Buying an ex police car
Author
Discussion

largelunchbox

Original Poster:

606 posts

223 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

5,588 posts

145 months

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

And why would you want to?

Scott

Gareth79

8,671 posts

268 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

57,624 posts

177 months

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

Oceanrower

1,238 posts

134 months

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

Jazoli

9,462 posts

272 months

Wednesday 29th October 2025
quotequote all
Walt alert!

Sebring440

3,035 posts

118 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

3,035 posts

118 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

2,766 posts

72 months

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


ScoobyChris

2,268 posts

224 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

8,671 posts

268 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

24,296 posts

237 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

9,945 posts

239 months

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

OutInTheShed

12,802 posts

48 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

13,100 posts

182 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

8,567 posts

243 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

11,007 posts

196 months

Thursday 30th October 2025
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K9 dog unit

croyde

25,406 posts

252 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

9,945 posts

239 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

25,406 posts

252 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