For those who have chosen to buy a cherished number plate, finding the ultimate registration is extremely important. However, in the excitement of it all, one may forget to take into consideration some important rules.
Some purchasers of private number plates continue to break the law, but the rules have been put in place for justifiable reasons. Therefore, anyone thinking of buying a plate, perhaps to display their name or the football team they support, should be familiar with today’s regulations.
The Most Common Law Breakers
It’s fairly commonplace to spy an italicised font, or a Betty Boop logo on a vehicle registration. In fact, many members of the public may not even be aware that these are illegal. However, it is now more important than ever to have clearly visible plates. It is crucial that witnesses of accidents and crime are able to identify a registration. Those who alter the standard font and spacing of characters may potentially be causing problems that could have been avoided.
The following alterations to number plates are not permitted by law:
- Fancy or decorative typefaces, such as italic fonts
- Altering of characters. For example, placing a bolt in the middle of the number 11 to give the illusion of the letter H. This prevents the human eye, as well as roadside cameras, from recognising the true character
- Sporting emblems and religious symbols
- Honeycomb or any other background designs
Stay Legal
A cherished number plate is a great way of making a vehicle unique and personal to the buyer. Purchasing one can be a very effective, but it really is sensible to stay on the right side of the law.
Listed below are rules that should not be broken:
- Only the ‘Charles Wright 2001′ font, a simple, clear typeface, is allowed
- Excepting the letter I and the number 1, characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide. The width of each character stroke must be 14mm and one must be able to measure 11mm between each character in the same grouping. Additionally, character groups must also be 33mm apart
- Front plates must have a white background with black characters, while rear plates are also required to have the black characters, but on a yellow background.
However, there are certain alterations that are optional:
- A coloured, non-reflective border
- A 3D effect on the typeface
- Older/vintage cars (those manufactured prior to 1973) can display the old-style, black plates. They have the option of having white, silver or grey characters, as well as a choice of either a plastic plate or a traditional metal one
- Number plates may display one of the following national emblems on a blue panel: British Union Flag with “GB” legend, English Flag (St. George’s Cross) with “ENG”, Scottish (St. Andrew) with “SCO”, Welsh (green dragon on green/white field) with “Wales” or “Cymru”, or Euro Flag (circle of stars) with “GB”.
Apart from the Euro Flag option, national emblems are not officially recognised in the regulations. However, the government has said that they are permitted. It is expected that the law will soon be revised to reflect the current de facto acceptance of these flags. The expected amendment of the regulations will not allow other graphics or emblems.
The Registration Itself
When choosing a number plate, one important rule must be remembered:
A registration that would result in one’s vehicle appearing newer than it actually is, is not permitted
Therefore, if Jenny wanted to purchase the prefix plate J34 NNY, she would need to be aware that it could not be placed onto a vehicle that was manufactured before August 1991. Fortunately, the majority of drivers are purchasing newer cars, so this isn’t a huge problem, as it is not breaking the law to put an older plate on to a newer vehicle.
Additionally, dateless plates are also available and this means that the problem is completely avoided.
Cherished number plates are the most effective way of making a vehicle unique, as every single one is different. However, don’t be the one to get caught out – stick to the rules.
Private Number Plates
