The reference · 10 guides
Plain-English answers on UK number plate law, written by a DVLA-registered supplier. No scare tactics, no vagueness — what the rules actually say, with sources.
Published by Numberplater Ltd, a DVLA-registered number plate supplier, RNPS No. 75456. Every guide shows the date it was last checked.
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Yes — 4D number plates are road-legal in the UK if they meet BS AU 145e. The definitive guide: what the DVLA rules actually say, what makes a 4D plate fail an MOT, and how to buy one that's genuinely legal.
3D gel number plates are legal in the UK when they meet BS AU 145e — raised characters are explicitly allowed. What the rules say, the MOT position, and what to check before you buy.
Every rule a road-legal UK number plate must meet: BS AU 145e, the mandatory font and character sizes, plate markings, flags and the green flash — and the penalties if a plate breaks them.
How UK registrations must be grouped and spaced — current, prefix and suffix formats — with the DVLA character sizes, why 'custom spacing' is illegal, and how our builder applies the legal spacing for you.
A 'show plate' is any plate that breaks the road rules — fonts, spacing, tints, badges. What show plates are actually for, the penalties for driving on one, and how to tell if a plate you're buying is genuinely road-legal.
UK law requires proof of entitlement and identity before a registered supplier can make your plate. The full accepted-document list — V5C, new-keeper slip, V750, V778 and more — and how the check works.
How to take a private registration off a vehicle, keep it on retention, and put it on another car — V317, the V750 and V778 certificates, fees, and when you'll need new physical plates made.
Asking for documents isn't red tape — it's the law for every DVLA-registered plate supplier, and it exists to stop plate cloning. What suppliers must check, what happens to your documents, and the red flag when a seller doesn't ask.
3D gel plates have domed, glossy raised characters; 4D plates use thicker laser-cut acrylic with crisp flat tops. Real photos of both, how each is made, legality, and which suits your car.
A practical guide to fitting undrilled number plates: adhesive pads vs screws, prep that makes pads actually hold, drilling without cracking acrylic, and the legal bits to keep visible.
Ready to order? The builder applies the legal font, character sizes and spacing for you, and we verify entitlement before we press a plate.
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