Stick on Number Plates - legal?

[iainuk]

Was mugged by a pheasant this morning, who made off with my front number plate. Strikes me that a stick on one would be a sensible solution, especially as losing it on a kerb is almost inevitable.
What are the reg's regarding these?

Car is an S1 elise.
Cheers

[Shaun_E]

Rules are here. I have seen a link somewhere else that states that while stick on plates are not illegal, they know of none that meet the required British Standard.
A fair number of Caterhams run with stick on number plates and as long as you have legal fonts and spacing then you are unlikley to get stopped for it.

>> Edited by Shaun_E on Thursday 19th May 12:44

[Munter]

Yep I had a stick on one made up by a guy on the MX5 forums. Proper font and size etc, it's been through an MOT so dont panic about that and i've not been pulled since having it and it's been on the car for a good few months.

Technically they should be reflective, and you can get reflective stick on ones i'm told (I remember my parents having one for a trailer that was reflective), but mine is not...oops

[pdV6]

The DVLA's FAQ seems to be down at the moment, but that's definately where they state that they're not illegal per se, but they're unaware of any that meet the regulations.

What it boils down to is that the regulations make no mention of how the plate attaches to the car, so as long as all the rules are followed, a stick-on would be ok.

In reality, as long as the plate hasn't been bu99ered about with, no BiB is likely to stop you and check it (or, in fact, be qualified to do so I'd imagine)

[cooperman]

Or run without a front plate and only risk a £30 fine (for first offence). Scamera free then as well!
(Only joking)

[iainuk]

Thanks All - I'll have a look into suppliers of sticky plates. Recommendations welcome.

Should I be concerned about a Pheasant triggering scameras while wearing my plate? How fast can they fly?

[Munter]

These guys appear to sell Self Adhesive Plates ... but no indication of them being reflective or not....

www.numberplates.btinternet.co.uk/

[z1000]

Didn't I hear in these pages once that a loophole allowed Elises to run without a front plate ? What was that about ?

[houlio]

Any ideas on the positioning of the stick on plates? I did here that they are supposed to be positioned at an angle, but are the BIB bothered?

[Dwight VanDriver]

www.tinyurl.com/m7v5

...BiBs bible on display of number plates.

I understood that stick on's were out of the window now because they do not have the BS marker and name of maker on them, so illegal.

DVD

[Shaun_E]

Of course the BS thing only applies to plates fitted post 2001 so if your car is pre-2001 then of course the plates were fitted before that date.

[iainuk]

Crikey - Tried reading those reg's, that's some kind of cruel and unusual punishment alright. My sympathy to you BB's who have to wade through a load of these.

Luckily the car is pre 2001 and the plates have been there all along

Cheers guys.

[LRdriver II]

The only thing is that stick-ons look pants on the nose of the S1 Elise.

[iainuk]

LRdriver II said:

The only thing is that stick-ons look pants on the nose of the S1 Elise.

Worse than a screw on one? I'm sceptical - I'll go and hunt down some piccies I think.

[iainuk]

iainuk said:

LRdriver II said: The only thing is that stick-ons look pants on the nose of the S1 Elise. Worse than a screw on one? I'm sceptical - I'll go and hunt down some piccies I think.

Hmm - less sceptical now, only managed to find one very poor quality piccie of a stick on plate on an elise. Conclusion - number plates are naff. Anywhere.

[7db]

I read those regs -- does it matter where the car is? Ie once its registered, does it need to display the mark -- on the public highway (defo), in a public place?, in a private place?

[Dwight VanDriver]

7db

One continues to learn. I would have said that on first reading your post above that vehicle had to be on a public road i.e. one repairable at public expense.

Then I checked my facts to discover:

R.V (Display of Registration Marks) Regs, 2001 made under the authority of Section 23 Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 - a Regulation always has to have the authority of an Act. The Regs outline what is required. They do not contain offences as such, it is the parent Act that does so by saying anybody who doesn't conform to the Regs commits an offence.

Now regarding the non display of a VRM or obscure one(S41/42) then the person commits the offence who is driving or IF NOT DRIVING THE KEEPER. There is no stipulation that this only applies whilst the vehicle is being driven on the road so the argument is offence can be committed anywhere on or off road. Regarding being kept then this is defined S62 as:

"For the purposes of this Act and any other enactment relating to the keeping of vehicles on public roads, a person keeps a vehicle on a public road if he causes it to be on such a road for any period, however short, when it is not in use there."

If you go to using a vehicle without an EXcise Licence under the same Act then it is specific there that use is on a road (but SORN applies when off road).


dvd

amended to include further clarification and correction.



>> Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Sunday 4th September 17:14

[7db]

DVD you are great and I am not worthy to correct your typos.

But surely you mean sections 42 and 43.



Thanks for clarifying.