Think I should post this in this section, sorry if its wrong though!... I own a private reg plate and it is going on the Anni as soon as I get the log book back for owning the car (in the post [:^(] ) Anyway what is the legality on german style plates? As I know the police & DVLA can confiscate private registrations if they are not displayed correctly. Thanks Matt
ok to clear it up for you they are not LEGAL! repeat NOT LEGAL for road use. you can be fined for them and if the police are feeling proper moody throw the book at you.
Correct. The legislation is basically that you cannot use German Style plates. If you do you commit the offence of misrepresenting the plate as it doesn't conform to Road traffic Act. The front should be black non italic well spaced on white background and obviously the rear should be on yellow. The Police will either fine you 40 (Ticket) send you to court and they will give you a warning. When the DVLA find out they can take the plate from you and not be obliged to reissue one.
Actually, they 'could' be legal, there is a caveat in the law which says other EU states rules (such as MOT equivalencys. BS equivalents like TV etc) also apply and are equivalent to ours. If you were really, really careful you could get away with it. However, it is a grey area and you would be a test case. Its easier for people to say they are not legal but there has been plenty previous discussions on this and its not that they arent legal, its a bit of a grey area thats all.
i wouldn't want to get stopped by the police and start that conversation with them but german plates are very clear to read, mine have been through an MOT as have several other members cars with plates. i doubt police would stop just for plates when they look fairly normal, but as elucidate says its a bit grey and folk-suppliers are looking into that law of euro standards being acceptable here....
Thats cleared that up then, the problem is the risk is large for me as my cherished plate is valued at around 15,000, so I don't think I will bother with grey areas lol... Thanks
see, i found this on DVLA site... Rules for the display of number plates are set out in law, briefly these are: - A number plate must be displayed at the front and rear of motor vehicles (with some exceptions).German plates meet this requirement Number Plates must be easy to read and meet the British Standard. German plates are easy to read, and meet TUV - good enough for rest of europe, why not here?!?! Lettering should be black on a white plate at the front and a yellow at the rear. Can get yellow German plates for rear - this is what i have. The background surface should be reflex-reflecting but the characters must not. German plates are reflective therefore the font used in german plates isn't exactly the same, but not substantially different.
German Plates It is a funny one - So long as the plates are reflective and the correct colours I'd have thought the only problem with them is the style and size of lettering which won't quite conform to British Standard. Unless pressed plates are now illegal? As for getting a plate confiscated that can only occur if you deliberately alter letters, spacing or place mounting screws to make it look like a word or name. Having a none standard style plates isn't grounds to take it off you, though you may have to get a new MOT if they're being difficult. barkstar Just found this though: The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: - The British Standard Number (currently BS AU 145d) The name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier. (The company who actually make the number plate.) The name and postcode of the supplying outlet. (The 'supplying outlet' is taken to mean a company whose business consists wholly or partly of selling number plates.) A non-reflective border and the Euro-symbol with the national identification letters are optional additions. There shall be no other markings or material contained on the number plate
but surely 95% of cars on the road don't have this - especially the older ones, as it's a recent law...
i've been fined 3 times for having german plates - but mine were illegally spaced. i've just ordered new front plate with correct spacing. i have a yellow one with correct spacing on the rear... had these: now got: (with yellow with same spacing in rear) however, i've also been fined for having UK plates - for not having BS mark on them. completely standard plates, and i was fined. so feck em. i get fined either way i may as well have the ones i like
Sadly not true - when the now std perspex plates were introduced in the late '70s they came with a BS. If you have a perspex plate that doesn't have a BS mark it probably has some minor (or major!) infringment - the old one off my Mk1 have a honeycomb background and 3D style letters and no BS the three others I have from old motors all do Barkstar
Barkstar - it doesnt have to have the BS mark, it is in fact like Darren says compliant: __________________________________ PART 2 VEHICLES REGISTERED ON OR AFTER 1ST JANUARY 1973 AND BEFORE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION) 1. The plate must be made of reflex-reflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of - (a) the British Standard Specification for reflex-reflecting number plates, published on 11 September 1972 under the number BS AU 145a[14], or (b) any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard specification, and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification. __________________________________ Notice the 'or' any other relevant standard bit. its this which matters. Thats why it is all such a massive grey area...
So does that mean german plates come into that category? in my opinion they don't. However a genuine german registration would because it contains germanies own equivalent to the BS mark I believe...
They would if you bought a genuine german plate from a german plate manufacturer. A lot of us (including me) do.
