[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When it comes to customising vehicles, petrolheads and those with a bond to their vehicle often seek ways to make their cars stand out and reflect their personality. However, adhering to strict regulations is crucial to ensure legal compliance while beautifying and customising the vehicle.
Square number plates, commonly found in other countries, might catch your eye, but are they legal on UK roads? In this blog, we’ll delve into the details to answer the question of whether square number plates are permissible in the United Kingdom and what else you need to keep an eye out for to ensure your vehicle is road-worthy.
Most cars will have rectangular number plates as the two letters, two numbers and three letters spread out across one line. However, on some cars, such as Range Rovers and other 4x4s, the number plate characters are spread over two lines in a more square format.
In the UK, square number plates are typically 9” x 8” (228 mm x 203 mm). This is, of course, not exactly a square, however, square number plates are more square-like than the oblong rectangle plates we’re used to seeing on vehicles.
Motorbikes must have their licence plate over two lines to fit neatly on the bike, not be a hazard and be easily legible, so motorbike number plates are usually 9” x 7” (228 mm x 178 mm).
But just because there are standard layouts, are they required by law or can you have a square number plate if you wish?
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sets out a number of regulations for number plate format and style to ensure the vehicle registration can be identified easily by other road users, pedestrians, police and ANPR cameras in case they’re involved in an incident, are stolen or need to be found or the driver needs to be identified. But while there are strict rules on the size, font and spacing of the letters, there is no such restriction on the size of the number plate itself. So as long as your number plate meets the other regulations set out by the DVLA, having a square plate is perfectly legal in the UK.
When acquiring a new number plate, it’s crucial to choose a trusted supplier listed by the government to ensure compliance with DVLA regulations, as failure to adhere to these regulations can result in an MOT test failure and fines of up to £1000.
Japanese vehicles, known as JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) vehicles, often have unique square number plates. These plates come in various sizes, with the most common being 13″ x 6.5″ (330 mm x 165 mm). If you’ve imported a car from Japan and wish to maintain the aesthetic, you unfortunately can’t keep the original number plate as it will be in the Japanese format with Japanese characters. However, you can order a new square number plate in the UK’s format with the same dimensions as the original plate to ensure you can legally drive and park on public roads in the UK.
Number plates that aren’t permitted on public roads are known as show plates and cannot be registered with the DVLA and cannot even be parked on UK roads. They can, however, be driven on public land, parked in private driveways and taken to car shows or left stationary in car showrooms.
The DVLA have rules that affect:
Each of these regulations is in place to ensure the number plate is easily readable in all weather conditions and from a distance. If your number plate is in any way obscured, for example by dirt or grime, by broken characters, or by colourful LED lights above the vehicle licence plate, you can fail an MOT test and face a fine of up to £1000.
All vehicle licence plates in the UK must follow the following format:
All UK number plates registered after 1973 must also have:
All road-worthy vehicles must adhere to these regulations, although motorbikes face some different rules.
As well as meeting the standard licence plate regulations regarding font, colour and character size, number plates on motorbikes must also cover two lines (either 4 characters and the top and 3 at the bottom or 3 at the top and 4 underneath). Motorbikes must also only have a number plate at the rear of the bike, unless they were registered before a certain date, in which case the front number plate is optional. Each other regulation is the same for all vehicles.
In the UK, there are several ways to customise your number plate within legal guidelines. Options include personalised registration numbers, adding decorative borders, displaying more unique national flags (St George’s Cross, Welsh dragon or Scottish Saltire rather than simply a Union Jack), and choosing speciality plates like 4D plates for a modern look. You can also opt for acrylic or gel plates with different finishes for a sharp and elegant look to your vehicle.
Personalised registrations can be expensive and it’s possible that your ideal number plate may already be in use, so one of the most popular options for personalising your vehicle is choosing a 4D number plate.
4D number plates offer a sleek appearance, elevating characters from the background, making them stand out to onlookers to get deserved attention and help you easily find your vehicle in a crowded place. 4D Clear Krystal number plates have the added effect of making the characters of your number plate appear to float away from the background with the see-through base, while 4D Double Clear Krystal number plates take that stylish appearance a step further.
For those who are concerned about breaking the law, there’s nothing to worry about with 4D number plates. The acrylic characters are perfectly legal as long as they comply with the colour, font and size restrictions, and are easily picked up by cameras as well as legible for other drivers and passersby.
But if you want a new number plate and want to make sure it complies with all of the regulations laid out by the DVLA, make sure you order your number plate from an approved supplier, so you can rest assured it meets all of the criteria it should.
If you’re looking for a custom number plate compliant with DVLA regulations, the Number Plate Clinic is here to help!
Contact our customer service team, providing your ID and vehicle registration details, and we can create a custom number plate for your car or motorbike in our workshop. Car enthusiasts looking to make a commission each time they successfully promote our services can look into our affiliate program, otherwise, read our terms and conditions, refund policy, and privacy policy for more information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
