Number plates banned by DVLA as drivers face £1,000 fine for mistakes

Many people opt for a custom license plate to complement their new pride and joy. Many will represent the person’s name, while others may be humorous.

However, there are various rules about what you can and cannot have. A warning from Swansway Motor Group explains that drivers face fines of up to £1,000 for having offensive or incorrectly formatted number plates.

A spokesman for the motoring experts said: “When drivers choose plates close to the line of what is considered acceptable, they risk the plate being banned and all the unnecessary hassle and cost that comes with it. The DVLA has already banned a total of 334 numbers. tiles before the release of the 24 tiles on Friday 1st March.

“From infantile registrations such as F24 RTS and **24 RSE, to those with a more political stance, for example anything related to the war in Ukraine with registration numbers such as NO24 RUS, WA24 RUS, WA24 UKR and FK24 RUS. We. I advise you to choose wisely and stay informed about the latest DVLA updates to avoid any potential problems.

“Their list of prohibited number plates includes combinations that may be offensive, accidentally form inappropriate words or are in bad taste. The rules regarding the creation and display of license plates exist for a reason. Beyond the obvious legal compliance, they ensure that authorities and other drivers can easily identify all vehicles.

“Misrepresentation or misunderstanding of these rules can lead to significant fines of up to £1,000 and even failure of the vehicle’s MOT test. Many drivers may not realize the immediate implications of displaying a prohibited or incorrectly formed number plate, but it’s important to be aware to avoid any fines or MOT failures.

“Making sure your registration number is displayed correctly can help you avoid a fine. It also stops your vehicle failing its MOT before anyone even looks under the hood.”

What is allowed on license plates

• Be made of a reflective material

• Display black characters on a white background (faceplate)

• Display black characters on a yellow background (back plate)

• No background pattern

• Be marked to show who provided the license plate

• Be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021

• Characters must not be removable or reflective and, if fitted after 1 September 2021, must be a single shade of black

Number plate customizations that are permitted

• Have 3D (embossed) characters.

• Display flags, symbols or identifiers

• Flags may include the Union Jack, St George’s Cross, St Andrew’s Cross and the Red Dragon of Wales

• Identifiers may include: United Kingdom/United Kingdom, GB/Great Britain, CYM/Cymru, ENG/England, SCO/Scotland and Wales

• Show a green flash if you have a zero emission vehicle

Those looking to transfer a personalized plate to a new leased vehicle will be pleased to know that this is possible, it does involve a bit of paperwork as you will need to submit a retention document and certificate of title depending on your situation.