Everyone knows that you can tell a lot about a person depending on the car he drives, but did you know you can probably get the most information from his vehicle number plate? In the UK, where license plates are also known as registration plates, all cars are required to be entered into a national vehicle register and have vehicle number plate for the purposes of identification in case of accident or theft.
Currently in the UK, vehicle number plates have black characters on reflective white PVC when the plate is in the front, and black characters on yellow PVC for the rear. The front plates measure 520 mm by 111 mm, while rear plates come in three categories. Square rear plates are 285 mm by 203 mm, Standard rear plates are 520 mm by 111 mm, and large plates are 533 mm by 152 mm. These are consistent with the system used by the European Union, though the UK is the only one that uses different colours for front and back plates.
Personalized plates, also called vanity plates are available for use, and any registration with two to three consecutive letters and a number between one and 999 are allowed. Registration numbers appropriate to older vintage cars are in high demanded are often sold, either by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency or by private dealers who hold their own stock of desirable registrations. Pricing currently starts at 250 pounds and the record for amount of money paid for a personalized registration stands at 330,000 pounds!
You can learn a lot about the car passing you in Britain by glancing at their license plate. The vehicle number plate of the British forces are white on black and can be identified by having the older "two numbers, two letters, two numbers" format, or by having the newer format of "two letters, two numbers, two letters." You've spotted a diplomat if you see the combination of "three numbers, one letter, three numbers." The letter in this case is "D" if the user is a diplomat and "X" if the user is accredited non-diplomatic staff.
You can compare this system to Ireland's which has a license plate format of two numbers, one to two letters, followed by one to six numbers. In Ireland, the first two numbers refer to a year, the letters refer to an Irish county, and last digits refer to when the vehicle was registered. A license plate reading 93-WX-1201, then, would refer to the 1201st car registered in 1993 in County Wexford.
Though you can learn a lot about a car through how well the owner takes care of it and what he's chosen to use as a bumper sticker, you can also learn a lot through his or her license plate!
Whether it is a name, word or date, most personal number plates read exactly what the owner intended. However, as personal numbers plates are unique, only one person can own the “proper" plate. A minority of people buy close matches with the view to altering the lettering or spacing using various fonts and screws to make their personal number plates read something different.
The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 state that you must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent any characters when displaying a registration mark on a number plate. This includes illegally spacing the letters and numbers on personal number plates. By misrepresenting your registration number you are liable to a fine of £1000, your vehicle can fail its MOT and the registration can even be withdrawn from use.
Personal number plates must fit several criteria in order to be road legal. Firstly number plates must be displayed at the front and rear for all vehicles manufactured after 1st January 1973. Motorbikes registered after September 1st 2001 are only required to display a single number plate at the rear however motorbikes registered before this date can display a front number plate if the owner so wishes.
As with standard registrations, personal number plates must have black characters on a white (front) or yellow (rear) background. The characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the characters 1 or I) for all number plates purchased from September 1st 2001. A space of 11mm is required between each character and the space between the groups of characters must be 33mm. There are different regulations for number plates fitted before this date when legal character dimensions and spacing were different. The DVLA has set a mandatory font for all personal number plates however this font can also be legally displayed in 3D. Black and white number plates can only be displayed if the vehicle was registered before 1973 and by assigning a dateless registration to a newer vehicle does not mean that traditional black and white number plates can be displayed.
The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics that all number plates must legally adhere to which include strength, reflectivity and visibility. The British Standard number (currently BS AU 145d) and the company name or trademark who manufacturer the number plates must also be displayed. The standard size of number plates is 520mm by 111mm however other sizes are available for motorbikes, 4WD vehicles and imports.
Drivers can display the Euro symbol with a GB identifier mark on their personal number plates using a badge. By doing so the vehicle does not need to display the traditional GB oval sticker when driving in the EU. Alternatively other legal badges that can be displayed include the English, Scottish or Welsh flags and the Union Jack. A non reflective border (red, green, blue or black) around the edge of the number plates is also legally allowed to be displayed if the owner so wishes.
Show plates are incredibly popular with owners of personal number plates and can be manufactured with greater design options. Show plates display your registration number along with badges, logos and various fonts. The use of show plates on the road is illegal and they are intended for off-road and show purposes only
Number plates are now produced at many garages and car accessory shops. To have a set of number plates produced you must prove identity and ownership of the registration and vehicle to the number plate manufacturer. A photographic driving licence and V5 log book for the vehicle are the best forms of identification to use.
Both Derek Both & Ross O'donnell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Derek Both has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Accessories, Customer Service and Family Travel. Buying personal number plates is one of the most popular ways to customize vehicles. offer a variety of. Derek Both's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.
Ross O'donnell has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Ross O’Donnell is a cofounder of Cape Plates who are specialists in supplying and dateless registration numbers. Legal number plates and show plat. Ross O'donnell's top article . to your Favourites.