Illegal Numberplate

[Pica-Pica]

Sebring440 said:

Pica-Pica said:

Does the number plate supplier need to be registered with the DVLA?
Are they?

What?

Why would a Dublin supplier be registered with the DVLA?

That’s the point. A number plate supplier should be registered with DVLA/BNMA

[NGee]

If the OPs post is genuine, and I still find that very hard to believe, then it's a perfect example of why the police are losing the respect of the general public.

Wrong font, wrong spacing, wrong size, I get - but half a missing postcode - come on! Really?

[the tribester]

NGee said:

If the OPs post is genuine, and I still find that very hard to believe, then it's a perfect example of why the police are losing the respect of the general public.

Wrong font, wrong spacing, wrong size, I get - but half a missing postcode - come on! Really?

That's not the point.

It's about the registration of the supplier, so that DVLA can check the records of the supplier, check the correct forms of ID are being presented, check the plates are being made to the required spec.

DVLA have no jurisdiction outside of the UK.

The DVLA Number Plate Compliance officer cannot visit The Cayman Islands Number Plate Company (or PFC Dublin, who DON'T REQUIRE DOCUMENTS) to check their records, or do anything about their supply of plates.

[GC8]

NGee said:

No police has ever, ever stopped anyone for having the wrong postcode on their number plate, NEVER.

So there's either a lot more to the story than you're letting on, what did they really stop you for, or you've made the whole thing up.

Which is it?

This is referred to as 'being forum'. You can think whatever you like, but you cannot know and you shouldn't make yourself look like a BE posting like this.

[NGee]

the tribester said:

NGee said:

If the OPs post is genuine, and I still find that very hard to believe, then it's a perfect example of why the police are losing the respect of the general public.

Wrong font, wrong spacing, wrong size, I get - but half a missing postcode - come on! Really?

That's not the point.

It's about the registration of the supplier, so that DVLA can check the records of the supplier, check the correct forms of ID are being presented, check the plates are being made to the required spec.

DVLA have no jurisdiction outside of the UK.

The DVLA Number Plate Compliance officer cannot visit The Cayman Islands Number Plate Company (or PFC Dublin, who DON'T REQUIRE DOCUMENTS) to check their records, or do anything about their supply of plates.

I think that's what called an own goal

[Mikebentley]

Cloned plates and criminality spring to mind. That’s the point.

[Mikebentley]

I think the point is the authorities need to show they have a system in place to stop it happening. Every criminal has a way around the legalities of things as that is sort of the point.

[the tribester]

And that is why, despite what has been posted above, if it can be seen, a Police Officer will stop a vehicle where the plate doesn't have the correct/or any suppliers info, just in case it's a cloned one.

[imagineifyeswill]

Everything thing that has been said above about DVLA and the reasons for number plate supliers to be registered and there name and postcode on the plate is correct, but this is the Republic of Ireland which does not come under DVLA jurisdiction.

I have no idea of the laws concerning number plates in the Republic of Ireland, does anyone else here

I live in Inverness, North of Scotland and there are literally hundreds of vehicles running around with illegally spaced lettering and no supplier details on number plates and the Police just seem to turn a total blind eye to it.

[GC8]

Hmmm... The registration plate was manufactured in Ireland, but the OP was not.

[Gareth79]

the tribester said:

To be legal, from 2003, the number plate must be made by a company that has registered with the UKs Register of Number Plate Suppliers https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/key-pieces-of-l...

This is not correct. A number plate can be legal to use, even if it has been supplied from an unregistered supplier. Not all number plate manufacturers even need to be registered, eg. if I made a plate for my vehicle I'd need to put my name and postcode on it but I would not need to be registered.

[the tribester]

Gareth79 said:

the tribester said:

To be legal, from 2003, the number plate must be made by a company that has registered with the UKs Register of Number Plate Suppliers https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/key-pieces-of-l...

This is not correct. A number plate can be legal to use, even if it has been supplied from an unregistered supplier. Not all number plate manufacturers even need to be registered, eg. if I made a plate for my vehicle I'd need to put my name and postcode on it but I would not need to be registered.

https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier

"You can only get a number plate made up from a registered number plate supplier."

post up your kink.

[Gareth79]

rockin said:

To be legal the name of the supplier and their postcode needs to be on your number plates.

The supplier of your plates was Plates For Cars Ltd. Is their name on your number plates? No

The requirement is vague - it just says "name" not "full legal company name". I just checked a few random plates here and only one of them has a Ltd company name. One is "PSGB" another "Subaru CrossXroads www.crossroads.co.uk Isuzu" (one two lines). I suspect that a huge proportion of plates in use don't have anything matching a legal company name.

Red Devil said:

Dublin 22 is a postal district but it's only a partial code. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_addresses_in_...
The equivalent of a UK post code is an Eircode. If you enter Trinity Court in to the Eircode Finder and drill down, PFC's is D22 WK58.

Given there's no requirement to state the country of manufacture it may be a moot point!

Red Devil said:

Another issue is that, being in the RoI, PFC is highly unlikely to be on on the DVLA's RNPS database. However that is the supplier's obligation, not yours.

Looking at the regulations, it appears the register requirements makes it impossible to register a foreign company, and the DVLA form states United Kingdom only.

[Gareth79]

the tribester said:

Gareth79 said:

the tribester said:

To be legal, from 2003, the number plate must be made by a company that has registered with the UKs Register of Number Plate Suppliers https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/key-pieces-of-l...

This is not correct. A number plate can be legal to use, even if it has been supplied from an unregistered supplier. Not all number plate manufacturers even need to be registered, eg. if I made a plate for my vehicle I'd need to put my name and postcode on it but I would not need to be registered.

https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier

"You can only get a number plate made up from a registered number plate supplier."

post up your kink.

Not posting my kinks here

However that's gov.uk, it's well-known for posting information which doesn't reflect the actual law. The actual law is that... there's no law requiring a plate to be purchased from a registered supplier, nor one which requires a fitted plate to have been made by a registered supplier. (If it was law, the site would probably say "You MUST only get a plate...")

This explains why a plate doesn't need to have the supplier's registration number, since many plates are (legally) made by unregistered manufacturers - the form to register as one makes it clear:

Edited by Gareth79 on Saturday 26th September 16:04

Edited by Gareth79 on Saturday 26th September 16:05

[CoolHands]

Very sad that a copper has done you for something so trivial; clutching at straws

[sospan]

When ordering from the supplier do they state anywhere on their website that the plates meet the legal requirements for road use in the UK?
Unfortunately there are many things that can be sold but are not legal to use in ways expected, “show plates” for cars is an example. Blue lights another. Legal to sell but not for road use.

[vonhosen]

CoolHands said:

Very sad that a copper has done you for something so trivial; clutching at straws

By the sounds of it the stop resulted from a high profile operation looking for any irregularities with drivers/vehicles.
In those circumstances he was more likely to get reported for any irregularities.

[Bigends]

vonhosen said:

CoolHands said:

Very sad that a copper has done you for something so trivial; clutching at straws

By the sounds of it the stop resulted from a high profile operation looking for any irregularities with drivers/vehicles.
In those circumstances he was more likely to get reported for any irregularities.

This is where the VDRS was a good scheme, and would have ensured that the the dud plates were changed for legal ones and inspected. In this case, the OP could just carry on driving round on the same plates . The scheme also kept the public onside as they werent being prosecuted for single, relatively minor offences. In this case, the op would have been issued a ticket to take with his car to an MOT station, get the new plates inspected and the ticket endorsed then return within 14days, in which case no action would be taken - everybodys happy!

Edited by Bigends on Saturday 26th September 16:46

[4rephill]

C4ME said:

Mikebentley said:

Cloned plates and criminality spring to mind. That’s the point.

Criminals and cloners can get fake plates made up to be exact replicas of say a legal plate issued by Halfords. Criminals don’t tend to run around in plates that look illegal or do they?

Edited by C4ME on Saturday 26th September 12:08

I suspect the vast majority of criminals/cloners simply want the cheapest plates they can get, with no questions asked, and bank on the police simply not being bothered about whether they have the correct supplier information and postcode information on them - As indicated by the incredulity shown in this thread, that a police officer would pick up on such details with the OP.

[Red Devil]

the tribester said:

To be legal, from 2003, the number plate must be made by a company that has registered with the UKs Register of Number Plate Suppliers https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/key-pieces-of-l...

You have linked to a trade body website which I'm sure would like your statement to be true. However it doesn't actually say what you claim it does.
Also, see the FoIA link below.

the tribester said:

That's probably the clue, the UK register. You probably won't find your Dublin based company listed.

Any numberplate supplier offering different spacing or allowing ommision of suppliers details, won't be on the register.

Also



any company saying No Documents Required, won't be on the register.

OP, is your supplier on the register?

Well you certainly won't find it on the portal because that only accepts UK postcodes - https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier


Some folk seem to be getting confused. The requirement to register with the DVLA has nothing to do with the driver of a vehicle.
The latter's only obligation is to ensure that the plates on his vehicle display the supplier's information (name and postcode). No more, no less.

The DVLA themselves have confirmed that it is not illegal for non-UK based companies to supply number plates to UK customers.*
Provided that the plates meet the requirements of the relevant British Standard - BS AU145(a) or BS AU145(d)

 * https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/company_sel...

A relevant question will be whether the Dublin 22 postcode is sufficient.
Eircodes with the extra unique identifier (the WK58 bit) were not rolled out until July 2015.

I wonder how old the OP's vehicle is. We can't really tell if the officer had defective eyesight without pics of both front and rear plates.