UK stickers

[Ebeneezer Smith]

Just been on a trip to Germany, noticed that at Eurotunnel there was a split between vehicles having UK stickers/ GB stickers/ no identifier.
Without getting into a discusion about Brexit does anyone have experience of any penalties for keeping the GB on the rear plate and not having a UK sticker?
I've been driving abroad for many years, I am English and identify as "GB".
From what I can see it was the UK goverment that came up with this change not the EU. So would the French/German/Italian etc police be interested?
I have fitted a UK sticker to my rear plate and it looks stupid, I would rather remove it and reveal the GB and EU flag that is part of the plate
Opinions?

[Bainbridge]

I just do what the regulations require:

Previously displayed GB badge when driving out of UK.

Now display UK badge when driving out of the UK.

Why not simply adapt as the situation dictates and get on with enjoying your trip, safe in the knowledge that you're complying with the regulations?

[spikyone]

Ebeneezer Smith said:

Just been on a trip to Germany, noticed that at Eurotunnel there was a split between vehicles having UK stickers/ GB stickers/ no identifier.
Without getting into a discusion about Brexit does anyone have experience of any penalties for keeping the GB on the rear plate and not having a UK sticker?
I've been driving abroad for many years, I am English and identify as "GB".
From what I can see it was the UK goverment that came up with this change not the EU. So would the French/German/Italian etc police be interested?
I have fitted a UK sticker to my rear plate and it looks stupid, I would rather remove it and reveal the GB and EU flag that is part of the plate
Opinions?

No opinion but I can offer a couple of facts.

1. You need a UK sticker: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu#uk-s...

2. It's nothing to do with Brexit.

3. Identify as whatever you want. The reason it was changed from GB is that Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland, UK includes it. Identifying as GB is a bit weird though (which might qualify as an opinion).

[CraigyMc]

spikyone said:

Ebeneezer Smith said:

Just been on a trip to Germany, noticed that at Eurotunnel there was a split between vehicles having UK stickers/ GB stickers/ no identifier.
Without getting into a discusion about Brexit does anyone have experience of any penalties for keeping the GB on the rear plate and not having a UK sticker?
I've been driving abroad for many years, I am English and identify as "GB".
From what I can see it was the UK goverment that came up with this change not the EU. So would the French/German/Italian etc police be interested?
I have fitted a UK sticker to my rear plate and it looks stupid, I would rather remove it and reveal the GB and EU flag that is part of the plate
Opinions?

No opinion but I can offer a couple of facts.

1. You need a UK sticker: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu#uk-s...

2. It's nothing to do with Brexit.

3. Identify as whatever you want. The reason it was changed from GB is that Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland, UK includes it. Identifying as GB is a bit weird though (which might qualify as an opinion).

For 2. It's related to brexit because of the NI protocol. Hence the reminder that NI is part of the UK.

[BertBert]

Just curious about whose regulations require the UK sticker? It must be under EU law as that's what applies over the water.

[QJumper]

I think if you get a crayon and write "+ NI" under the "GB" you'll be fine. Might want to scribble over the EU flag as well, to be sure

[deckster]

The legality is indeed that you need a UK sticker these days.

The reality is that last time I was over less than half the British cars had anything at all, and probably less than half of those were UK stickers.

I was in France a couple of years back with no country identifiers and Les Flics had no problem sending me a speeding ticket through the post

[Doofus]

I got pulled over a couple of years ago for speeding (and banned on the spot) in a car with no country identifier, and they didn't mention it.

My cars now have UK identifiers on the numberplates because it's not hard to do when getting new plates made up.

[spikyone]

CraigyMc said:

For 2. It's related to brexit because of the NI protocol. Hence the reminder that NI is part of the UK.

It's the correction of a historical error that previously made those living in NI drive around with a car sticker that specifically excluded their region. Perhaps "related" was the wrong word; it wasn't something that we were forced to change because of Brexit, which seemed to be OP's implication. I fear we're going down the rabbit hole he wanted us to avoid though

[98elise]

deckster said:

The legality is indeed that you need a UK sticker these days.

The reality is that last time I was over less than half the British cars had anything at all, and probably less than half of those were UK stickers.

I was in France a couple of years back with no country identifiers and Les Flics had no problem sending me a speeding ticket through the post

I've driven in Europe loads of times and have never had a UK or GB sticker. It never occured to me to put one on!

[vikingaero]

98elise said:

deckster said:

The legality is indeed that you need a UK sticker these days.

The reality is that last time I was over less than half the British cars had anything at all, and probably less than half of those were UK stickers.

I was in France a couple of years back with no country identifiers and Les Flics had no problem sending me a speeding ticket through the post

I've driven in Europe loads of times and have never had a UK or GB sticker. It never occured to me to put one on!

Most people don't use beam deflectors either (I know a lot of modern cars have levers or use satnav to change the beam pattern).

But you can guarantee that the one time I don't have the £1 UK sign fitted, there will be an officious Gendarme.

[CraigyMc]

BertBert said:

Just curious about whose regulations require the UK sticker? It must be under EU law as that's what applies over the water.

It's the Geneva convention.

[Jaguar steve]

Bainbridge said:

I just do what the regulations require:

Previously displayed GB badge when driving out of UK.

Now display UK badge when driving out of the UK.

Why not simply adapt as the situation dictates and get on with enjoying your trip, safe in the knowledge that you're complying with the regulations?

Exactly what I do.

Why wouldn't anybody though, because not displaying a country badge suggests either ignorance of the requirement to do so or arrogance in the belief that requirement doesn't apply to you, and both are entirely worthy of a pull.

[Doofus]

CraigyMc said:

BertBert said:

Just curious about whose regulations require the UK sticker? It must be under EU law as that's what applies over the water.

It's the Geneva convention.

It most certainly is not.

It's the Geneva Protocol.

[anonymous-user]

It's Norn Iron you need to feel sorry for, they have lost their 'NI' sticker, and now have to use a UK one!

I still have a GB sticker on my van, but I'm currently converting a bigger van and that will have a UK sticker.

But like others, my current GB sticker has caused me no problems at all.

I'm currently on the Algarve, been here almost two months, 'er indoors flew out for a couple of weeks and when I was ferrying 'er to Faro for a 0630hr flight we got stopped in a general vehicle stop. Once local plod had agreed that I did not smell of hooch the next question was;

' How long have you owned this van?'
' Four years,'
'But after 6 months you must register it in Portugal!'

We then had to go through the rigmarole of showing passports to establish multiple two month visits, entering EU via Dieppe helped here!

Whilst I am a brexitter, things were easier with FoM.....

[TypeR]

Doofus said:

It most certainly is not.

It's the Geneva Protocol.

Is that the movie with Michael Caine?

[Doofus]

TypeR said:

Doofus said:

It most certainly is not.

It's the Geneva Protocol.

Is that the movie with Michael Caine?

You're thinking of Get Shorty.

[Jamescrs]

Driven from the UK to Germany a couple of times over the last 2 years and going again this weekend, i've previously used the stick on UK stickers on my plate but i've noticed a mixture of UK and GB and none and no one seems to bother.

I have just ordered a new rear plate with the proper UK details on as I needed a new rear plate anyway so doing it properly this time

[the-norseman]

I put a small motorbike "GB" on my cars number plates when abroad and never had an issue, will do the same for the UK one when I next go.

On one of my trips it fell off in Germany and never had any issues.

[bloomen]

Never knew NI wasn't in Great Britain.

Since Ireland part of the British Isles I thought it was in the bag.

I specifically bought wee EU plate things to irritate a Farage-loving relative.