NO YOU CANT. The police will be cracking down on all illegal number plates more than they did previously. Basically if your plate does not conform to the below, you may be up for a £30 fine.
Oh and with the new MOT System, you can fail, as my friends dad has a 1974 MG with black plates, but the law changed in 73.
NUMBER PLATES FITTED AFTER 1 SEPTEMBER 2001
Number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown below.
Characters
Height 79mm
Width (except the figure 1 or letter l) 50mm
Stroke 14mm
Space between characters 11mm
Space between groups 33mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum) 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm
The character width has been slightly reduced from 57mm to 50mm to accommodate the Euro-symbol on the number plate.
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NUMBER PLATES FITTED BEFORE 1 SEPTEMBER 2001
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown in one of the two groups below
Characters Group 1 Group 2
Height 89mm 79mm
Width (except the figure 1or letter l) 64mm 57mm
Stroke 16mm 14mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between groups 38mm 33mm
Side margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Space between vertical lines 19mm 19mm
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TRADITIONAL NUMBER PLATES
Vehicles constructed before 1.1.73 may display traditional style "black and white" plates i.e. white, silver or grey characters on a black plate.
Lettering must be of a set size. It must conform to one of the two groups below.
Characters Group 1 Group 2
Height 89mm 79mm
Width (except the number 1) 64mm 57mm
Stroke 16mm 14mm
Side margin 25mm 11mm
Top & bottom margin 13mm 11mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between groups 38mm 33mm
There are additional arrangements if the vehicle is a motorcycle or tricycle
Traditional number plates fitted to vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1973 are not required to display the mandatory character font, but the characters must be easy to read.
Common Questions and Answers
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Display of Vehicle Registration Marks on Imported Vehicles
(which have a restricted space for a standard sized number plate)
Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display number plates with smaller characters if:
The vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval
AND
The vehicle's construction/design cannot accomodate standard size number plates
Specifications for smaller sized plates (for certain imported vehicles)
Character Height
64mm
Character Width
44mm
Character Stroke
10mm
Space between characters
10mm
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MOTORCYCLES AND TRICYCLES
All motorcycles and tricycles must display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle.
Motorcycles and tricycles registered before 1.9.2001 can display a number plate at the front of the vehicle but are not required to.
If you have a two or three wheeled motor cycle or tricycle that has a body type of a four-wheeled vehicle, you MUST display a number plate at the front and back of the vehicle.
The characters may be smaller e.g.
Character Height
64mm
Character Width
44mm
Character Stroke
10mm
Space between characters
10mm
Space between groups
30mm
Top, side & bottom margin
11mm
Space between vertical lines 13mm
Motorcycles registered on or after 1 September 2001 must display a two-line number plate number plate. Motorcycles registered prior to the 1 September 2001 may display a three-line plate, but one-line plates are illegal, irrespective of the date of registration of the motorcycle.
Common Questions and Answers
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MANDATORY CHARACTER FONT
From 1 September 2001 all new number plates must display the new mandatory font. Combined with the new format registration mark, number plates will become clearer and easier to remember.
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 need not be changed provided the character font used is substantially the same as the one shown above.
Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with:
Stylised letters and/or figures such as italics
Number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters and/or numbers
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THE EURO PLATE
Since 1st September 2001 there has been an optional provision for the display of a Euro-plate for vehicles registered in the UK. The Euro-plate is a number plate that incorporates the symbol of the European Union (a circle of 12 stars on a blue background) with the national identification letters of the member states below. This symbol is located on the far left-hand side of the number plate.
Vehicles displaying this symbol no longer have to use the traditional oval shaped national identifier (GB) sticker when travelling within the European Union. All vehicles registered in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have, by international convention, the distinguishing sign GB.
The Government announced on 28 December 2001 the intention to permit the display of national flags and national identifiers on vehicle number plates. The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 are in the process of being amended. They will provide for the voluntary display of the Union flag, Scottish Saltire, Cross of St George and Red Dragon.
Football team crests etc are not allowed.
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THE LAW
The law states that,
You must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers
Characters must not be moved from one group to the other (e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC).
Offences may result in any or all of the following:
A fine of up to £1,000
The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN
The vehicle may FAIL the MOT test
Full details of the requirements are included in The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001
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THE BRITISH STANDARD
The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics on the number plate. This includes:
Visibility
Strength
Reflectivity
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.
