I got stopped tonight because the previous owner put a slogan on the plate saying ""No smoke no poke", I had already got my step-dad to make me some plain plates and had them in the boot ready to fit but when I showed the ****stable he said they are also illegal because it doesn't have the postcode/website of the person who made/sold the car/number plate... I had heard of this before but I was pretty ****ed off because it looks ugly as ****, I have the little stamp on the bottom right-hand side of the number plate so it passes MOT and stuff.

My step-dad said that's exactly what they put on new Mercedes but this guy and his colleague was adamant that it was illegal. I then started trying to be a clever **** and thought of Halfords, lots of people get number plates made from there but I've never seen Halfords at the bottom of the plate? I'm sure someone can find one but think of the amount of people who use Halfords for plates, you would see a lot more surely?

Can anyone find the exact regulation as I'm going over my car with a fine-tooth car, I'm then going to get a little folder going with all this written down for when I next get pulled over. If it's illegal then fair enough but on the way home I saw several plates like mine, I'm confident he's just being uber picky. The font, spacing and size was all perfect, it's simply because it didn't have an address on it.

Also, I'm getting some tints done on Wednesday and wondered what the legal limit are for those?

Since you asked

THE REGULATIONS

ADDENDUM

Easier to read PDF version

However I can't find reference to the address with a quick look through

Edited 4 November, 201015 yr by DRJ

Number plate regulations;

Number plates must now use one specific, mandatory typeface - a very simple sans serif typeface intended to make the numbers easy to read by both humans and automatic recognition systems, which are increasingly being used by the police and other agencies. All hard-to-read variants, such as multiple stroke and italic fonts, are now prohibited. The one decorative variation still permitted is a 3D effect version of the mandatory typeface.

The size and spacing of number plate characters is specified in the regulations, as follows:

Each character must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the number 1 or the letter I). The width of each character stroke must be 14mm. There must be a space of 11mm between characters within the same group, and character groups must be 33mm apart. For the purposes of measurement, each character (again, excepting the number 1 or the letter I), regardless of its shape, is treated as a rectangular block of dimensions 79mm x 50mm

Optionally, number plates may display one of the following national emblems: British Union Flag with “GB”, English Flag (St George Cross) with “ENG”, Scottish Flag (St Andrew Cross) with “SCO”, Welsh Flag (green dragon on green/white field) with “Wales” and “Cymru” or Euro Flag (circle of stars) with “GB”. If the Euro/GB configuration is displayed, then the bearer vehicle need not display a separate “GB” emblem when driving within the EU.

The colours and reflectivity of number plates are also specified in the regulations, and there is a British Standard (BS AU 145d) which describes the physical characteristics of number plates, including: visibility, strength and reflectivity. Front plates must have black characters on a white background, while rear plates must have black characters on a yellow background. The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: the British Standard Number, the name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier, the name and postcode of the supplying outlet. A non-reflective border is optional. There may be no other markings or material contained on the number plate.

You can tint your windows as much as you like EXCEPT the front windows and windscreen which must allow at least 75% of light to pass through ie. no more than 25% tint.

I paid £33 for my Halfords plates. Thieves.

That said they were made "properly" using individual letters.

Carefully measured and spaced by hand.

(In legal carbon effect finish by the way) I decided to treat myself

when I put my private plate on.

They do say Halfords and have that British standard marking

(Whatever it is... BSau something I think...)

It's just very subtle. Kind of embossed in the clear plastic of the plate

but in a kind of frosted effect.

My ex boss was a Special Constable and when he saw them he

said "Those plates are illegal they don't have the proper markings."

I invited him to take a much closer look and he had to admit he was wrong

If it's subtle but legal markings you're after then I'd say they are the ones to go for.

Edited 4 November, 201015 yr by grr666

Yep they're right about the plates. They need the BS mark and also the makers name along the bottom. I'm about to order some new one's for the new car as my current one's are illegal as they have Skoda comments along the bottom. The new ones will just say Demon Plates along the bottom which is who is making them.

I found this..... CLICKY

Not sure about the tints other than the rear windows can be as dark as you want but the B piller forward are restricted and you can't darken them much more than they are as standard.

Cheers

Dave.

Sorry - it's the British Standard - BS AU 145d - that required the address

Any photos grr666?

I'm just gunna keep the plates, I can't believe they they would even mention it FFS...

e.g. http://www.theplatemarket.com/display_of_registration_numbers.php states

The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: -

* The British Standard Number (currently BS AU 145d)

* The name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier. (The company who actually make the number plate.)

* The name and postcode of the supplying outlet. (The 'supplying outlet' is taken to mean a company whose business consists wholly or partly of selling number plates.)

* A non-reflective border and the Euro-symbol with the national identification letters are optional additions.

* There shall be no other markings or material contained on the number plate

I'd take issue with "The 'supplying outlet' is taken to mean a company whose business consists wholly or partly of selling number plates." though since car dealers routinely give their details not the plate suppliers...

My step-dad made these plates out of hours at his work though and gave me them for free, he used his own perspex and so on, I don't think he'd like to put Mercedes on the plate in all honesty...

my plates are spaced incorrectly, reads F4B VR, and have never been pulled. They are also pressed metal plates.

I asked a copper a few months back what his opinion on them was (e.g. would i get pulled, whats the fine, etc?)

His responce was, you wont get pulled up as it is too much paperwork. Plus the plate is reflective, and it can be easily read (it is legal text, just got the space in the wrong place.

I keep a set of legal pressed plates in the boot, and the details of the garage which supplied them, and the Bsau number are in a very light grey, so can be read if you look VERY carefully.

Have done nearly 10k miles with the plates on, driven all over the country, and on the continent. and no ones has had a problem yet.

Chris

I've got a stick-on plate on my other car - it's not been queried...

Any photos grr666?

Nothing to hand I'm afraid, you'll see them yourself on the 13th if you can wait that long.

And I'm sure a visit to any branch of Halfords and they'd let you take a look

at the blank plates. You can hardly see it on mine, but it's there

Actually I just realised at the bottom of my number plate it has this:

Now in Google this returns: http://www.bestplate.com

So surely that identifies who made/provided the number plate? That's what I'm gunna argue anyway...

It's not an address...

It's not an address...

The guy tonight said a website address is allowed and actually pointed to a car in the car park, he then said as long as we can identify and contact the provider it's fine, I know that's not what it says on the website but this copper was proper anal and even he was OK with that... Fingers crossed. :p

halford plates are great if you want legit standard spaced plates with no marking to be easly seen

on the halford plates the company logo / post code is the same colour as the background ie yellow on yellow and white on white.

this is why you dont see the logo and they look like from a distance they are unmarked.

I know a guy on here who has some transfer ones a la alfa style who ordered online from Scotland , no markings on them. Was pulled for having a vrs sunblind that came into wiper sweep .He had to remove there and then. Plate was ok!

You can tint your windows as much as you like EXCEPT the front windows and windscreen which must allow at least 75% of light to pass through ie. no more than 25% tint.

Not true.Tinting the fronts 25% doesnt mean they let 75% light through as most front windows are already tinted close to the legal limit as standard.My advice would be to leave the fronts well alone.

Cool legal plates = dubmeister pressed metal ones. Sadly Police have their own ideas about what is legal and have given some with the plates a lot of hassle.

My legal ones are from Dubmeister, and they do have the BS AU 145d on it, and the website! so as far as legality, the police can do nothing!

My legal ones are from Dubmeister, and they do have the BS AU 145d on it, and the website! so as far as legality, the police can do nothing!

Wait until an officer pulls you over and is insistent that they're illegal and does his "duty" like has happened for some other people....

http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=200275

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/361381/2456305.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/286368/1892591.aspx

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=10&t=612135

and many more similar posts on the net.

Sadly too many police officers are clueless self appointed SS officers with more powers than they should have, especially when they don't actually know the laws they are meant to be enforcing.

The plates are legal :yes: but the Police can fine you even though they are legal, just because they think otherwise :no: if you get pulled and the officer starts talking about the plates, the more you argue with him that they are legal, the more he'll be itching to give you a fine sadly.

Wait until an officer pulls you over and is insistent that they're illegal and does his "duty" like has happened for some other people....

http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=200275

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/361381/2456305.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/286368/1892591.aspx

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=10&t=612135

and many more similar posts on the net.

Sadly too many police officers are clueless self appointed SS officers with more powers than they should have, especially when they don't actually know the laws they are meant to be enforcing.

The plates are legal :yes: but the Police can fine you even though they are legal, just because they think otherwise :no: if you get pulled and the officer starts talking about the plates, the more you argue with him that they are legal, the more he'll be itching to give you a fine sadly.

To be fair, I'm one of these people that wont argue with the police! but isnt the fine a piece of paper that says you have so many days to pay or to appeal, and if you then appeal, and with the appeal sent a copy of the law. surely they could not do anything??????????

I've got a set from Demon Plates. They let you put your own slogan at the bottom, and put the makers details in very small letters in the bottom right instead (with their website URL, postcode and the BS number). They state that they're legal.

I've used Halfords for number plates in the past because their logo and postcode is very, very subtle. A police officer would have to have eyes like a bionic hawk to check the plates while you're driving, so unless you've got an illegal font or ilegal spacing you'll never get pulled over just to check your number plates. If you drive sensibly and don't draw attention to yourself you'll be fine.

Then again, if you're the type of person that tries to race every car you come across and brag about it on car forums perhaps it's not so suprising that you have attracted the attention of the police........

Then again, if you're the type of person that tries to race every car you come across and brag about it on car forums perhaps it's not so suprising that you have attracted the attention of the police........

Be interesting to see if I get pulled when I fit my apparently legal Dubmeister steel plates.