Author Archives: Rachel Morris

When Can A Number Plate Fail An MOT?

If your car is over three years old and less than 40 years of age, you’re required to take it for an annual MOT test to ensure it’s safe to drive on roads in the UK. Since 2018, the new guidelines for MOT tests state that vehicle number plates are the first part of a car that should be inspected.

The new rules include a clarification from the Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency (DVSA) that the term “inscription” now refers to the registration number only, and not the plate on which it is presented. It also separates vehicle issues into five categories – dangerous, minor, major, pass and advisory – and states that all major, minor and dangerous defects must be recorded.

Are non-standard number plates an MOT failure?

A customised number plate that no longer adheres to the requirements for registrations listed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) can result in a failure at MOT testing.

If the background of your plate features any kind of overprinting, this will be classed as a “Major Defect”, also known as MOT failure. For example, if your plate features a honeycomb or other effect and your car was first registered on or after September 1st 2001, this will result in a test failure.

If the alphanumeric characters on your plate, or the fixings that attach the plate to the car, have been altered, thus changing the legibility or appearance of your registration, this will be a cause of failure as well.

If you purchase your number plates from New Reg, you can avoid the unnecessary stress of wondering if they’re likely to fail your test. All plates we provide are road legal to use here in the UK.

Is a number plate light an MOT failure?

Broken lights that are supposed to illuminate number plates will fail at MOT and need to be replaced. Also, bear in mind that while number plates should always be appropriately lit to ensure they can be clearly read by other drivers, members of the public and officials, it’s not legal for registrations to feature lights for design.

If you’ve been driving across the UK, you may have come across motorists sporting blue lights on their plates. This is an illegal feature for vehicle number plates and can result in fines of up to £1,000 if spotted by the authorities. It can also result in your car failing its annual MOT test.

The reason for blue lights being illegal is that they are employed by emergency services here in the UK. The police, fire and rescue, and ambulances all employ blue lights that can flash on their vehicles. These are designed to facilitate their movement on congested roads so they can get to where they’re needed as quickly as possible. Other drivers seeing the lights will give way and allow them to move more easily on the road.

Will a cracked number plate fail an MOT?

MOT tests insist that your number plate must not be excessively damaged, obscured, delaminated or deteriorated. If the number plate on your car has suffered extensive damage in a collision or has become worn and difficult to read over time, you should replace it before your MOT test or it could result in a failure.

If you’re worried about the condition of your plates, why run the risk of them resulting in MOT failure? Number plates are not expensive to replace, and at New Reg, we’ll be happy to assist and help ensure your plates arrive on time for your annual test. A damaged number plate could be classed by those testing your vehicle as a “Major Defect”, which would result in MOT failure.

What to Do When Your Number Plates Are Stolen

You might be wondering why anyone would steal a number plate. While usually not the most expensive part of a car to replace, number plates can be useful to those looking to commit crimes and avoid being caught. From less serious offences such as speeding to more severe crimes including theft, number plates are stolen and then used on the vehicles involved. When the police identify a plate number on a CCTV system, it won’t be those who commit the crime they’ll be knocking on the door of, but you instead.

If you’ve had your number plates stolen, we’ll show you the essential steps to take – as well as how to avoid this unfortunate incident occurring again.

What to do when your number plates are stolen

If you discover that your number plates have been stolen, the first step you should take is to report the theft to the authorities. This isn’t simply for the purpose of the police finding your stolen registration but also to alert them to the fact that they may be being used in a crime. By reporting this, you can avoid any unnecessary embarrassment and questioning if your plates are involved in an incident. If your car number plate is used in illegal parking or speeding offences, it can also allow you to sidestep any unwanted fines

How to replace stolen number plates

If the authorities are unable to help, you may need to pick up some new number plates. At New Reg you can easily get a replacement set that will be in keeping with all the UK laws as well as being made to the relevant quality standards. We can ensure they’re shipped to your home for you to attach so you can avoid driving illegally to purchase them. It’s an offence to drive without a number plate here in the UK, even if your reg has been stolen.

To get plates made up for a specific registration, you’ll need to show documentation that you have the right to use these plates. The V5C registration document, sometimes called a logbook, is an ideal form of identification that shows you’re the registered owner of a plate. Forms of identification including proof of address (utility or council tax bill) and photo ID (passport or driver’s licence) may be required as well.

Can I drive if my number plates have been stolen?

There are no circumstances in which it’s acceptable to drive your car on UK roads without a number plate displaying the registration at both the front and rear. Regardless of whether your number plate has been stolen, to drive without a registration in place is a legal offence that could result in hefty fines of up to £1,000.

If your plates are removed, ensure you get a replacement set made up as soon as possible and don’t drive until they’ve been fitted.

Avoid having your number plates stolen

One of the cheapest and most effective ways to avoid your plates being taken is to think carefully about where you park your vehicle. Quiet alleyways and roads that don’t benefit from good lighting should never be used if you can avoid this. If possible, for overnight parking opt for somewhere indoors such as a garage. Parking near to the entranceway of buildings is another wise choice.

You can also make your plates more resistant to thieves with anti-theft screws as well as anti-theft plates. Anti-theft screws are very difficult for car thieves to undo and the anti-theft registration plates disintegrate into pieces when someone tries to remove them – ensuring they can’t be used for crimes.

What Makes a Number Plate Valuable?

For many years, if your number plate spelled out a name or resembled a well-known word, it was simply a matter of luck. Issued by the DVLA without any consideration for this, getting a plate now considered popular was a completely random coincidence.

Over time, dealers in second-hand number plates began to see trends in the kinds of plates people were buying and the amounts of money they were willing to part with to purchase them. Some plates were clearly viewed as being more valuable than others and dealers in plates began buying and selling them based on certain attributes.

While what makes a number plate valuable can depend on the purchaser’s perspective, there are some clear reasons why some registrations are more sought-after than others. Number plates may be bought and sold for significant amounts for a variety of reasons, sometimes, the number plate may be worth more than the value of the vehicle.

What’s the value of my number plate?

To get an idea of your number plate’s value, the first step is to consider the desired qualities in registrations and see if yours ticks any of these boxes.

Demand is the major factor affecting the price a plate may sell for. The more buyers are interested in your registration, the higher the amount you’ll receive for it. You may find you have many potential buyers competing to purchase your plate and this can drive up the selling price.

The age of a number plate can also be an important aspect of how valuable a plate is. The earliest number plates, sometimes referred to as dateless plates, are often highly desirable. Unlike the current registrations issued, as well as the prefix and suffix style plates that preceded them, these early plates include no age indicator. For car owners who wish to keep their vehicle’s age a secret, this can be a powerful selling point.

Shorter registrations are also highly prized. While mainly this is due to them being older number plates, there are other reasons as well why a plate with fewer characters might be considered more valuable. It’s legal to have the width of your number plate shortened providing it still possesses the appropriate margin around the characters. A smaller number of alphanumeric characters makes for a smaller plate, allowing more of the car that carries it to be seen.

Finally, if the characters on a number plate resemble a name, or popular phrase or word, this can also hike the value. The more closely it resembles the name or word, the more highly it’s likely to be valued.

How do I value my number plate?

The first step in selling a number plate is to make sure you get an accurate valuation of its worth.

Valuing a number plate on your own can take time, patience and in-depth research. A far faster and easier way to complete the process is getting expert assistance from a number plate specialist like New Reg. With our simple-to-use contact form, you can send us your registration along with some essential contact details and our team of experts will get to work. With a wealth of experience and knowledge from buying and selling number plates, we’re perfectly placed to make a plate valuation for you.

We’ll email you our assessment and let you know what your plate is worth, and if you agree, you can go ahead and sell via us. While we hope you’ll do this, you’re under absolutely no obligation to sell through us, so there really is nothing to lose by getting in touch.

What Is the Standard Size of a Motorcycle Number Plate?

While travelling on UK roads, you may have seen some variations when it comes to motorcycle number plates. From black and silver plates positioned across the front wheel, to some that use no plate at all at the bike’s front, not all motorcycles carry the same style of reg. Another element that varies is motorcycle number plate size.

You might have come across a motorbike with a very small plate at the rear – so small that both the authorities and other motorists would struggle to read it. On seeing such a plate, you might wonder if the rider is breaking UK law and question exactly what is the standard size of a motorcycle number plate? Read on for a wealth of information that will help you make certain you stay on the right side of the law.

In the UK, we have very specific rules that govern the size of these plates, so if you see a motorcycle with a tiny plate, the chances are the owner is in breach of the law.

What is the legal size of a motorcycle number plate?

The standard size of a plate is most commonly nine inches by seven inches in total. While there is no exact ruling on plate size, the letters it contains must always follow this sizing correctly. Since 2001, all the characters on motorcycle registrations have been required to be 64mm in height with a width of 44mm. The exceptions to this rule are the number 1 and the letter I.

There are also rules regarding how thick the letters are, along with the distance between letters. Both the stroke and the spacing must measure 10mm. The gap that separates the age identifier numerals and the randomly selected letters must measure 30mm and the distance between the two text lines at bottom and top are required to be 13mm. Lastly, 11mm of space must be left between the edge of a number plate and the characters it displays.

UK motorcycle number plate law

Motorbikes registered prior to September 1st 2001 are entitled to spread text on three lines if preferred, but displaying a registration on a single line is illegal. Motorcycles registered after or on September 1st 2001 can only display their number plates at the rear of the bike. Older models may display their registration at the front, but this is optional.

Characters and colours of legal motorcycle plates

As with car registrations in the UK, the two alphabetic characters on a plate refer to the region where a bike was originally registered. These are followed by an age indicator created by taking the last two digits of the year the bike was registered in, or by adding 50 to this number if it was issued in the second half of the period. The last three letters on a bike plate are random. Those buying a brand new bike can select these characters themselves and use them to reflect their brand of bike or even their own initials. To be within the law, the registration should be spread over two separate lines and be presented on a square number plate.

As with car registrations, these rear plates on bikes must be presented in black characters on a yellow plate crafted from reflective material.

To ensure your motorcycle number plate meets the conditions set out in law, it’s worth purchasing through an experienced dealer like New Reg. We’ll ensure your motorcycle number plate matches all relevant criteria, helping you to avoid paying fines or failing your annual MOT test. Fines can be as high as £1,000, so it’s well worth making sure your plate is legal.