Wow, who'd have thought; number plates? What a weird thing to get wound up by
For the record, no I don't have them on my car, (it's a very dull and normal mini) Although one of my GPs has them on his Tesla...natch. The reason I don't think the cops are going to be interested is that mostly they're legal anyway. as long as it's the right font, it's correctly spaced, and reflective, what exactly is the cop going to stop you for?
The plates with raise letters are legal (like countzero’s example) but not if they have non-standard spacing or an additional outline colour.
I couldn't tell you if this is true or not but I do know our local police force disagree and have been actively handing out fines for 4d plates. They have made a point of it on social media and are quite adament that they're not legal.
I assume the sole reason they’re there is because under street lights they’re almost impossible to read due to the shadows cast by the letters.
This way you can drive like a knob and no one knows who you are. On the flip side they’re even more useful than private plates to identify the owner as someone who drives like a knob.
https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates
The government seem to think they're legal as long as they follow the rest of the rules (reflective background, letters all black, no other colours, correct font and spacing, bs marking if post sept 2021 etc).
I couldn’t tell you if this is true or not but I do know our local police force disagree and have been actively handing out fines for 4d plates
which is wrong headed, because the government website says that raised letter is allowed, as long as the license plate conforms to all the other legal requirements.
Looks like the rules were tightened up from September 2021, but that doesn't mean that plates fitted before that date are now illegal. https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates
Plate in the window won’t necessarily avoid ANPR.
Indeed, but the dicks don’t know that, that’s partly why they’re dicks. 🤷♂️
And there was me thinking it originated to make your car look JDM…..
More a style-thing. Lots of aftermarket bodykits don't have a provision for mounting a plate as in a few markets they're not needed, mainly the US in some states and Japan didn't for a while either. The JDM look is more for square plates to fit in their OEM spaces but looks stupid if you have a Euro size bumper.
reluctantjumper
Full MemberMore a style-thing. Lots of aftermarket bodykits don’t have a provision for mounting a plate as in a few markets they’re not needed, mainly the US in some states and Japan didn’t for a while either. The JDM look is more for square plates to fit in their OEM spaces but looks stupid if you have a Euro size bumper.
Yep- I'm allowed to fit a slightly smaller/different dimension plate to mine as it's JDM. The rear looks good, the front has a standard UK plate on because the JDM format looked daft.
I’ve just checked my original photo of the Beemer with the raised characters, and it does carry a BS number, in small print in the bottom right-hand corner. I think it says SMT BS AU145.
[i]our local police force disagree and have been actively handing out fines for 4d plates[/i]
I don't know the channel put there is a police/traffic guy that has collaborated with a car modding guy on youtube to set things straight over stuff like plates, exhausts and window tints. Not sure why youtube suggested it to me but it seems pretty clear on the legal 4d plates thing. Some illegal plates have a colour under the letter so from the side its not a single colour.
My favourite thing about these plates is watching the monkeys in the safari park picking the letters off. Look for all the cars with blank no. plates parked up after doing a lap of Longleat.
I like the aluminium pressed plates, no particular reason. They're legal and they look nice
Tweet i same from a traffic cop referred to
be marked to show who supplied the number plate
be marked with a British Standard number - this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
A lot of 4d plates have no markings at all on them, but he said as far as he was aware none had been British standard tested (they?) which alone makes them non-legal.
I find custom plates baffling.
Its a legal registration document thing. No ones gives a FF what it "says".
I wonder if i can get a custom National Insurance Number, or NHS number.
For the past few years my MOT has had “front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread” as an advisory. Is there a similar advisory if you turn up with non-standard numberplates?
No, number plates (as well as retrofitted HID lamps etc) fall under Construction and Use regs which are police enforced.
I really don’t want to put a modern plate on it but might have to one day.
Show plates. Technically online replacement plates are illegal because they were ordered online without a V5C but can be legal in presentation (all details present and correct).
As said if you don't take the piss nobody would be any the wiser. If you use screw covers and custom spacing to try and act clever you should be fined and charged as if you have no plates at all.
of course, just because the seller is savvy enough to print that on the plate, doesn't mean that it [I]actually[/I] complies - or that he is even registered with the DVLA as a supplier...I’ve just checked my original photo of the Beemer with the raised characters, and it does carry a BS number, in small print in the bottom right-hand corner. I think it says SMT BS AU145.
of course, just because the seller is savvy enough to print that on the plate, doesn’t mean that it actually complies – or that he is even registered with the DVLA as a supplier…
And just because the correct procedures haven't been followed, it doesn't follow that that plate itself isn't compliant.
see also vertical rear wiper
Eh? Fairly normal from the factory. Certainly on old Porsches.
Loads of detail on why these are illegal here.
https://twitter.com/surreyroadcops/status/1480949665608650753?s=21
I find the phrase '4d plates' baffling. Do they exist in extra dimensions, and can the retailer offer proof of this?
Or by 4d, do they mean 2d, with 3d shading? or stick on letters/numbers? so 2d then with illegal lettering. 3d at a push.
Get Prof. Brian Cox on the phone, I demand answers! heheheh!
Perhaps those with illegal plates should apologize and get a colleague to look into it, then hide with a supposed positive Covid test in the family.
Maybe get a pal to claim maybe the rules are too strict.
Bonus points for being involved in deciding the number plate rules.
And just because the correct procedures haven’t been followed, it doesn’t follow that that plate itself isn’t compliant.
I think we all know what compliant plates are, even the pressed metal 3d vintage ones.
It seems the law takes exception to stick on letters that can easily be changed, and James Bond style revolving numberplates, the rottters!
