How to fit number plates (undrilled)

Our plates arrive undrilled, so you choose how to mount them: adhesive pads (no drilling, clean finish) or screws through your vehicle's existing mounting points. This guide walks through both methods step by step — including how to drill acrylic without cracking it — and the two legal points to get right: the plate must stay clearly readable and securely fitted.

Before you start: what's in the box

Every order arrives undrilled in protective packaging. Screws, fixing caps and mounting brackets are not included — undrilled plates let you use adhesive pads or your own fixings, matched to your vehicle rather than to holes we'd have to guess at. Adhesive fixing pads are included only if you select the fixing kit at checkout. The full contents list is on our what's in the box page.

One thing to decide up front: pads or screws. Pads keep the plate face untouched and need no tools; screws suit vehicles with existing threaded mounting points, and make later removal easier. Both are legal — the law cares about the result, not the method.

Method 1: adhesive pads

Clean and degrease both surfaces. The back of the plate and the vehicle's mounting area must be free of dirt, wax, polish and old adhesive residue. Adhesion failures are almost always preparation failures.
Fit in moderate ambient temperature. Very cold or very hot conditions affect how adhesive pads bond — a garage on a mild day beats a driveway in winter.
Position first, then press firmly. Check the plate is level and centred before the pads touch — repositioning weakens the bond. Once placed, press firmly and evenly across the whole plate.
Let the bond develop. Adhesive pads reach full strength over time, not instantly. Allow the bond to develop before driving at speed or washing the car, and follow the pad manufacturer's guidance on preparation and bonding times — it takes precedence over anything generic here.

Method 2: screws

Mark through the vehicle's existing mounting points. Hold the plate in position, check it's level, and mark the hole positions from behind through the vehicle's own fixing points. You're drilling the plate, never the car.
Drill slowly, with light pressure. Acrylic cracks when forced. Support the plate on a flat piece of scrap wood, use a sharp bit, run the drill slowly and let the bit do the work. Rushing this step is how corners split.
Don't overtighten. Screws should hold the plate firmly against the mount — tightening beyond that puts stress into the acrylic and can crack it around the hole, immediately or later.
Cap the screws in a matching colour. Use screw caps that match the area of the plate they sit on — white on the front plate's background, yellow on the rear — so the fixings blend in and never obscure a character or marking.

The legal bits

However you mount it, the plate must end up securely fitted and clearly readable, and your fixings must not obscure any character or the plate's markings — the supplier details and "BS AU 145e" mark are part of what makes the plate legal, not decoration. A plate that's incorrectly displayed can mean a fine of up to £1,000, and the vehicle will fail its MOT. The full requirements are in our number plate rules guide.

Fitting is at your own risk

Take your time, especially when drilling. Any fitting or drilling is done at your own risk, and damage caused by it — a cracked hole, a split edge — isn't a manufacturing fault, so it isn't covered by the 12-month manufacturing warranty. If a plate arrives faulty or not as ordered, that's a different matter entirely: tell us and we'll put it right.

Quick answers

Do your plates come pre-drilled?

No — every plate is supplied undrilled, so you can fit it with adhesive pads or match your vehicle's existing mounting points exactly. Screws, caps and brackets aren't included; adhesive fixing pads are included only if you add the fixing kit at checkout.

Adhesive pads or screws — which is better?

Neither is 'more legal' — the law only requires the plate to be securely fitted and clearly readable. Pads avoid drilling and leave the plate face untouched; screws suit vehicles that already have threaded mounting points. Pick whichever suits your car and your confidence with tools.

Will drilling the plate void my warranty?

Drilling doesn't void the warranty on manufacturing faults, but any damage caused by fitting or drilling — a cracked corner, a split hole — isn't a manufacturing fault and isn't covered by the 12-month warranty. Fitting is done at your own risk.

Can screw caps be any colour?

Use caps that match the area of the plate they sit on — typically white or yellow over the background — and position fixings so they never touch a character or the plate's markings. A fixing that obscures part of the registration makes the plate incorrectly displayed.

Need a plate that's actually legal?

Build yours in our configurator — legal font, sizes and spacing are applied automatically, and every order is entitlement-verified before you're charged. If a combination isn't road-legal, it won't let you build it.

Build your plate →

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Reviewed 2026-07-02 · Written by Numberplater Ltd, a DVLA-registered number plate supplier (RNPS No. 75456). This guide is general information, not legal advice — the rules summarised here are set out in full in DVLA guidance (leaflet INF104 and GOV.UK).