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Current Requirements on the

Display of Number Plates

 

In Brief

All registration marks must be displayed in accordance with The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001(obtainable from Her Majesty's Stationery Office).

Rules for the display of number plates are set out in law, briefly these are: -

  • A number plate must be displayed at the front and rear of motor vehicles (with some exceptions).

  • Number Plates must be easy to read and meet the British Standard.

  • Lettering should be black on a white plate at the front and a yellow at the rear.

  • The background surface should be reflex-reflecting but the characters must not.

  • There are separate requirements for traditional number plates displayed on vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973.

  • Lettering and spacing must be of a set size. They must conform to one of the groups shown at:- Number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 or Number plates fitted before 1September 2001. 

 

NUMBER PLATES FITTED AFTER 1 SEPTEMBER 2001

Number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown below.
 

Characters  
Height  79mm
Width (except the figure 1 or letter l) 50mm
Stroke 14mm
Space between characters 11mm
Space between groups 33mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum) 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm

The character width has been slightly reduced from 57mm to 50mm to accommodate the Euro-symbol on the number plate.

 


NUMBER PLATES FITTED BEFORE 1 SEPTEMBER 2001

Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown in one of the two groups below
 

Characters Group 1 Group 2
Height  89mm 79mm
Width (except the figure 1 or letter l) 64mm 57mm
Stroke 16mm 14mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between groups 38mm 33mm
Side margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm 19mm

 

 

 TRADITIONAL NUMBER PLATES

  • Vehicles constructed before 1.1.73 may display traditional style "black and white" plates i.e.white, silver or grey characters on a black plate.

  • l Lettering must be of a set size. It must conform to one of the two groups below.

    Characters

    Group 1

    Group 2

    Height 

    89mm

    79mm

    Width (except the figure 1 or letter l)

    64mm

    57mm

    Stroke

    16mm

    14mm

    Side margin

    25mm

    11mm

    Top & bottom margin

    13mm

    11mm

    Space between characters

    13mm

    11mm

    Space between groups

    38mm

    33mm

    There are additional arrangements if the vehicle is a motorcycle or tricycle
     

  • Traditional number plates fitted to vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1973 are notrequired to display the mandatory character font, but the characters must be easy to read.  
     

 

Display of Vehicle Registration Marks on Imported Vehicles (which have arestricted space for a standard sized number plate)

Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display number plates with smaller characters if:

          The vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval

          AND
 

  • The vehicle's construction/design cannot accomodate standard size number plates

 

 

Specifications for smaller sized plates (for certain imported vehicles)
 

Character Height 64mm
Character Width 44mm
Character Stroke 10mm
Space between characters 10mm





MOTORCYCLES AND TRICYCLES
 

  • Motorcycles and tricycles registered after 1.9.2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle.

  • Motorcycles and tricycles registered before 1.9.2001 can display a number plate at the front but are not required to.

  • Tricycles derived from four wheeled bodies i.e. saloon cars must meet the normal requirements for numbers plates. Whereas tricycles derived from motorcycles must meet the requirements for motorcycles.

  • The characters may be smaller e.g.
     

Character Height 64mm
Character Width 44mm
Character Stroke 10mm
Space between characters 10mm
Space between groups 30mm
Top, side & bottom margin 11mm
Space between vertical lines 13mm

  • Motorcycles registered on or after 1 September 2001 must display a two-line number plate number plate. Motorcycles registered prior to the 1 September 2001 may display a three-line plate, but one-line plates are illegal, irrespective of the date of registration of the motorcycle. 

 


MANDATORY CHARACTER FONT

 

Since 1 September 2001 all new number plates must display the new mandatory font. Combined with the new format registration mark, number plates have become clearer and easier to remember.

 

Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 need not be changed provided the character font used is substantially the same as the one shown above.

Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with:

  • Stylised letters and/or figures such as italics

  • Number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters and/or numbers 

 

THE EURO PLATE

 

Since 1st September 2001 there has been an optional provision for the display of a Euro-plate for vehicles registered in the UK. The Euro-plate is a number plate that incorporates the symbol of the European Union (a circle of 12 stars on a blue background) with the national identification letters of the member states below. This symbol is located on the far left-hand side of the number plate.

Vehicles displaying this symbol no longer have to use the traditional oval shaped national identifier (GB) sticker when travelling within the European Union. All vehicles registered in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have, by international convention, the distinguishing sign GB. The Government announced on 28 December 2001 the intention to permit the display of national flags and symbols on vehicle number plates. When the regulations are amended they will provide for the voluntary display of the Union flag, Scottish Saltire, Cross of St George and Red Dragon.

Football team crests etc are not allowed. 

 


THE LAW

The law states that,

  • You must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers

  • Characters must not be moved from one group to the other (e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC).

Offences may result in any or all of the following:

  • A fine of up to £1,000

  • The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN

  • The vehicle may FAIL the MOT test

Full details of the requirements are included in The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 

 

 

THE BRITISH STANDARD

 

The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics on the number plate. This includes:

  • Visibility

  • Strength

  • Reflectivity

 

The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: -

  • The British Standard Number (currently BS AU 145d)

  • The name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier. (The company who actually make the number plate.)

  • The name and postcode of the supplying outlet. (The 'supplying outlet' is taken to mean a company whose business consists wholly or partly of selling number plates.)

  • A non-reflective border and the Euro-symbol with the national identification letters are optional additions.

  • There shall be no other markings or material contained on the number plate.

 

Further information about the British Standards requirements can be obtained at http://www.bsi-global.com/.

 

 

Above information taken from the dvla website

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