Number Plates & Plate Positioning

[tentonhammer 10]

So, what's legal and what isn't now?

 

Was having a chat with a mate this morning and he happened to mention watching something on TV the other night featuring (the dreaded) Surrey Police. He then went on to tell me that if I happened to cross paths with said old bill they might pull me over for a quiet verbal about the plates on my car, potentially endorsing me in the process. Not wanting any endorsments on my license I reakoned I'd run it by the forum before adjusting positioning and type of number plate(s) on the car. I'm pretty sure plates and plate locations are ok as the car's been through 4 MOT's with the setup this way!

 

Firstly, I have an embossed rear number plate, located at typical spot on the boot of a Corrado (was like this when I bought the car). It's size is like any other rear plate, font size and style is like any other rear plate, colours are same as any other rear plate, looks like original plate. The only difference between mine and the industry standard is that the font's slightly embossed by 1-2mm (German type) and there are no small car dealership details under main font etc. Didn't even notice the embossing etc when I bought the car it's that subtle.

 

Is the plate legal?

 

Secondly, front bumper is smoothed so front number plate relocated and recessed slightly to new position under front bumper (was like this when I bought the car). Plate is the usual white and black, original font and size etc. Head on, you can read the plate clearly, when stood a foot or two away from the front of the car looking down you cannot see it (who can this close??) Been thinking about pulling the plate out slightly if necessary.

 

Is the position of the plate legal?

 

Cheers all,

 

Ten Ton

 

Corrado 1992 2.0 16V

[Stonejag 10]

Embossed plates are legal, provided that:

- the font and colour are standard (no silver-on-black unless it's old: think it's pre-1973)

- they incorporate retro-reflective material

- they are marked as meeting BS AU 145d

- they have a manufacturer's mark showing who made the blank plate

- they have the name and postcode of the supplier on them

- they have no symbols in the Euro-strip (if present) other than approved ones (the Union Flag, the flags of England, Scotland or Wales, etc) - no VW logos or German flags!

 

Most plates fall down on one or more of these - my pressed plates were supplied without supplier's name or postcode, for example - but you'd have to get a particularly grumpy officer trying to trip you up to spot it.

 

I believe that front plates can legally be put on any vertical surface on the outside of the car (not on the dashboard as so many do!) but I'd have to doublecheck in my copy of the Construction & Use Regulations 1986 - unhelpfully the government's online archive only goes back to 1987 so you have to buy a printed copy to look it up! In practice, as long as you're not openly trying to game the system you should be ok.

 

Stone

[tentonhammer 10]

Thanks Stone for the heads up, appreciate it.

 

My rear pressed plate sounds pretty similar to yours - it doesn't have plate suppliers name or post code on it. Why you need this on the there is beyond me... yet another thing the Police can get you on I suppose. Silly tho eh - "Oi! you crashed into my car, don't drive away I can't read who made your frrickin number plate!?" Other than that the plate looks totally legal. I MAY (reluctantly) change it in that case, it would be sods law I get done for it. Having said this though, it has gone through 4 MOT's this way...

 

Always good to have this sorta thing confirmed.

 

Cheers,

 

Ten Ton

[RW1 0]

http://www.theplatemarket.com/display_of_registration_numbers.php

 

.

[leeeeshad 0]

The post code and BS number is only required for cars registered after 2001 or something like that I think

[scarlet_vr6 0]

My understanding is that it's only new plates which have to have the supplier's details on them. If you have new plates made, you're supposed to take the V5 along to show you're the registered keeper and the supplier will add their name and postcode. I think the idea is to help crack down on people using false plates on their car. Therefore if your plates were made before the new laws then you don't need the supplier's details on them.

 

It is possible I've dreamt all that up, so perhaps someone else could confirm? ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tentonhammer 10]

As seen on the Plate Market:

 

What's the British Standard for number plates?

 

The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics of the number plate. This includes visibility, strength and reflectivity.

 

The British Standard also requires each number plate to be permanently and legibly marked with the following information:

 

The British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d)

The name, trademark or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier (The company that made the plate)

Name and postcode of the supplying outlet.

 

Other options:

 

A non-reflective border

Euro-symbol with national identification letters

 

-----------------------------

 

Looking more and more likely I have to remove the rear plate... No plate maker details, just a well visible, dimensionally correct, legal looking plate. Will have a look to see whether or not previous owner kept the reciept (presuming of course it was him that replaced the original rear plate - I thought current rear plate was original!) I doubt I'll have it tho

 

leeeshad - Can you confirm this? My car's a 92 - Does this mean I'm exempt?

 

RW1 - Cool thanks good info

 

Scarlet - Not sure if I can proove when the plate was made which is a real ****ter :S Hear what you're saying about cracking down on guys using false plates, def need to sort that out

 

Ten Ton

[Stonejag 10]

It varies - I know of one online plate manufacturer who have done plates for me before without seeing any of the documents at all! Occasionally the DVLA go berserk fining people and it tightens up for a bit...

 

I suspect I'll have to change mine if I get stopped but since they're the correct font and correctly spaced I'm not too worried about it - they're arguably safer/more legible than regular plastic plates as the black areas aren't at all reflective, whereas plastic ones are glossy over the whole surface. Not to mention people who buff them to a high shine in the hope of dazzling speed cameras! I bought them in good faith as road plates so I might get away with blaming the plate makers if it ever comes to it. I prefer them because they're much more resistant to delaminating than plastic ones so you don't get the muddy streaks behind the front plastic. Plus they're stuck down so if you try and steal them they bend!

 

I see all sorts driving around - plates with the space in the wrong place, wrong sizes, wrong fonts, BMW / Playboy bunnies / Man U logos where the flag is supposed to go etc etc - if they don't get stopped I don't see why they would pull me for mine. Fingers crossed :)

 

The pre/post-2001 thing is intended so people don't try and get away with old-style plates on their 11-reg cars - the font changed slightly to harmonise it with EU regs. The worst I see is black/silver plates (only allowed on pre-1973 vehicles if fitted before 2001, if memory serves) - they might look great but they're an absolute fuzz magnet! I always find it hilarious on cop shows when they pull someone with an italic numberplate and find a boot full of drugs and weapons :epicfail:

 

Stone