A car expert has issued a warning that unfamiliar registration plate rules could result in motorists facing fines of up to £1,000.
Jon Kirkbright, the sales director at Platehunter, specializes in the buying and selling of private number plates. With 11 years of experience in the field, he stays informed about changes in rules and regulations pertaining to number plates.
The car expert emphasizes that some individuals choose to rearrange the letters and numbers on their plates to create desirable words. However, he urges drivers to refrain from doing so, as they could face hefty fines.
According to the government, number plates must display the registration number correctly without rearranging or altering the letters and numbers to make them difficult to read. Driving with incorrectly displayed number plates can result in fines of up to £1,000, and the vehicle will fail its MOT test.
The current format for vehicle registration numbers was introduced in 2001 and consists of two letters (indicating the region of the vehicle’s initial registration), two numbers (indicating the year of issue), and three randomly chosen letters.
Jon explains, “Sometimes people will alter the spacing on their number plates in an attempt to make it resemble a word or name more than before. By doing this, drivers risk incurring costly fines.”
For individuals seeking number plates with specific combinations of letters or numbers, there may be a personalized number plate that meets their requirements while remaining legal.
With over 56 million personalized number plates for sale, Platehunter has been operating for 11 years. The car expert emphasizes that Platehunter prides itself on being an affordable number plate supplier, with plates starting at just £39 plus VAT and transfer fees.
However, rearranging letters and numbers is not the only factor that can result in fines for drivers. There are other rules to follow, including regulations regarding the color of the lettering.
According to guidelines, the number plates on vehicles must:
- Be made from 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
- Bear markings indicating the supplier of the number plate
- Be marked with the British Standard number “BS AU 145e” for plates fitted after September 1, 2021
The characters on the number plates must not be removable or reflective. If the number plates were fitted after September 1, 2021, they must also be a uniform shade of black.
Additionally, number plates can:
- Have 3D (raised) characters
- Display certain flags, symbols, and identifiers
- Feature a green flash if the vehicle is zero-emission
To avoid falling afoul of the law, Jon advises drivers to purchase their number plates only from reputable dealers approved by the DVLA. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to strict rules regarding font, color, spacing, and character size on number plates. Platehunter offers a service for £25, including delivery, with plates dispatched on the same day, depending on the order time, ensuring customers have legal and compliant plates for their vehicles.
Motorists in search of private number plates are encouraged to browse the Platehunter website. Jon adds, “If customers can’t find what they’re looking for, they can inform us of their specifications, and we will notify them if a matching plate becomes available. We can also acquire any legally permissible, unissued number plate from the DVLA through auctions.”
For further information or assistance with purchasing or selling private number plates, visit PlateHunter‘s website. Alternatively, you can follow and contact them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
