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Pressed plates are illegal.

What is legal: -

Number plates must now use one specific, mandatory typeface - a very simple sans serif typeface intended to make the numbers easy to read by both humans and automatic recognition systems, which are increasingly being used by the police and other agencies. All hard-to-read variants, such as multiple stroke and italic fonts, are now prohibited. The one decorative variation still permitted is a 3D effect version of the mandatory typeface.

The size and spacing of number plate characters is specified in the regulations, as follows:

Each character must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the number 1 or the letter I). The width of each character stroke must be 14mm. There must be a space of 11mm between characters within the same group, and character groups must be 33mm apart. For the purposes of measurement, each character (again, excepting the number 1 or the letter I), regardless of its shape, is treated as a rectangular block of dimensions 79mm x 50mm

Optionally, number plates may display one of the following national emblems: British Union Flag with “GB”, English Flag (St George Cross) with “ENG”, Scottish Flag (St Andrew Cross) with “SCO”, Welsh Flag (green dragon on green/white field) with “Wales” and “Cymru” or Euro Flag (circle of stars) with “GB”. If the Euro/GB configuration is displayed, then the bearer vehicle need not display a separate “GB” emblem when driving within the EU.

The colours and reflectivity of number plates are also specified in the regulations, and there is a British Standard (BS AU 145d) which describes the physical characteristics of number plates, including: visibility, strength and reflectivity. Front plates must have black characters on a white background, while rear plates must have black characters on a yellow background. The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: the British Standard Number, the name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier, the name and postcode of the supplying outlet. A non-reflective border is optional. There may be no other markings or material contained on the number plate.

SUMMARY: What is required and permitted on UK road-legal number plates

Required:

White front plate (to British Standard BS AU 145d)

Yellow rear plate (to British Standard BS AU 145d)

The registration number of the bearer vehicle in the mandatory font (black ‘Charles Wright 2001’)

Spacing of characters and character groups in accordance with the measurements specified in the regulations. Variation is not permitted

Permitted but not required:

3D variation of the mandatory ‘Charles Wright 2001’ font

Coloured, non-reflective border

National emblem: English St George Cross with “ENG” legend, Scottish St Andrew Cross with “SCO” legend, Welsh Dragon with “WALES” and “CYMRU” legend, British Union Flag with “GB” legend) or Euro Stars symbol with “GB” legend.

No additions or variations are permitted. Common illegal variations are:

Fancy or decorative typefaces

Bolts placed in such a way as to alter the appearance of characters

Adjusted spacing between characters or character groups

Altered characters

Additional logos or symbols, such as sporting emblems and religious symbols.

Taken from : -

http://www.regtransfers.co.uk/main/car_num...regulations.asp

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I just read a copy of that standard (I love uni athens logins).

From what I can see, there is no specified material, so they can be pressed metal so long as they conform to the layouts, colours, properties and resistances specified :)

What is illegal however, is non-UK font, D banding (or other country), and not having the correct spacing or markings (which is why most pressed plates are illegal - they don't have the markings. However Dubmeister are working on that apparently)

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Only a very very picky cop would pull you for german plates. My question is if they're unreadable in the eyes of the law, if i go through a camera or get caught by a radar gun doing 120 on the motorway then how can they read my plate to convict me? Surely i would have to be let off and just given the £30 for the plates? Mad, no?

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I beleive the MOT laws changed a couple of weeks ago aswell, you used to be able to get away with 'show plates' but now its a failure.

My plate has 4 VW emblems in the background and 'Volkswagen Turbo' at the bottom instead of the postcode and manufacturers name but it was MOT'd the day before the new rule came in..

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What is legal: -

Number plates must now use one specific, mandatory typeface - a very simple sans serif typeface intended to make the numbers easy to read by both humans and automatic recognition systems, which are increasingly being used by the police and other agencies. All hard-to-read variants, such as multiple stroke and italic fonts, are now prohibited. The one decorative variation still permitted is a 3D effect version of the mandatory typeface.

i love this part of the law , cause even all the arnold clark dealers are not even using the legal font as standard on the car plates they are making :lol: and they are still doing it

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I beleive the MOT laws changed a couple of weeks ago aswell, you used to be able to get away with 'show plates' but now its a failure.

My plate has 4 VW emblems in the background and 'Volkswagen Turbo' at the bottom instead of the postcode and manufacturers name but it was MOT'd the day before the new rule came in..

;) thats why i have 2 sets of plates :lol: 1 set on the car and the legal ones in the boot :lol:

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Yep the law changed the other week. Lukes (db) car was in for an MOT and they had to get new plates as they were missing the address of where they were made and some stamp that must be on all plates for cars after 2001

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Any more info on the new regs? Mine is in for its MOT on the 17th Nov and my, what I deem "legal" plates are totally plain (no text, logos etc) bar the legal font and sized text. Will I need to buy new plates just to get through MOT?

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Any more info on the new regs? Mine is in for its MOT on the 17th Nov and my, what I deem "legal" plates are totally plain (no text, logos etc) bar the legal font and sized text. Will I need to buy new plates just to get through MOT?

Is your car pre 2001 Linz? If so you should be OK, if after 2001 you may need new plates if the station is picky as you don't have the BS mark or the dealer/supplier.

Is Scotty doing your MOT?

I want a set of Euro plates with the stars only and no GB or D in standard font.

R

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Any more info on the new regs? Mine is in for its MOT on the 17th Nov and my, what I deem "legal" plates are totally plain (no text, logos etc) bar the legal font and sized text. Will I need to buy new plates just to get through MOT?

the police gave me a hand out with all the legalitys i'll try and get it scanned today and post it up later on

its quite indepth on 2 sides of A4

BIG T

EDIT

just read it and the booklet is downloadable from the website

CLICKY TO DOWNLOAD

it's an .pdf file

Edited by BIGT1987
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