The rules and regulations of personalised number plates

When it comes to making a statement with your motor, a great place to start is with a personalised number plate. It usually includes something that means something to you, such as a memorable date, your initials, a nickname, or even a reference to your business. 

As the main way to identify your vehicle, there are, of course, some rules and regulations about how these personalised plates need to be displayed… 

What rules do you have to follow with a personalised plate? 

First of all, once you’ve picked your perfect plate, you’ll need to wait for the DVLA to send you a certificate of entitlement (V750), which allows you to then use it on your vehicle. Don’t forget to inform your insurer too, as failure to do so could invalidate your insurance! 

In the interests of consistency, all number plates have to follow some formatting rules to ensure they’re easily read on the roads, and this extends to personalised number plates too. 

 The DVLA states that all number plates must: 

…be made from a reflective material

…display black characters on a white background on the front plate

…display black characters on a yellow background on the rear plate

…not have a background pattern

…not make your car seem younger than it is

There are also some size and spacing regulations you need to be aware of: 

• Characters must be 79mm tall, and the space between characters must be 11mm
• Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be 50mm wide
• The character stroke (the thickness of the black print) must be 14mm 
• The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm

Can you personalise a number plate any further? 

Whilst there are a lot of rules around putting your own stamp on your vehicle’s registration plate, there are a few other things you can do to make it unique, including… 

…adding a border, providing that it’s not reflective, and doesn’t interfere with the characters of the number plate. It can’t be considered to be distracting to other drivers either! 

…using 3D or 4D text, to really make it stand out. 

…displaying any of the following flags: Union Jack, Cross of St George, Cross of St Andrew, Red Dragon of Wales.

Incorrectly displaying a number plate could land you with a fine of up to £1000, so it’s worth being extra aware of the rules when you get yourself a private plate.