The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has announced a number of alterations both to how number plates work and how they are designed.
The changes come as the UK Government agency has launched a new batch of 2022 registration plates.
The new plates have been made to resist wear and tear better than old ones, and are reportedly more easy to track with surveillance equipment.
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As reported by the Daily Record, some registration plates may be illegal following the changes — and drivers are encouraged to check.
The update will see the new plates meet British Standard for Retroreflective Number Plates and will be the "BS AU 145e" standard plates.
However, changes made to registration in 2021 will be incorporated into the new 22 plates.
Here is a roundup of the changes made to number plates in the UK.
Material
The newest number plates will be manufactured out of more tough material, that is reportedly more resistant to damage.
It is also less vulnerable to everyday wear and tear, according to the Daily Record.
The new technology was first unveiled in September last year.
Lettering
New plates are required to display solid black letting, a change that was implemented after the banning of lettering effects that gave plates a 3D appearance.
Following the changes, letting will still be allowed to be made from perspex or acrylic, assuming all of the other criteria is met.
The lettering changes have been made in order to make it more easy for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems to pick up and identify vehicles.
It may be worth checking the lettering on your plates to make sure you do not breach the new rules.
Location identification
Plates will now be required to display both the name and postcode of the business that supplied them, as well as the name of the licence plate manufacturer.
According to the Daily Express, this has led to dear that it will become more easy for plates to be tracked without drivers' permission.
New identifier
One more major change is that number plates will now display the Union Jack as opposed to the EU flag, and will read 'UK' rather than 'GB'.
Punishment for driving with incorrect plates
Motorists who do not display their registration correctly could be hit with a hefty fine.
According to the DVLA: "Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly.
“You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they’re hard to read.
“You could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates."
How do number plate codes work?
New plates are released every six months, with the new ‘72’ batch due for release in September 2022.
The first two letters of your plate reflect where the vehicle was registered. LA – LY plates, for instance, mean the car was registered in London.
Digits three and four reflect the year the car was registered, with this system set to be in place until February 2051.
