Number plates

bowfer said:
Halfords are an approved number plate supplier.
I've had many a plate made there, without being asked for the V5.
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So Halfords are also breaking the law!!
 
I've just been looking at an article about CCTV which describes ANR cameras are the next biggest growth area in the UK. Presumably after speed, sorry safety, cameras.
 
bowfer said:
Halfords are an approved number plate supplier.
I've had many a plate made there, without being asked for the V5.
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This is an item about Registration Plates on Halfords own website:

Registration of Number Plate Suppliers

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On 1st December 2005 the DVLA changed the documentation required to buy a number plate. The following now applies - In order to obtain number plates customers will have to provide current verification of personal details and proof of entitlement to the registration mark quoted. At least one original document from each of the lists below is required. The combination of the documents must be sufficient to check your name, address and the entitlement. The acceptable documents are;

Proof of Identity:
A driving licence whether or not issued in the United Kingdom (with or without a photograph). This is preferred because it is a secure government-issued document showing both name and address.or
Bank / Building Society statement. A current bill issued by gas, electricity or water supplier, a landline telephone bill or a council tax bill. .or
A passport (whether issued or not in the UK) .
A national ID card issued by the Government of a state of territory other than the UK. or
A debit or credit card issued by a bank or building society (the requirement for a photograph no longer applies). or
A police warrant card. or
An armed forces identity card

Proof of Entitlement
The preferred document is a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C) preferred, or
The tear- off slip (V5C/2) from (V5C section 10) or
Certificate of entitlement to a mark (V750), or
Cherished Transfer Retention Certificate (V778), or
Vehicle Licence Renewal (V11), or
Temporary registration certificate (V379) or
Authorisation Certificate (V948) from DVLA Local Office with official DVLA stamp. or
A letter of authorisation from Fleet Operators (including a lease/hire company). The letter must quote the document reference number from the V5C. Quoting the vehicle identification is no longer acceptable or
Record of the insurer's name, reference and policy number (for repairs approved by an insurance company).

So if they are supplying them without the above they are definitely breaking their own rules and the law unless of course you are meeting the Proof of Identity requirements and providing a 'letter of authorisation from Fleet Operators' as per the last paragraph on the Proof of Entitlement requirements.
 
Anybody else see the cars cops criminals show on BBC1 last night?

It was all about ANPR and how it works - very interesting indeed.

They were using it to flag a number of offences, but they also pulled in some people with illegal plates.

There was some Tory Boy chap on talking about the illegal plates and how easy it was to get a set of plates made up. He went online and got a set of plates made up with the reg from Gordon Brown's Jag without any documentation.

There was some woman on - a professor from some college (not sure why they were talking to her) - and she was saying that in Norway or Sweden there is only one company that makes all the number plates and that you order the plates and they are sent via registered post to the address of the vehicle owner.

I'm sure it is on the iPlayer for those of you who are interested.
 
The need for proof of ownership in order to get a plate made has only pushed up the price of plates. It does little to prevent fraud as anyone who wants one for illegal use can still find a way to get one made - ebay for one.
As the plate design didn't change with the new regulations there must be thousands of plate making rigs in the country so banning illegal access to them is impossible. So the honest folk pay more while the criminal minded carry on regardless.

Regarding German or other non-official plates, go ahead its your licence but why go looking for points when they are so easy to get already? Drive past a policeman when he is in a bad mood and you will makes his day. He will probably hold you up for an hour while he checks all your details tyres etc, while you spend your time wondering if all your tyres are actually legal, and trying to work out how many hours have passed since you had those beers the night before.
 
treblesykes said:
The need for proof of ownership in order to get a plate made has only pushed up the price of plates. It does little to prevent fraud as anyone who wants one for illegal use can still find a way to get one made - ebay for one.
As the plate design didn't change with the new regulations there must be thousands of plate making rigs in the country so banning illegal access to them is impossible. So the honest folk pay more while the criminal minded carry on regardless.

Regarding German or other non-official plates, go ahead its your licence but why go looking for points when they are so easy to get already? Drive past a policeman when he is in a bad mood and you will makes his day. He will probably hold you up for an hour while he checks all your details tyres etc, while you spend your time wondering if all your tyres are actually legal, and trying to work out how many hours have passed since you had those beers the night before.
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The purchase of any number plate other than face to face with the correct Proof of Identity and Proof of Entitlement should be made illegal. That would include the internet and eBay. If plates continue to sell on eBay then fine eBay. Other countries can do it so why it so difficult for the UK. It may not stop all the use of illegal number plates but at least it would make the criminals live a little more difficult.
 
i think it's actually quite rude in what some people have made this thread become. The thread starter did not ask for a debate on the law of plates blah blah blah but for what style of plate and asked for pics, which he got (very few) then its very quickly turned into a huge debate about the law. I try and help, post up pics and I get slated when just trying help a fellow member see whats out there style wise. Yeah my plate aint legal but was only helping, get over it keyboard warriors and get a hobby or somthing?
 
Mikey said:
....get over it keyboard warriors and get a hobby or somthing?
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This is our hobby!!

To get back on topic, I think the plates S3LTN has would suit your reg. They are the right font and spacing just maybe not the proper width - but will still be readable by APRN so you should get left alone by the fuzz unless they pull you in for doing something you shouldn't have and are looking for a reason to do you.
 
h5djr said:
The purchase of any number plate other than face to face with the correct Proof of Identity and Proof of Entitlement should be made illegal. That would include the internet and eBay. If plates continue to sell on eBay then fine eBay. Other countries can do it so why it so difficult for the UK. It may not stop all the use of illegal number plates but at least it would make the criminals live a little more difficult.
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I do agree but making something illegal doesn't stop crooks making them. So without redesigning the UK number plates attempts to control them are nearly pointless and only succeeds in costing honest folk extra money/hassle.

And Mikey we still have free speech don't we, so live with it! If you don't like been noticed or talked about then don't use illegal plates....
 
treblesykes said:
I do agree but making something illegal doesn't stop crooks making them. So without redesigning the UK number plates attempts to control them are nearly pointless and only succeeds in costing honest folk extra money/hassle.

And Mikey we still have free speech don't we, so live with it! If you don't like been noticed or talked about then don't use illegal plates....
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So are you saying that because it might cost us a few more pounds and a little more inconvenience to help to stop illegal number plates we should do nothing and just let the criminals carry on.
 
No I'm saying its not working, so our extra expense and hassle is wasted, I would pay more and go thru more hassle if the system worked. At the moment its simpler to get a dodgy plate (5mins on ebay) than it is to get a proper one.

I just feel its another half-***** govt scheme that costs us money and has no real affect. either do something properly or don't do it at all.
 
Despite spending many millions of pounds trying, the authorities cant stop the drug trade, identity theft, knife crime etc....so how is another set of `rules` and another half ***** DVLA/Government initiative going to stop car crime.?

I will tell you.
It wont.
Its a nice sentiment, but it just wont.

These are professional and very connected criminals, Jeez... they can get counterfit, Passports, Money etc..etc, number plates wont worry the organised car crims.

For the record I have spacing on my plate which isnt strictly in compliance with DVLA rules and Ive not been stopped once in over a year.
I also regularly do 80mph on the motorway and I dont feel bad about that neither.
And Im `average Joe`, 30 something , family etc... We have bigger fish to fry gentlemen.

Im up for number plate `tweaking`as long as its subtle, tasteful and legible.

All IMO of course.

Cheers
Paul
 
mitch78 said:
Here you go Dave:

So as long as the characters are legal size, the plate only needs to be 22mm taller and 22mm wider to be legal. Exactly the measurements of mine.
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I don't think that is the the case. It seems that all number plates fitted to UK registered cars have to meet the requirements of BS AU145d which i'm led to believe gives a size of 520 x 110mm for a normal oblong plate for a car. A square rear plate can also be used together with slightly smaller ones for the rear plates of motorcycles.
 
I still have the question. Why can other counties in Europe do it and not the UK. Are we so far behind the rest of Europe. Are they basically much more law abiding as nations.
 
Some people bit touchy today!

I've got german style plates... police not had a problem with them yet... so who cares what you lot think!

:p

The way i see it... if they are ok to use in germany and rest of europe, then surely they are ok to use here... just stupid UK laws have to be awkward.

Its not like I've got a font that you cant read etc, or putting black/yellow/white screws in to make a number/letter look like something else.

I've got a plate that is perfectly legal in europe! And if a foreign lorry/car is ok to come into the UK and drive with them plates, then why cant we drive over here with them without a problem too...

I doubt you'd get points for having illegal plates either...
 
mitch78 said:
As for German style plates, strictly speaking they are legal (with GB not D). Here's another quote from the regs:

I just don't fancy arguing that one with the traffic sergeant that pulls you over when he's in a bad mood. He might not take too kindly to being made to look stupid.
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Thats interesting... but I agree, he might not like the fact you tell him the law lol...
 
maxS3uk said:
Some people bit touchy today!

I've got german style plates... police not had a problem with them yet... so who cares what you lot think!

:p

The way i see it... if they are ok to use in germany and rest of europe, then surely they are ok to use here... just stupid UK laws have to be awkward.

Its not like I've got a font that you cant read etc, or putting black/yellow/white screws in to make a number/letter look like something else.

I've got a plate that is perfectly legal in europe! And if a foreign lorry/car is ok to come into the UK and drive with them plates, then why cant we drive over here with them without a problem too...

I doubt you'd get points for having illegal plates either...
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Germany style plates are fine for a car registered in Germany. French style plates are fine for a car registered in France etc. A foreign car visiting the UK can do so on it's normal plates in the same way that I don't have to change my number plates in anyway when I visit German or any other country. BUT a car registered in the UK has to have number plates that comply with UK law in the same way as if I moved to Germany I would have to register my car in Germany and have German number plates.

The normal punishment for having an illegal number plates would be a warning and a requirement to get them changed and report to a police station withing 14 days to have them checked if you're lucky and the policeman is in a good mood or a £60 fixed penalty fine.
 
mitch78 said:
My earlier quote was taken straight from The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001. (Part 3 Table B Page 22)
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I agree that what you say is in those regulation but elsewhere in the same regulations is states that a number plate has to comply with BS AU145d.

As quoted earlier in the thread this is the DVLA guidance document on number plates and on the last page it mentions the BS.

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/displayofnumberplates.pdf
 
An interesting point in connection with number plates and the coming visit by some forum members to Switzerland. I was talking to a fellow guest at the hotel whilst staying in Switzerland in June and a colleague of his had an A4 and he had 'German style number plates' complete with the 'D' EU symbol. When he got to the Swiss border the border police asked to see his registration documents for the car. He showed his V5 and the police asked why he had German number plates. They would not let him enter Switzerland with those plates. Fortunately for him he had his original UK style plates in the back of the car. So he changed the plates. But the UK plates were not EU style plates with the GB on so the police then said he must have a correct white and black GB sticker on the car. In the end he went into the service area and found a shop selling a GB sticker. Once this was attached and he had purchased a Vignette the police allowed him to continue in Switzerland.
 
Speaking of 'some people being touchy today'....

....my missus went mental at me because i 'went behind her back' buying those plates :mad:

Now she's not talking to me,and i think i might be homeless!! Ok,so i'm not earning at the mo,(i'm home studying to be a plumber)although i've put a large wad in the bank from the sale of my house....but c'mon,a little treat for me isn't so bad? I'm paying for our holiday after all.....actually,she can go on her own!

She's right,i do love my car more than her......

.....****** number plates!!:scared2:
 
treblesykes said:
No I'm saying its not working, so our extra expense and hassle is wasted, I would pay more and go thru more hassle if the system worked. At the moment its simpler to get a dodgy plate (5mins on ebay) than it is to get a proper one.

I just feel its another half-***** govt scheme that costs us money and has no real affect. either do something properly or don't do it at all.
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Hear hear:applaus:
I certainly don't buy plates off the net because I can get illegal ones, per se.
I buy them off the net because it's a damned sight easier than having to dig out documents, go into an approved supplier, then be told they're "too busy" and can I "come back later".:keule:
The fact the online retailers are willing to give me illegal spacing is just an added bonus.
If they were going to go down the route of controlling the sale of numberplates, I would hope they would still allow their purchase on the net.
One can buy roadtax on the net, after all.
 
I'm buying plates off the internet because the chances of them being made up by some spotty youth, who does it once or twice a day and doesn't give a sh*t if the letters are wonky,badly spaced,mis-spelt (yup,has happened!!) or the laminate is poor,are a lot slimmer. I use a specialist,because that's their job! And i reckon i'm going for legal ones! At least i might only get done for slight excess of a speed limit! :notme:
 
bowfer said:
Hear hear:applaus:
I certainly don't buy plates off the net because I can get illegal ones, per se.
I buy them off the net because it's a damned sight easier than having to dig out documents, go into an approved supplier, then be told they're "too busy" and can I "come back later".:keule:
The fact the online retailers are willing to give me illegal spacing is just an added bonus.
If they were going to go down the route of controlling the sale of numberplates, I would hope they would still allow their purchase on the net.
One can buy roadtax on the net, after all.
Click to expand...

I agree that purchasing using the internet is so much easier for most things. What is needed is some way to regulate the internet sales so that it is illegal to sell non-standard number plates and a system of checking the identity of the purchaser and their entitlement to the number. Perhaps using the DVLA database or similar. Not beyond the wit of man surely.
 
Fast said:
I'm buying plates off the internet because the chances of them being made up by some spotty youth, who does it once or twice a day and doesn't give a sh*t if the letters are wonky,badly spaced,mis-spelt (yup,has happened!!) or the laminate is poor,are a lot slimmer. I use a specialist,because that's their job! And i reckon i'm going for legal ones! At least i might only get done for slight excess of a speed limit! :notme:
Click to expand...

I must admit I cannot remember the last time I purchased a set of number plates. Mine have always been supplied and fitted by my dealer. Even when the change over of my personal plate has been delayed and I've had to have a 'normal' plate on the car for a few weeks the dealer has always made up and fitted a new set of plates with the personal number for no charge.
 
h5djr said:
I must admit I cannot remember the last time I purchased a set of number plates. Mine have always been supplied and fitted by my dealer. Even when the change over of my personal plate has been delayed and I've had to have a 'normal' plate on the car for a few weeks the dealer has always made up and fitted a new set of plates with the personal number for no charge.
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My A3 came with personal plates made by the dealer as well, but they got binned.
I really don't like dealer details on a plate.
I usually remove dealer stickers too, I just don't see why I should advertise them FOC.
 
bowfer said:
My A3 came with personal plates made by the dealer as well, but they got binned.
I really don't like dealer details on a plate.
I usually remove dealer stickers too, I just don't see why I should advertise them FOC.
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I don't like the dealers details on the number plates either. My current plates only have their postcode, as required by the law, in very small lettering. In the past they used to put their name on the plates but I just asked that they supply a set without their name on, which they were quite happy to do. They now use rounded corner plates which I prefer, but in the past they used square cornered plates. Again I asked for round cornered plates and that's what I got. I was the customer after all. They also know not to put any stickers in the back window or on the body work for my car.
 
I'm sometimes amazed by the lack of thought/attention paid by dealers (not just Audi), when putting numberplates on cars.
You see squint ones, you see black screws on top of white backgrounds, yellow screws overlapping black letters etc.etc.
You sometimes also see horrible steel screws being used, instead of plastic ones.
I'd refuse to take delivery of a car like that, I really would!
 
I agree. I followed a Mercedes the other day that had four metal screws as fixings and the plate was on the squew and that was on a 600 series model. Fortunatley my dealer using plastic screws of the correct colour on the front and self-adhesive pads on the back.
 
It some ways the sticky pads are more secure as well. I now when I've tried to remove my stuck-on plate when I've changed cars I've broken the plate before now.

Screws are easily removed by anyone.
 
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