number plates,whats legal and what isnt.

right,after much confusion with whats current legislation ive gotthe full picture now.

the only legal plates now are:

std gb edge or eu country.
union jack edge.
george cross edge.
scot cross.
welsh dragon.

and the std font style,3D,high line and carbon are also legal,hope this helps.

They have changed all this today for mot's the number plates can't have a honeycomb backing and now need the bsau mark and the post code of the place that made them up.
If the plates haven't got this then its a fail, so most cars are going to fail for a while until everyone has one.

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/v796.pdf

So if your car has it's original plates and with most coops that will be minus postcode etc, does that mean you have to buy new ones to pass an mot?

Gareth

Don't think so:

In addition, the characters on number plates
purchased from 1.9.2001 will need to conform to the following specifications.


So if the car was older than 2001, the old plates should be fine. But I could be wrong....

I don't know why they feel the need to fccuk about with stuff as trivial as this, well, I do, it' sfairly obvious why they want generic spacing etc! Nobs.

Gareth

it because to many people are adapting the plate to look otherwise.

Both our cars have the standard typeface, but one has a st Georges cross and honeycombe backing (the Bravo) and the other has plates that are the correct typeface but are not BS marked (the Coupe)

Looks like I might have to pay for some new plates even though the ones that are on there are perfectly readable.

It's to prevent crimes of bad taste, i.e. pretending you have Italian plates on your UK registered cars, same with the French ones I keep seeing, and the German ones also

Ben

I am not 100% sure, will have to look on the mot computer tomorrow. But i am sure after 1973 they have to comply with the new laws which is a bummer

Ash

A lot of MOT places dont give a toss about this sort of thing, and will happily pass the car, as long as you take responsibility for having the plates on, especially so if you have a 'proper' set in the boot come MOT time, (e.g if you get pulled by vosa or similar, you have to say you put them on adter the MOT....)

TBH most police dont seem to worry either, as long as its the correct font, annd correctly spaced.

i really don't see the point of this.
i need some new plates for mine and i was carbon font with red border and fiat logo in the back ground. is this legal.
also i was thinking of red lettering but i know this is going to get my pulled so i doubt i will go for it.

i have had a cracked number plate for a year and its passed a m.o.t twice like it so they don't car to much.

mine doesnt have a postcode or anything that relates to the car plate maker or even myself.. and it flew past MOT without an issue..


Note that I have a private plate and 20VT+ written in small letters underneath.. but its all standard lettering and have had no probs at all..

i was getting something written under neath and its a private plate. i was going to put a extra space in the middle to to show its a privtae plate a bit better.

Yup, agreed. Mate of mine has an Ariel Atom. THe plate he's just slapped on it reads "CL1NT". Give you a clue, his name ain't Clint.....

At Bedford last week, "who's that CL1NT in the Atom?" etc etc....

Like, he needs a bit more attention, driving an Atom.

Cheers, Hedge

No

I can only see the police pulling you on the road if the plate can't be read by their auto plate recognition system TBH.

If the font is legal and the right spacing it should get read ok.

to be fair i can't see why having a fiat badge on the side of the plate and carbon writing with a border should be illegal!
but then a couple of years ago thery where trying to force a act through that modified cars would be deamed ilegal. whats this country coming to.

Ty for posting that .. at least some of us are legal for a month or so 'til they change it

the carbon letters are ok and so is the red border its the fiat emblem behind that isnt, all new plates that are made MUST have the bs mark and the post code of who made them.

if it hasnt and the plates are std im sure its fine

I just checked the Bravo's plates.

It has the honeycomb background and 3D effect lettering, but it has the BS stamp and a postcode.

Is that legal or not?

It is a 51 plate so has the later style lettering.

Honeycomb isn't allowed (sorry), it now stats it in the mot guide on the computer. I looked today and it said nothing about what year of car it effects so it effects all cars (post 1973).
It all depends on the mot tester, but don't forget the tester needs to look after there license so they will probably pull most plates.
This was all changed on the 27th April, so if you had an mot before that then the old style plates would be a pass.

Ash

Bugger.

I aint changing them unless it fails though, and it isn't due until september.

Well you can't have carbon text because it can't be read by ANPR.
It's only a number plate - does it really matter if it's got logo's all over it? IMO it just makes them look chav-tastic!!

No

Another excuse to get money from the motorist?

No. A way to ensure that the car involved in the hit and run can be identified automatically and quickly.

Oh here we go again

Slightly off topic but....the government is now employing private company clamping vehicles that drive round your street with a tax detection camera that clamp you if the computer says "no"(tax),
they charge a lot of money to release your vehicle which the government takes a percentage.

I thought the government computer automatically issued a fine for no tax so why do they need to employ practices like this...........well we all know.

If the government was really concerned abut hit and run they would make buying/selling a vehicle a much more thorough process.

It only applies to cars registered on or after 1st September 2001 ( Method of inspection Paragraph 3 ) .

Baz

your right Baz, didn't read that far down as was in a rush to retest a car My apologies if i gave anyone the wrong info.

Ash

Well not really because your car came with a fully legal numberplate in the first place didn't it?

Just to clarify - if your plate is fully legal but does not have the post code of the plate manufacturer and your car is pre 2001 - you are fine. You do not have to buy new plates.

Lets have a number plate rebelion....style over function...where bigger really isn't better

carbon style std font are legal! so are 3D style and highline, thats it

http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=19099

There's a mandatory standard font

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/displayofnumberplates.pdf

However, AFAIK for the MOT you can affix a legal one over your chavtastic monstrosity and you'll pass, even with a couple of elastic bands