A fine of up to £1,000 could be handed out to anyone found breaking the new UK number plate rules.
Last month, we reported that major changes to car number plates were coming.
Now, it has been confirmed that failing to follow the rules will land the culprits with a hefty fine and your vehicle will fail its MOT.
According to the government website, number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly and cannot be rearranged or altered so that they’re hard to read.
It's something that we were all probably aware of, however, the new rules include changes to the lettering type allowed, location identification and style.
Here's what you need to know so that you don't fall foul of the law.
The changes came into effect on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, and don't just apply to new cars so if your old plates don't meet the requirements you'll be breaking the law.
The rules
The number plates on your vehicle must:
- be made from a reflective material
- display black characters on a white background (front plate)
- display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
- not have a background pattern
- be marked to show who supplied the number plate
- be marked with a British Standard number - this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
Your number plates can also:
- have 3D (raised) characters
- display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
- display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle
Letter spacing, size and style
The rules about letter spacing, size and style are also very specific.
The characters on a number plate need to be a certain height and size, the exact details of which are contained in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) leaflet INF104.
You can, however, only get a number plate made up at a registered number plate supplier (RNPS). Find your nearest RNPS at www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates
The new number plates will have to include the supplier’s business name and postcode, along with the name of the number plate manufacturer.
Flags, symbols and identifiers
The DVLA says that you can display one of the following flags with identifying letters on the left-hand side of the number plate. You'll notice that the list no longer includes the EU flag.
- Union flag (also known as the Union Jack)
- Cross of St George
- Cross of St Andrew - also known as the Saltire
- Red Dragon of Wales
The letters, or national identifiers, you can have are:
- UNITED KINGDOM, United Kingdom or UK
- GREAT BRITAIN, Great Britain or GB
- CYMRU, Cymru, CYM or Cym
- ENGLAND, England, ENG, Eng
- SCOTLAND, Scotland, SCO or Sco
- WALES or Wales
The flag must be above the identifier. You cannot have the flag or letters on the number plate margin, and neither can be more than 50 millimetres wide.
New plates are reportedly easier to track with surveillance equipment.
Drivers have been urged to check their licence plates to make sure they conform to the new rules.
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