Is it legal to use a 13x7 Import Plate on a UK car if you use the UK font size?
 

Which is larger than normal import plate text?

mine plate is only 5 characters so i could do this. hate the look of the straight plates and i'm pretty sure it's legal to chop those down if you leave an 11mm margin..

surely this has got to be ok? the shape of the plate shouldnt matter should it? as the rover 75's have some funny shaped plate/recess.

anyone know for sure?

Eddy

as long as the font size, style and margin is left the actual plate size can conform around this as advise by my mate in the service ;)

ok thats cool, cheers, just been done for having normal import plates on my car, and he said im not allowed them as the font is smaller and with mine not being an import, i need to change them. never asked him the above question, so thought i'd clarify.

lol just thought i'd put it down on here, that even though i have 5 characters i dont think it can be done legally on an import plate. the margins to the left and right are not 11mm as they should be.

Total Width of registration in UK font is 50mm + 11mm + 50mm + 33mm + 50mm + 11mm + 50mm + 11mm + 50mm = 316mm in a 330mm plate..... meaning u'll be missing 4mm per side in margin..

i think you can get permission to have a smaller front plate as long as its an import (or so ive been told)

A 13" by 7" two line plate will fit a 7 digit legal font / full uk legal height letters, has 11mm above and below the letters and 70mm one side ( 21mm to edge off side border badge ) and 36mm the other side to edge off plate.

all legal markings - plate maker / postcode and BSAU mark

given the above spec would this be legal on a non import car ??

No it wouldn't be legal on a UK car, import car can use smaller plates due to the often small dimensions of the foreign plates and how/where they are fitted.

All cars sold in the UK from new have to be able to accept standard UK number plate sizes. :)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...ates/DG_181503

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...tes/DG_4022573

Also "import plates" can only be fitted to those cars that cannot display a standard number plate on the front/rear of the car (so scoobs can display a standard plate, even import ones, evo's for example cannot), then its only cars imported before 1999, so if your my95 wrx was imported in 2007 say, your stuffed as you have to have a standard UK/EU plate set, if it was imported in 1995 then your fine with import plates, though god knows why you would want to fit them when normal plates fit anyway :rolleyes:

Tony:)

Just stick what size you like as long as it has the correct border spacings and font size. No one will bother you. Both my vehicle have shortened 5 letter plates. I've shortened the length to give the correct edge spacing, they look much tidier than having 4 inch a clear plastic before and after the lettering. :)

I've had my plates made up exactly to these specifications. I've been stopped a few times, but I just show them a printout from the direct.gov website.


Size and spacing of characters: special cases14A.—
(1) This regulation applies in relation to any vehicle imported into the United Kingdom which—
(a)does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and
(b)is so constructed that the area available for the fixing of the registration plate precludes the display on the plate of a registration mark in conformity with the requirements of regulation 14.(2)
In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies—
(a)each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;
(b)the width of each character of the mark, other than the letter “I” and the figure “1”, must be 44 millimetres;
(c)the width of every part of the stroke forming a character in a mark must be 10 millimetres;
(d)the spacing between any two characters within a group must be 10 millimetres;
(e)the vertical spacing between groups of characters must be 5 millimetres;
(f)the width of a margin between the mark and the top and lateral sides of the registration plate must be not less than 5 millimetres;
(g)the space between the bottom of the mark and the bottom of the registration plate must be not less than 13 millimetres; but, within that space, the space between the bottom of the mark and the top of the name and postcode of the person by whom the plate was supplied must be not less than 5 millimetres.”(1)

Does having a non conforming plate get points these days or is it just advise/fine?

No points but a £30 fine I believe, plus if you are using a 'private' plate the Police can inform the DVLA (if you habitually abuse the situation) and they can remove the right to use the plate.

Basically what off the above would fall foul off the law on a uk car ??as pointed out there are no rules regarding the overall size off the plate and as far as I can see all legal measurments are within the above spec ie. full legal uk size font, legal markings ( maker, bsau + postcode ) 11 mm gap etc.