Buying an ex police car
Author
Discussion

largelunchbox

Original Poster:

607 posts

229 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Some of these ex police cars seem quite tempting, high mileage but good service record and good value etc, my question is about the livery.

Now I know I can’t drive it with the word “police “ but can I drive it with

A , the rest of the livery ie the yellow and blue squares.
B, substitute police for ploice or polcie or polise

Google is telling me nothing concrete

zarjaz1991

6,630 posts

151 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
I highly doubt it.

And why would you want to?

Scott

Gareth79

8,894 posts

274 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
I think most forces completely strip all livery?

The answer however is that you can have reflective yellow/amber to the sides, but any other colour is illegal.

Pretty much any text which might be confused for "police" will likely result in you being stopped and the car being towed away as evidence, sooner or later.

vaud

58,828 posts

183 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Gareth79 said:
sooner or later.
Sooner the better...

Oceanrower

1,320 posts

140 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Was one thread not enough?

Jazoli

9,606 posts

278 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Walt alert!

Sebring440

3,175 posts

124 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
largelunchbox said:
Some of these ex police cars seem quite tempting, high mileage but good service record and good value etc, my question is about the livery.

Now I know I can t drive it with the word police but can I drive it with

A , the rest of the livery ie the yellow and blue squares.
B, substitute police for ploice or polcie or polise

Google is telling me nothing concrete
He's deleted the original post on the other thread.

Sebring440

3,175 posts

124 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Gareth79 said:
The answer however is that you can have reflective yellow/amber to the sides, but any other colour is illegal.
Source for that? You can have any colour you want.


nordboy

3,284 posts

78 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
The lunch box obviously isn't that large, hence the need to compensate wink


ScoobyChris

2,299 posts

230 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
Source for that? You can have any colour you want.
I thought it was defined in the Road Vehicles Lighting and Goods Vehicles regs? Also interesting to note that it's only applicable to the vehicle so if you ride a motorbike your jacket can have the blue battenberg (Polite biggrin) on it but the bike can't.

Gareth79

8,894 posts

274 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
Gareth79 said:
The answer however is that you can have reflective yellow/amber to the sides, but any other colour is illegal.
Source for that? You can have any colour you want.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/sche...

Glassman

24,863 posts

243 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
largelunchbox said:
Some of these ex police cars seem quite tempting, high mileage but good service record and good value etc, my question is about the livery.

Now I know I can t drive it with the word police but can I drive it with

A , the rest of the livery ie the yellow and blue squares.
B, substitute police for ploice or polcie or polise

Google is telling me nothing concrete
Change the C for a T and get yourself one of these:



/jobbed.

Pincher

10,375 posts

245 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
How those POLITE hi-viz’s are allowed, I’ll never know.

OutInTheShed

14,139 posts

54 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Pincher said:
How those POLITE hi-viz s are allowed, I ll never know.
It's allowing people to self-identify as twunts.

valiant

13,948 posts

188 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Why would you want to?

And I’m sure you can any car wrapped into any livery anyway so no need to focus on ex-police cars which will be shagged out messes in any case.

But again, why would you want to?

bimsb6

8,724 posts

249 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
Pincher said:
How those POLITE hi-viz s are allowed, I ll never know.
It's allowing people to self-identify as twunts.
They also get to have a table of their own at bike meets .

steveo3002

11,191 posts

202 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
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K9 dog unit

croyde

26,112 posts

258 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Buy a US police cruiser. Crown Vic or a later Dodge Charger.

Just have to make sure the lights don't come on.

I knew someone that had one in its full original livery and said that everyone still got out of his way hehe

Pincher

10,375 posts

245 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
There s a place near me that sells JDM imports. Last time I drove past, they had a liveried police car for sale.

Edit - police car converted to a drift car apparently.
https://www.straightouttajapan.co.uk/cars/toyota/v...

Edited by Pincher on Thursday 30th October 10:48

croyde

26,112 posts

258 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
quotequote all
Pincher said:
There s a place near me that sells JDM imports. Last time I drove past, they had a liveried police car for sale.

Edit - police car converted to a drift car apparently.
https://www.straightouttajapan.co.uk/cars/toyota/v...

Edited by Pincher on Thursday 30th October 10:48
I'd love that as a non drift car smile