small number plate

[scottybennoch]

hi all ive seen some people have a smallet than normally front number plate. i was just wondering if this is legal and if so were i can buy 1 from.

 

thanks in advance

[Gaz6002]

No, it's not legal.

 

All you need to know here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/359317/INF104_160914.pdf

[Jord]

I believe the majority of the small ones you see are jspec plates and they aren't legal in the UK as the regulations state the letters have to be a certain size and spacing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

There are a lot of people who run small plates or no plate at all on the front though, depends if it's a risk you want to take.

[scottybennoch]

argh right . looks good but dnt think ill risk it.

[gordy.r]

Wrong..... They are legal. Trust me, I've just won a legal battle with my local Procurator Fiscal over this.

 

But there are exceptions.... You must have the j-spec plate holder which came with the car which will prevent a normal uk plate being fitted correctly to be exempt from the rule. If you have a uk car, no plate holder etc then you must show a standard uk plate.

 

I personally haven't put my jap sized plate back on (which if you check The Road Vehicles Act ammendment 14a it will tell you the smaller plate and character sizes that are allowed) and I now used a cut down UK plate just to avoid the hassle of plod who don't know the legislation stopping me and giving me any more £100 fixed penalty fines.

 

There's a world of info out there on it, and even talking to your local traffic cop can sometimes be fruitful, other times not.

Edited October 8, 2014 by gordy.r (see edit history)

[Benjy]

Wrong..... They are legal. Trust me, I've just won a legal battle with my local Procurator Fiscal over this.

 

But there are exceptions.... You must have the j-spec plate holder which came with the car which will prevent a normal uk plate being fitted correctly to be exempt from the rule. If you have a uk car, no plate holder etc then you must show a standard uk plate.

 

I personally haven't put my jap sized plate back on (which if you check The Road Traffic Act ammendment 14a it will tell you the smaller plate and character sizes that are allowed) and I now used a cut down UK plate just to avoid the hassle of plod who don't know the legislation stopping me and giving me any more £100 fixed penalty fines.

 

There's a world of info out there on it, and even talking to your local traffic cop can sometimes be fruitful, other times not.

 

That.

[gordy.r]

for those who may find it hard to google:

 

 

Citation and commencement

 

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 and shall come into force on 22nd November 2002.

 

Amendment of Regulations

 

2. The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001(1) shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of these Regulations.

 

Further requirements for registration plates

 

3. In regulation 11, after paragraph (1), insert the following paragraph—

 

“(1A) The surface of a registration plate must not comprise or incorporate any design, pattern or texture, or be treated in any way which gives to any part of the plate the appearance of a design, pattern or texture.”.

 

Interpretation of provisions relating to registration marks

 

4. In regulation 12 (interpretation of Part III), in paragraph (1), in sub-paragraph (d), after “character height” ”, insert “, except in relation to a vehicle to which regulation 14A applies,”.

 

Size and spacing of characters

 

5. (1) In regulation 14 (size and spacing of characters)—

 

(a)in paragraph (1), after “and (3)”, insert “and regulation 14A”;

 

(b)in paragraphs (4) and (5), for “The”, substitute “Subject to regulation 14A, the”;

 

©in paragaph (6), after “paragraph (11)”, insert “or regulation 14A”;

 

(d)in paragraphs (7) to (9), for “The”, substitute “Subject to regulation 14A, the”.

 

(2) After regulation 14, insert the following regulation—

 

“Size and spacing of characters: special cases

 

14A. (1) This regulation applies in relation to any vehicle imported into the United Kingdom which—

 

(a)does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and

 

(b)is so constructed that the area available for the fixing of the registration plate precludes the display on the plate of a registration mark in conformity with the requirements of regulation 14.

 

(2) In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies—

 

(a)each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;

 

(b)the width of each character of the mark, other than the letter “I” and the figure “1”, must be 44 millimetres;

 

©the width of every part of the stroke forming a character in a mark must be 10 millimetres;

 

(d)the spacing between any two characters within a group must be 10 millimetres;

 

(e)the vertical spacing between groups of characters must be 5 millimetres;

 

(f)the width of a margin between the mark and the top and lateral sides of the registration plate must be not less than 5 millimetres;

 

(g)the space between the bottom of the mark and the bottom of the registration plate must be not less than 13 millimetres; but, within that space, the space between the bottom of the mark and the top of the name and postcode of the person by whom the plate was supplied must be not less than 5 millimetres.”(2)

 

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport.

 

David JamiesonParliamentary Under Secretary of State,Department for Transport

24th October 2002

[Gaz6002]

Wrong.....

 

here we go again!

[gordy.r]

Oh! And after all that, make sure whoever makes the plates is an authorised and registered number plated maker, it has the makers company and / or postcode of where it was produced and has the British Standard Number stamp on the plate.

Otherwise it's another cause for a £100 fine if your local bobby is a stickler for the rules.

[j_jza80]

Fit standard UK sized plate, avoid being pulled over. Simple

[gordy.r]

No, it's not legal.

 

All you need to know here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/359317/INF104_160914.pdf

 

Whilst that is a great link and lovely if you have a UK car, would the OP please refer to the Government website I've linked below for regulations on imported cars if that is indeed what they own.

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2687/regulation/5/made

[Gaz6002]

Whilst that is a great link and lovely if you have a UK car, would the OP please refer to the Government website I've linked below for regulations on imported cars if that is indeed what they own.

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2687/regulation/5/made

 

Or just use a legal plate for the UK and have no hassle

[gordy.r]

Ahhhh... But these plates are legal

 

 

 

[Jord]

Fit standard UK sized plate, avoid being pulled over. Simple

 

This is my thinking. It's really not worth the hassle in my opinion, heard countless stories of people being pulled for not running full size UK plates, whether small plates are technically legal or not. Each to their own though.

[kitch79]

Just spend ££££ on a private plate and have the spacing, lettering, sizing, distance from letter to edge all legit, but smallllll ;-)

[j_jza80]

This is my thinking. It's really not worth the hassle in my opinion, heard countless stories of people being pulled for not running full size UK plates, whether small plates are technically legal or not. Each to their own though.

 

Exactly.

 

IF you have a nice car, no one is going to say "that's a nice car, but the number plate could be 2cm smaller"

[Gaz6002]

This is my thinking. It's really not worth the hassle in my opinion, heard countless stories of people being pulled for not running full size UK plates, whether small plates are technically legal or not. Each to their own though.

 

There's also the point that a strange-looking plate will probably stand out more than a car without a plate fitted at all... that's what I found when mine fell off for a few years. No attention at all, except the traffic coppers who pulled over to tell me how nice they thought the car was while I was filling up

[Al Massey]

Jap sized plates are legal.

 

Hence why JM imports supplies jap sized plates

[Jord]

There's also the point that a strange-looking plate will probably stand out more than a car without a plate fitted at all... that's what I found when mine fell off for a few years. No attention at all, except the traffic coppers who pulled over to tell me how nice they thought the car was while I was filling up

 

Cars without front plates at all stand out like a sore thumb when I see them. I wonder how people ever get away with it. Especially with the new tax disc thing and ANPR becoming more widely used. I'd imagine coppers would just argue their ANPR can't read it properly.

[scottybennoch]

wow this does seem like alot of hassle!!

[Gaz6002]

Cars without front plates at all stand out like a sore thumb when I see them. I wonder how people ever get away with it. Especially with the new tax disc thing and ANPR becoming more widely used. I'd imagine coppers would just argue their ANPR can't read it properly.

 

ANRP is irrelevant. If there's no plate, there's nothing for it to read. Same thing for bikers...

 

I'd wager anyone looking at a clean Supra with no front plate wouldn't notice the lack of plate, as the rest of the car would stand out far more.

[supra joe]

I've not ran a plate on the front of my leon or supra for the last year and a half. Drove past countless traffic police and even go to my mates who lives infront of and park infront of the police station in front of his house..... No issues.

 

Even went through a one way system and got pulled ( my fault ) for not looking at the signs, he just made me turn back and didn't mention the plate, even though I was front facing him.

 

Bet I've just jinxed myself now with the no tax thing that's in now.

[supra joe]

You get a warning for no front plate. When I had my last skyline I went past a camera can and got him hanging out the side writing down my registration from the rear of my car.

 

Got a warning in the post saying i could get a £30 fine next time.

 

Better than 3 points and £60 if you get caught going a little over the limit. so worth the risk if you ask me.

[Jord]

ANRP is irrelevant. If there's no plate, there's nothing for it to read.

 

Sorry yeah I meant for small plates, I wonder if the ANPR can read them correctly?

[Abz]

Sorry yeah I meant for small plates, I wonder if the ANPR can read them correctly?

 

I can confirm it can