10th March, 2022

Two new rules for licence plates came into force on March 1, affecting new vehicles as well as cars already on the road. These rules could affect you, so we recommend taking a moment to familiarise yourself with the information below.

Essentially, in a bid to improve readability and road safety alike, a new standard of number plates is required for all vehicles. The following changes have been made:

New cars will have to display number plates made from a more durable material which has been in circulation since September last year and number plates will now need to pass 10 tests, including a newly added abrasion test, which checks if they can withstand debris like road salt and dirt.

The number plates on all cars can now only display solid black lettering so Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras can read them more easily.

The DVLA use ANPR cameras to catch criminals and detect unlicensed operators, untested drivers and overloaded goods vehicles.

Two tone plates that present a three or four dimensional image by using different shades have now been banned. Perspex or acrylic lettering may still be used providing that the number plate satisfies the other criteria.

The DVLA states that: “Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly.

“You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they’re hard to read.”
New number plates will also have to include the supplier’s business name and postcode, along with the name of the number plate manufacturer and the new standard, BS AU 145e.

Instead of ‘GB’ the new plates will feature the Union Jack flag with UK underneath it.
The new ‘UK’ sticker or magnet can be easily purchased online, in post offices and in garages, or you could apply for new UK number plates to comply with the latest changes.

Here at One Call, we urge you to check your licence plate against the above information. Unfortunately, failure to abide by these new rules could see you face a fine of up to £1,000. And, if incorrectly displaying number plates, your vehicle will fail its MOT test.

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* Please note that the above information has been gathered through secondary research. The information provided is not based on our opinion. You should seek further guidance and information before making an informed decision.