Number plate legalities

[Lgfst]

So after a couple of car shows and generally noticing cars out and about, I've noticed that there seems to be quite a few cars with either different locations of front number plates, different sizes and letters in non standard format.

For instance, I saw a few with minute front numberplates (the letters were about 3cm tall), mainly on more high end cars.

Then there is the ones where the front numberplate is relocated. I recently saw one under the n/s headlight, which was a vinyl sticker, wrapped around the side of the bumper. Another at a car show had a sticker on the top of the windscreen

Then the usual letters in different format to make a word. Not the usual MK57 ABC format.

I never hear of anyone getting issues from the police or anything, has it become very lackadaisical in relation to numberplates recently?

Is there any actual law on position? I know there is on size and format.

Im not looking at doing it, just curious.

[MartyG1987]

I saw a few leaving a show the other day being pulled up for having the front number plate in the front window.

Metal pressed plates seem to be the biggest pet hate around where I am.

[Lgfst]

MartyG1987 said:

I saw a few leaving a show the other day being pulled up for having the front number plate in the front window.

Metal pressed plates seem to be the biggest pet hate around where I am.

Ive seen a few with them in the window at shows too. Must admit, not seen metal pressed ones for a while, just keep seeing the vinyl style sticker type either at the top of the windscreen or under one of the headlights wrapping around the side

[Retroman]

It's hit and miss with the police i guess.

If you have a plate that doesn't conform to the legal set up then you're more ikely to attract attention from the plod. I've heard a few people getting done for it recently. £100 fine IIRC.

I use pressed plates myself, but they conform to legal requirements.

[Slidingpillar]

And being a Luddite, my vintage car has painted (sign written) ones.

But when it was made, although pressed ones existed, they were I think they were only marketed from 1926, so a 1930 car could well have had painted ones from new.

[LudaMusser]

The law in this country at least states that the front numberplate must be in front of the front wheels so having a plate on the dash is clearly illegal and not particularly easy to read

There is also a standard font and size that should be used. I know that some drivers have the plate on the dash as it makes the front end less cluttered and I've also noticed that in some states in America they legally don't have to have a front plate. I see a lot of films where none of the cars have a front plate

There is supposedly a legal pressed metal plate that you can buy now but I've still seen on some forums people having problems with the Police. I just like to run my car 100% legally and not have to worry about getting stopped. The fine for no front plate now can be up to three figures if you're unlucky going from what some people who have been stopped say

When I was a lot younger and less sensible I had smoked plates and got stopped and given a producer which was lucky as I could have had a fine. I'm pretty sure all the legalities can be found on the DirectGov site. They were when I last looked

[mcford]

I don't get how metal registration plates are considered to be not legal. I saw it on Police Interceptors where someone had got pulled for having German style pressed metal plates, I can understand that the font, spacing and country marker are not legal, then the Policeman made a statement to the effect that the metal plates weren't reflective and that they should be made of plastic.

Metal plates are painted with reflective paint, we had metal reflective plates in the 1970s & 1980s which were legal - so what's changed? There's nothing in the MOT test about what the plates are made from.

[justanother5tar]

mcford said:

I don't get how metal registration plates are considered to be not legal. I saw it on Police Interceptors where someone had got pulled for having German style pressed metal plates, I can understand that the font, spacing and country marker are not legal, then the Policeman made a statement to the effect that the metal plates weren't reflective and that they should be made of plastic.

Metal plates are painted with reflective paint, we had metal reflective plates in the 1970s & 1980s which were legal - so what's changed? There's nothing in the MOT test about what the plates are made from.

There are indeed pressed plates that conform to all required specifications.

Correct spacing, font and character size. Manufacturers post code and BSAU laser etched in. Painted with reflective paint.


ETA; http://dubmeister.co.uk/webshop/uk-legal-pressed-m...

[Gareth79]

justanother5tar said:

There are indeed pressed plates that conform to all required specifications.

Correct spacing, font and character size. Manufacturers post code and BSAU laser etched in. Painted with reflective paint.


ETA; http://dubmeister.co.uk/webshop/uk-legal-pressed-m...

Partly it's Schedule 2 section 1 that was previously quoted as making EU-spec pressed plates legal (in a construction sense, not lettering etc.). A plate can comply with any other EU specification that is equivalent to BSAU145d, although most that I have seen actually have BSAU145d on the plate. I'm not sure if they have ever been tested though!

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedu...

[jogger1976]

My mate has black and white pressed plates on his Mk1 Escort. They're OK as at the time of its first registration (1973) these were legal in the UK.

For the life of me, I can't see why anyone would bother with potentially illegal plates. I know I was probably unlucky, but the hassle I got when my standard ones were damaged (attempted theft) was bad enough. I even got pulled on the way to get replacements at my local Motor Factors FFS!!!

[CanAm]

I thought reflective plates were compulsory from 1 January 1973?

[jogger1976]

There was a cross over period where you could have either. His mate has an identical Mk1 with the more familiar yellow and black plates that we have now, but either is legal.

[Cliftonite]

CanAm said:

I thought reflective plates were compulsory from 1 January 1973?

Correct! For new registrations.

[B'stard Child]

LudaMusser said:

There is also a standard font and size that should be used.

There are several - just because the new CHarles Wright font was introduced it doesn't mean all numberplates made with the old Font are illegal - they aren't

LudaMusser said:

I'm pretty sure all the legalities can be found on the DirectGov site. They were when I last looked

Indeed they can but they tend to concentrate on the new and ignore the old

[Cliftonite]

B'stard Child said:

Indeed they can but they tend to concentrate on the new and ignore the old

This will be of interest:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registrati...

[V8forweekends]

jogger1976 said:

There was a cross over period where you could have either. His mate has an identical Mk1 with the more familiar yellow and black plates that we have now, but either is legal.

It's funny - those of us who were around will recall that at the time everyone wanted their cars to have the newer plates. My first 4 cars all had reflective plates even though they could legally have carried black and silver, because the previous owners wanted them to look more up to date.

Old photos of my 1956 car from the 70s show it wearing reflective plates.

There is zero enforcement around here. Every day I see loads of illegal plates. There is bloke running around my small town in a D prefix Mini with black and silver plates, and another with a G prefix Fiat 127 - and thats aside from all the illegal spacing etc

[shep1001]

following the letter of the law the plates on both my cars are not legal and have not been for years. Not been pulled once and it's even gone through the MOT when I forgot to change them over last year. From my experience with friends etc the old bill only tend to get the hump when you start messing with the spacing and size/font.

It looks st most of the time anyway so I don't know why people bother

[ging84]

Gareth79 said:

Partly it's Schedule 2 section 1 that was previously quoted as making EU-spec pressed plates legal (in a construction sense, not lettering etc.). A plate can comply with any other EU specification that is equivalent to BSAU145d, although most that I have seen actually have BSAU145d on the plate. I'm not sure if they have ever been tested though!

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedu...

They don't conform to the standard if they have not been tested, but testing is self certified, you can be pretty certain no 3rd party has put them through the testing process since it takes about 3 months and the only complaint people have come up with against them is it don't like them because they're different. Historically a fairly common attitude from the police which i guess still needs an outlet.

[Landshark]

justanother5tar said:

There are indeed pressed plates that conform to all required specifications.

Correct spacing, font and character size. Manufacturers post code and BSAU laser etched in. Painted with reflective paint.


ETA; http://dubmeister.co.uk/webshop/uk-legal-pressed-m...

The metal pressed plates are 'technically' not legal because the plates should be 'made of retroreflective material' and the metal plates are just covered in retroreflective paint/sticker.

[Cliftonite]

V8forweekends said:

It's funny - those of us who were around will recall that at the time everyone wanted their cars to have the newer plates. My first 4 cars all had reflective plates even though they could legally have carried black and silver, because the previous owners wanted them to look more up to date.

Old photos of my 1956 car from the 70s show it wearing reflective plates.

<snip>

My father was rather pissed off in 1970 when his brand new van was delivered with non-reflective plates! Especially considering the excessive price he had been charged for them. Main dealers, eh?

(I still have the van. And the plates)!