Private Number plate questions

Ash187

Ash187

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Ok guys so this has been bothering me as i dont actually know the rules... (good to know them so you know how far to bend it :p)

I'm looking to get a private plate very soon and the reg that i am looking to get is only 5 characters. before i get it i wanted to find out the following:

1. I wanted to move the spacing on the plate so it spells out my name properly (XXXX X) rather than the gay way the DVLA have them (XX XXX). Now i have heard this is not allowed even though i see it all the time but i still want to do it.

2. I want to make up some pressed plates with the above spacing in mind but i called my local Dubmeister supplier and he said that he wont be able to do it as its illegal. is there a way of getting pressed plates with that spacing?

3. If pressed plates can't be done with the spacing i want then where would i go to order some shortened plates with a smaller font and the spacing i want? i have read that some of the guys here on the forum have cut theirs but i would prefer to buy it already done. also does anyone have a picture of the difference in the font sizes for a comparison??

UK plates by law are white with black font on the front and yellow with black font on the back... i like the way that the rear Euro plates are with white... too bad we can't have the white rear plates on our UK cars... the yellow plate is just ugly!

thanks
 
Yep, its "illegal", but easy to get around.
If you buy "show plates" then they pretty much make them up as you choose.
I see people every single day with ridiculously mucked about with spacing, fonts, and letters which no longer look like letters.

If you get seen by a copper who can be bothered to do ya for illegal plates then you WILL get done. Best case you'll have to install correctly spaced plates and have them verified by an MOT testing station.... worse case a fine.

But before buying your private reg ask yourself if you'd still be happy with it in the legal XX XXX format. If not then think long and hard about whether its worth changing your plates to something that you could realistically end up having to have in the XX XXX format.


PS: a XXXX X format is pushing it a bit I think.
 
Yo dude.. Tbh I have several private plates and have always messed with the spacing.. What I have found is that as long as you use the correct style and size lettering and don't chop the plate down.. They leave you alone.. I currently have CR11 SSR spaced as CR11SS R and have never had an issue.. Been stopped twice by the federales for other things, but they said nowt about my plates.. The one I did have issues with was "A P11KEY" but that has been sold now lol..
If you find somewhere that will do pressed plates, let me know mate, as I'd be interested too.. My current ones are nice from demonplates (and they will send you the plates in whatever spacing you specify, provided you can prove you own the reg by sending them a copy of the certificate) but pressed do look the dogggggs..
 
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Wow thats some serious profit! i think i need to get me into that business!!

Yes i can live with XX XXX if i have to... to be honest the plate is really cheap so im not too bothered with it being the 'Legal' format but would prefer it to be XXXX X :)

so where would i get myself a decent set of 'Show Plates'?
like i said i would ultimately like pressed shortened plates with the XXXX X format :icon_thumright:
 
Ive done it!! :ermm:

My number plate is XX XXX, ive changed it to XXXX X.
Its illegal for sure, wont pass MOT so i have legal plates with correct spacing for when i need it.

My "show plates" were bought off ebay. There are euro style pressed but with the correct UK lettering, size and colours.
Like Ads said if the copper wants to do u he can. You will usually get a warning first, then a fixed fine and then after that they will take the plate off you.

But it all depends on the copper.

Me personally its a risk im willing to take, but after my first warning I probably will put the legal plates on.
 
Google 'show plates' or 'plate creator' or something similar and you will find LOADS of online companies who offer a service.
You can enter your reg and play about with font and formatting so you see how it looks before ordering.
Prices are about £15-£20 for a pair.
 
I would second that about having a legal set too ash... I've deleted that bit about the money! Lol can't have everyone jumping on my little secret bandwagon!!! Pm me if you want any little secrets about getting the plates, as I don't wanna just tell everyone!
 
I got these done from eBay:

I know they're legal but he does metal show plates

24f5ee7a.jpg


Pressed Metal GB number plates 100% ROAD LEGAL on eBay (end time 24-Jul-11 20:03:59 BST)
 
i got done a couple of years ago for slightly smaller letters. my advice dont give the po po any excuse to pull you over.
 
Quite a few of these companies that make up 'show plates' are outside the UK because the law changed a couple of years ago and any company making up a number plate that does not comply with current UK requirements can be subject to a fine of £1000 for each set the make up. The current law does not accept such things as 'show plates' any more.

Did anyone see a recent episode of 'Traffic Cops' when a police patrol car stopped a Golf that was making excessive smoke. When the both stopped the officers noticed the plates and took them off the car there and then and put them into the back of the patrol car. The then issued the driver with a fixed penalty ticket. It seems that the excess smoke was caused because the Golf's engine had blown so I assume he had to be towed home. He probably had a legal set of plates in the back of his car because one of the patrolmen remembered stopping the same car for the same offence a few weeks earlier. Some people never learn.
 
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Thanks guys, great bit of info there...
yes i will be getting legal plates with actual private reg as i am getting it from NewReg.co.uk and they have a policy where you have to get a plate with the reg.
il just have them hidden in the boot so i can swap them should i need to :)
 
itwasntme187 said:
Thanks guys, great bit of info there...
yes i will be getting legal plates with actual private reg as i am getting it from NewReg.co.uk and they have a policy where you have to get a plate with the reg.
il just have them hidden in the boot so i can swap them should i need to :)
Click to expand...

i am sure on ebay some where you can find some james bond revolving plates. no sticking required lol
 
I made my plates for my clio at my work and had it spaced "D1 5OLL" instead of D15 OLL and got warned once about it only becuase i was being pulled over for somthing else, he just said make sure you get them plates changed... never did and was fine.
 
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My plates are just legally spaced with a short recess - don't get any hassle from the police but hear the MOT rules are changing, so I'll find out either way :wub:
 
yh its hard get the perfect plate... i didnt want to do the XXXX X but as the first 4 Characters are my name and the last is just an X so i wanted to separate it. i have been searching for a plate for months now and i think i have found an almost perfect 1!

i tried out those sites to see what the plates look like and its good, just need to figure out what the shortened plate size is.
one of those sites lets you put cartoon characters on the sides... is that allowed to be driven on the road? just thinking if i didnt use shortened plates i could have Tasmanian Devil on the egde :w00t:
 
One thing to remember is that the police are now using ANPR much more and if you get stopped for having an illegal number plate this gets recorded on the central DVLA database. If you are stopped three times for the same offence the DVLA can take away your right to use that plate so not only do you have to pay the fines you also loose whatever you paid for the number and the plates.

I have a personal plate but it is perfectly legal and I just don't see the point of breaking the law for the something so silly. Whenever I see an illegal plate my personal reaction is - How stupid can you get! If you cannot afford a plate that means something when it is legal then stick to a normal number.

Some people seem to like having German style plates on their German car but as you are issued with number plates (to the individual and not the car) by the registration authorities there iare no such thing as illegal plates in Germany. I think the same applies in most other European countries and the UK is the only country in Europe that suffers from this silly practice.
 
i just found the ying yang signs on the sides that i like... wondering if thats allowed? or if i would get pulled for it? too bad they can't do that on a pressed plate :(
 
Ah, a fiver cheaper.
Do you HAVE to buy their plates as well though?? Because at £25.50 that's pretty pricey.
 
yh thats true... but in the end it saves me having to mess about later. the reg with legal plates and then i can get my 'show plates' for actual use.
the price all in with the plate for me is £300! :)
 
Ash you can have badges on the side, that's not illegal, provided the spacing and the letter size/font is correct.. I have a "46 the doctor" on my badge under the Euro gb bit as I am a massive Valentino Rossi fan.. If you have the euro gb bit it means youdont havetp have gb sticker on your car when travel abroad...
 
Ads (formerly aythree) said:
How much would it be in total for the same reg ordered directly from DVLA and having a set of legal plates made up for £8 a set from ---------> SET OF GB NUMBER PLATES £7.99 inc p&p Delivered | eBay
Click to expand...
oh i see... yeah makes sense! i save about £15 doing it that way. is that worth it though? :think: or is it just easier to get the plates at the same time as the reg?

quattro 1981 said:
Ash you can have badges on the side, that's not illegal, provided the spacing and the letter size/font is correct.. I have a "46 the doctor" on my badge under the Euro gb bit as I am a massive Valentino Rossi fan.. If you have the euro gb bit it means youdont havetp have gb sticker on your car when travel abroad...
Click to expand...

ok that sounds good! im in 2 minds now... as i cannot find shortened pressed plates (they are metal so dont want to have to cut them myself) i may just go for acrylic ones with the ying yang logo on it. dont want to get audi logo as i would want to keep the plate regardless of what car i have (though i love audi cars so will probably stick with them)
I dont drive abroad so the Euro sign is not something i need. and if i do decide to go for a weekend or something a silly sticker will suffice.
 
I was of the same mind with the Audi thing mate.. Probably won't go anywhere else but saves messing about..
 
itwasntme187 said:
oh i see... yeah makes sense! i save about £15 doing it that way. is that worth it though? :think: or is it just easier to get the plates at the same time as the reg?
Click to expand...

Definitely worth doing mate. No point paying more than you have to.
Your reg will take a little while to be available to you after buying, so as soon as you've completed the purchase/registration you can order the plates so they are ready and waiting to go on your car.
Easy as pie.
 
According to the regulations that cover registration plates the only things you can have on a number plate other that the actual registration number are the name and post code of the supplier (required) the BS for the material etc of the plate (required) and the flash at the left-hand side showing the EU flag and the letters GB (optional) or the Union Jack and the letters GB or UK (optional) and the letters SCO, ENG and CYM with the appropriate flag (again optional). Only the EU flag and GB is accepted for identification in Europe. With all the others you still need the white oval GB plate on the back of the car. ALL OTHER SYMBOLS ARE ILLEGAL and the plate should fail the MOT and can make you subject to a fine and the removal of the plate by the police.

For more details including confirmation of the above see the DVLA document INFO104. Below is a link...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consu...n/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_067666.pdf
 
not the Reg i am getting but it gives you an idea of the yingYang bits i mentioned... also has my company name at the bottom (in red - not sure this is allowed)
2b0b83c1.jpg
 
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