If you aren’t clued up on the recent changes to driving in the UK, or you have returned to the UK after spending time abroad, then you might not be familiar with the new legal requirements for number plates. With changes having been implemented on 1st January 2021 after the conclusion of the Brexit transition period, and additional changes coming into force from 1st September 2021, this year has included a whole host of driving law alterations.
So, before you get a personalised number plate, here are the key legal requirements for number plates in 2021 that you need to know.
How are number plates changing in 2021?
- EU flags
As the UK has officially left the European Union, a departure referred to colloquially as ‘Brexit’, there is no longer the option to pick an EU flag for your number plate. Instead, drivers have a choice between the Red Dragon of Wales, the Cross of St Andrew or Saltire, the Cross of St George, or the Union Jack.
The flag must sit above national identifying letters, such as GB, UK, England, Scotland, Wales, or Cymru, among other variations. Neither of these elements should be over 50mm wide, or sit on the margin of the number plate.
However, don’t worry if your car already has an EU flag. You don’t need to change it, but any new car or number plate that you purchase in the future should follow these new rules.
When you take your car abroad, you will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of the vehicle, unless your number plate already includes the UK identifier with the Union Jack. Otherwise, if your car number plate has a GB identifier with the Union flag, a Euro symbol, the English, Scottish or Welsh flag, or no flag and identifiers at all, a UK sticker will be needed.
- Electric cars
Drivers of electric vehicles can get a ‘green flash’ on their number plate. This allows automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify vehicles that have zero emissions, allowing drivers entry into cities that have clean air zones (like London, for example) without any charge.
This change has been brought in to encourage drivers to invest in electric vehicles, and also to encourage local authorities to take advantage of zero-emission incentives. Allowing cameras to better identify these vehicles should help to make these benefits more accessible and implementable.
However, don’t be tempted to order these number plates for a car that is not zero emission. Putting these plates on standard petrol and diesel vehicles is illegal, and the DVLA is clamping down on this issue.
- Vintage number plates
Although some people love the look of the iconic black and silver vintage number plates, these plates are no longer allowed on any car that was manufactured on or after 1st January 1980.
This means that only cars classed as ‘historic vehicles’ when it comes to road tax and MOT can use these plates, leaving them exclusively for classic cars and their collectors who wish to retain their ‘classic car’ look.
Make sure you’re well-informed on the legal requirements for number plates in 2021!
If your vehicle’s number plate does not follow the latest requirements, you could face fines of up to £1,000, and your car will fail its MOT. It is therefore very important that you display your registration correctly.
According to the UK Government, the number plates on your vehicle must comply with the following rules:
- The plate should be made from a reflective material
- The front plate should have black characters on a white background
- Back plates should have black characters on a yellow background
- There should not be a background pattern
- The plates must display the number plate supplier
- The plates should be marked with a British Standard number, which is ‘BS AU 145e’ in the case of plates fitted after 1st September 2021
- Characters must not be removable or reflective
- Characters must be a single shade of black on plates fitted after 1st September 2021
- Characters must be a certain height and size in accordance with guidance INF104
Your number plates can, however, have 3D (raised) characters, if you wish. The GOV.UK website has a handy downloadable guide to everything else you need to know about vehicle registration plates.
Now that you have read this handy guide to registration changes in the UK this year, you will be able to more easily get a new number plate that meets all the legal requirements – and here at Absolute Reg, we would be delighted to help you find the right one.
Leave a Reply