Stick-on vinyl number plates - legal or not?

[gmaz]

I would like to get a stick on plate for my Tesla 3 but there does seem to be some question as to whether they are legal or not.

This site says not, and looks quite a comprehensive explanation why

https://numberplateclinic.co.uk/stick-on-registrat...

but this says their plates are road legal

https://proplates.co.uk/collections/number-plates/...

Anyone got a definitive answer?

[Mammasaid]

The Government?

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regul...

[ShinyPsyduck]

I have 2 velcro circular tabs on the back of my front plate so I can rip it off for photos and spot-heal the velcro off the car. The plates have never fallen off while driving. -not sure if something like this may be an option.

[K4sper]

Mammasaid said:

The Government?

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regul...

Looks like the issue will be not applying the plate vertically as per para 3(a)

[davek_964]

My last car had a vinyl plate on the front for 2.5 years. No idea if it was technically illegal, but no problem from the police or at MOTs.

[stemll]

If you can find a stick on numberplate that can support a 3kg weight for two hours without bending more than 25mm then you're golden.

If not, then it would be irrelevant whether it could pass the other tests, it can't be compliant with BS AU 145e so can't be used (if supplied after Sept '21)

https://www.tennantsuk.com/knowledge-base/legislat...

Full standard here if you fancy shelling out £198.

https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/specificat...

[paradigital]

K4sper said:

Looks like the issue will be not applying the plate vertically as per para 3(a)

It only has to be as vertical as practically possible. The vinyl plate on my Model 3 is about as vertical as possible as the front of the Model 3 is pretty vertical as it is.

Had no issues with the police with mine, can't see why they would be bothered given that it's legally spaced, the right colour, right font, right size, and is BSAU marked with the maker's postcode alongside the marking, far easier to just go after all the people that feel is adequate to put their plate on their dashboard, partially visible from the windscreen

[Pepperpots]

I suspect if the fonts and spacing are correct and it uses reflective material and is stuck on somewhere perfectly visible then pretty much nobody will be bothered except the internet.

I suspect.

[stemll]

paradigital said:

The vinyl plate on my Model 3 .....

...... and is BSAU marked

It may well have the BSAU marking but it's not compliant it just means the maker printed that on it. I personally couldn't care less but, purely in terms of answering the OPs question, they are not legal as it is impossible for them to comply with the part of the standard I mentioned above (and probably other parts).

[Mave]

Pepperpots said:

I suspect if the fonts and spacing are correct and it uses reflective material and is stuck on somewhere perfectly visible then pretty much nobody will be bothered except the internet.

I suspect.

I agree. I had a stick on front plate for about 5 years with sensible fonts and spacing - never had a problem with police or mot

[dhutch]

This passes it's MOT and has generated no attention from the police over the 15 years I've owned the car. However it isn't legal for various reasons.

Legal spacing, good reflective material, but curved and somewhat pointing at the sky. Obviously in this instance, good alternative options are few and far between.

[CrutyRammers]

^^^ Ditto. Not strictly legal but classics and kits get a bit of a pass usually.

[Heaveho]

This undersizes stick on was fitted 15 years ago. It's never failed an MOT or had any police attention. Not actually legal, but in the real world it doesn't seem to matter.

[e600]

E Types have had this issue for years. Originally back in the day an over zealous officer may have done something, but nowadays in my experience they let it slide.

[Cold]

Fortunately for the OP, the Tesla 3 has a plinth mounted on the front bumper which is intended to affix a UK spec number plate to. So no need to muck about with sticky bits of vinyl.

[spikeyhead]

Pepperpots said:

I suspect if the fonts and spacing are correct and it uses reflective material and is stuck on somewhere perfectly visible then pretty much nobody will be bothered except the internet.

I suspect.

I've been nicked in the Atom by the most pedantic copper for a stick on plate. Most coppers don't car, and it's not relevant for the MOT.

They are legal on older cars such as the e-type pictured above, but I can't remember the year that the law takes effect from.

[deja.vu]

stemll said:

paradigital said:

The vinyl plate on my Model 3 .....

...... and is BSAU marked

It may well have the BSAU marking but it's not compliant it just means the maker printed that on it. I personally couldn't care less but, purely in terms of answering the OPs question, they are not legal as it is impossible for them to comply with the part of the standard I mentioned above (and probably other parts).

Yup.
Illegal regardless of BSAU mark, however, it’s such a minor thing.
Why you’d bother on a Tesla which has a perfectly adequate place for a real plate, i have no idea.

I’ve had them on US cars which weren’t designed to have front plates and it never caused an issue.

[paradigital]

deja.vu said:

Yup.
Illegal regardless of BSAU mark, however, it’s such a minor thing.
Why you’d bother on a Tesla which has a perfectly adequate place for a real plate, i have no idea.

I’ve had them on US cars which weren’t designed to have front plates and it never caused an issue.

My reasoning was 3-fold.

1) The plate plinth rattles and damages the paint.
2) The plate plinth looks awful, as does the rear one, that’s gone too (though replaced with a normal acrylic plate)
3) I preferred the look of my shorter plates (less digits), and a short plate looks really stupid on a wider plinth.

I’ll never put the plinths back on, but if I do run into trouble I’ll swap to an acrylic plate stuck on with 3M dual lock, like every other plate my cars have. It’ll just have to be slightly less vertical than the vinyl plate is due to where the flat space is.

[Jamescrs]

It's always been a bit of a grey area but I had one a few years ago on a car which was properly spaced, correct font and reflective as a plastic one and I never had an issue with MOT's or Police either.

[Tommo87]

Cold said:

Fortunately for the OP, the Tesla 3 has a plinth mounted on the front bumper which is intended to affix a UK spec number plate to. So no need to muck about with sticky bits of vinyl.

/Close the thread.