Is It Illegal To Have No Front Number Plates in Birmingham?

UK roads are used by a multitude of vehicles with a variety of different number plates on display. Cars most commonly carry white and yellow plates with black characters, but older models regarded as classic can still sport the earlier issued silver and black registrations.

Motorcycles have their own system for plates, with some models featuring plates at back and front, but most displaying only a single plate at the rear.

Seeing the different ways number plates Birmingham are displayed, you may be wondering where the law stands on the issue and ask the question is it illegal to have no front number plate?

Motorists caught displaying their registrations incorrectly can be stopped by traffic police, fail MOT tests and even pay fines of up to £1000.

Vehicles With No Front Registration

It is against the law in the UK for cars to display no front number plate. All cars on the road are required to display registrations at both the front and rear of the vehicle.

The number plate at the front of the car must be white with the index marks clearly visible in black. The rear plate must also show black letters and numbers, but on a yellow plate.

Both front and back plates must be made reflective material to increase their visibility in low light conditions. The laws governing motorcycle number plates are quite different.

Any bike registered on or after September 1st, 2001 must not display a registration at the front of the vehicle.

Are Sticks On Number Plates Legal?

While stick on number plates was once used by famous models, today they don’t conform to the British Safety standard BS AU 145D and are best avoided. While sometimes added to caravans and trailers, these shouldn’t generally be used on cars.

British Safety Standards dictate that the material a number plate should be made from must-have “resistance to bending”. It also insists that plates must be resistant to impact.

Unlike the sturdy acrylic utilized in modern number plates Birmingham, stick-on number plates are not as durable and can potentially rip in a collision or accident.