Number plate law

[thedupleman]

Vehicle number plates should be set out and displayed in accordance with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001. If these regulations are not followed this is an offence and fines can be applied.

Vehicle Number Plates in the UK
There are strict rules set out that govern the layout, fonts and character specifications used on UK number plates. There are also general rules laid out on how number plates must be displayed. If these rules are not followed then it can be seen as an offence. General rules will include:
Number plates must be lit during the evenings
Registration marks must be readable and not covered by dirt
Vehicles must have number plates fixed to them
Number plates must be laid out in the correct size, colouring, font and spacing
Owners cannot alter or rearrange numbers and lettering on their number plates
Plates should follow the British Standard for number plates including the trademark of the plate supplier
No other images should be used on number plates except approved images such as the Euro flag and other flags
A non reflective border is optional

Punishments for Number Plate Offences
Incorrect number plate offences can lead to fines of up to £1000 for each specific number plate offence. It may be the case that a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) will be affixed to car, for instance in a public car park, with a fixed penalty violation. There is no requirement for an NIP to be provided for number plate offences. There are sometimes defences available for this type of offence but misleading or lying to the courts can lead to larger fines. Police cameras are regularly used to catch drivers with dirty numbers plates or plates with incorrect spacing.

Defences for Number Plate Offences
The police can make mistakes and this sometimes occurs when police cameras are used to capture number plate offences. Drivers who dispute the incorrect number plates can use photographic evidence of their number plates including specific measurements. Defending this type of offence will often mean bringing in experts depending on the offence. Legal advice from a solicitor should always be taken as to the best course of defence for this type of motoring offence.

There has been controversy over police cameras incorrectly reading number plates obscured by dirt. According to the AA Motoring Trust the automatic number plate recognition system used by the police is unable to read plates that are dirty or have the incorrect spacing. The police cameras can trigger spot checks if number plate lettering is obscured by dirt. These cameras read the plates as incorrect and alert roadside police who will stop vehicles. In the past the police may have turned a blind eye to dirty number plates obscuring letters and numbers but they are now more likely to prosecute.
Number plate offences can be seen as a serious offence especially if the plates have been deliberately tampered with. Deliberately tampering with a number plate could lead to the more serious offence of perverting the course of justice. Number plate offences can lead to hefty fines and even community service punishments depending on the seriousness of the offence. Drivers who do dispute number plate offences should seek legal advice before proceeding to court action. More information on the British Standards for number plates can be obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).


For registered vehicles the registration plate must be:
 
Present
Secure
Not faded, dirty or obscured
Letters and digits must conform to the approved font design with correct spacing
Front plates must be black digits on white background, rear must be black on yellow
Honeycomb background is not allowed.
Vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1973 may have registration plates displaying white, grey or silver characters on a black background.
 
Vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1973 may have registration plates displaying white, grey or silver characters on a black background. Three-dimensional characters are permitted to use grey edging in order to achieve the 3D effect on any age of vehicle.
 
MOT Registration Plate Specifications
Relevant Dimension
Tricycles & quadricycles
All other vehicles
Character height
79mm
Character width
(except for the figure 1 or letter I)
50mm
Stroke width
14mm
Space between two characters in group
11mm
Vertical space between groups of characters
19mm
Horizontal space between groups of characters
33mm
Margins (minimum)
11mm