aircraft manufactured after November 2, 1981, 
but before January 1, 1983, may display those marks until the aircraft 
is repainted or the marks are repainted, restored, or changed;
    (ii) Marks at least 3 inches high may be displayed on a glider;
    (iii) Marks at least 3 inches high may be displayed on an aircraft 
for which an experimental certificate has been issued under 
Sec. 21.191(d) or 21.191(g) for operating as an exhibition aircraft or 
as an amateur-built aircraft when the maximum cruising speed of the 
aircraft does not exceed 180 knots CAS; and
    (iv) Marks may be displayed on an exhibition, antique, or other 
aircraft in accordance with Sec. 45.22.
    (2) Airships, spherical balloons, and nonspherical balloons, must be 
at least 3 inches high; and
    (3) Rotorcraft, must be at least 12 inches high, except that 
rotorcraft displaying before April 18, 1983, marks required by 
Sec. 45.29(b)(3) in effect on April 17, 1983, and rotorcraft 
manufactured on or after April 18, 1983, but before December 31, 1983, 
may display those marks until the aircraft is repainted or the marks are 
repainted, restored, or changed.
    (c) Width. Characters must be two-thirds as wide as they are high, 
except the number ``1'', which must be one-sixth as wide as it is high, 
and the letters ``M'' and ``W'' which may be as wide as they are high.
    (d) Thickness. Characters must be formed by solid lines one-sixth as 
thick as the character is high.
    (e) Spacing. The space between each character may not be less than 
one-fourth of the character width.
    (f) If either one of the surfaces authorized for displaying required 
marks under Sec. 45.25 is large enough for display of marks meeting the 
size requirements of this section and the other is not, full-size marks 
shall be placed on the larger surface. If neither surface is large 
enough for full-size marks, marks

[[Page 872]]

as large as practicable shall be displayed on the larger of the two 
surfaces. If any surface authorized to be marked by Sec. 45.27 is not 
large enough for full-size marks, marks as large as practicable shall be 
placed on the largest of the authorized surfaces.
    (g) Uniformity. The marks required by this part for fixed-wing 
aircraft must have the same height, width, thickness, and spacing on 
both sides of the aircraft.
    (h) After March 7, 1988, each operator of an aircraft penetrating an 
ADIZ or DEWIZ shall display on that aircraft temporary or permanent 
nationality and registration marks at least 12 inches high.

[Doc. No. 2047, 29 FR 3223, Mar. 11, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 45-2, 31 
FR 9863, July 21, 1966; Amdt. 45-9, 42 FR 41102, Aug. 15, 1977; Amdt. 
45-13, 46 FR 48604, Oct. 1, 1981; Amdt. 45-15, 48 FR 11392, Mar. 17, 
1983; Amdt. 45-17, 52 FR 34102, Sept. 9, 1987; 52 FR 36566, Sept. 30, 
1987]