We’ve realized that most people are still unclear on exactly what a number plate really is. Personalized plates can refer to one of two things; private registrations that National Numbers sells or the plastic plates that you put on your plate. You may already be aware of what you can or can’t have on your private registration plates, but not all people are aware of the rules are regulations that relate to the plates themselves.
These rules and regulations are a big deal and carry with them a hefty penalty if you are deliberately or hugely costly if you accidentally or deliberately break them. In this blog, we share with common myths surrounding personalized plates to help you know exactly what you can or can’t have;
- I Can Space Personalized Number Plates How I Want
When you buy a personalized registration, you are still in effect buying what is a valid vehicle registration number from the DVLA and must, therefore, follow this format. Because it is a personalized plate, most people assume that they can modify it to look however they want. There are strict rules governing the spacing of letters on a number plate, and even personalized number plates must follow this format.
- I Can Use My Own Images
You may notice that some personalized plates have a flag on the left side and therefore assume that you can place an image or photo on the plate. Flags are placed on the personalized plate to act as identifiers, while the EU symbol is compulsory for any vehicle that will be traveling across Europe. The DVLA allows you to have the Union Flag (UK), the Cross of St. George (ENG), the Cross of St. Andrew (SCO), the Red Dragon of Wales (WALES, CYM) and the Euro Flag (GB).
- I Can Add a Slogan at the Bottom of My Plate
If you get your number plates from the dealership, you may notice that they place their name at the bottom of the plate. You might, therefore, think that it is OK to add your own name or any other slogan to your personalized plate. But the DVLA doesn’t allow this. The only additional information that your Number plate can have include:
- The British standard number
- The name and trademark of the manufacturer or supplier
- The name and postcode of the supplying outlet
This information is on the number plate just so the supplier of the personalized plate can be held accountable if something goes wrong. The space for the name can be no more than 13mm in height and therefore not visible from a distance.
- My Personalized Plates Don’t Have to Use the Standard Sizes and Colors
This is only half true since many car models often require specifically cut and shaped, a good example is the curved Ferrari plates. But the DVLA has set guidelines in the size of the font, color of the font and the materials that can be used to make the plates. You can’t, for example, have a red number plate to match your Ferrari and you can’t have anything in the background of the number plate.
- I Can Change the Font on my Personalized Plates
This is the one thing that you can’t do. No matter what the format or the length of the personalized number plate, every character must meet DVLA specifications. There can be no variation in the font in terms of color, font style or size of the font.
