DVLA Rules for Displaying Number Plates

1. General legal requirements

In the UK, vehicle registration plates must comply with specific rules set by the DVLA. It is illegal to rearrange, alter or style characters to make a registration look like a different number or word.

• Plates must be made from reflective material.
• No background patterns are allowed on the main character area.
• Front plates must have a white background; rear plates must have a yellow background.
• Characters must be displayed in the correct order – you must not alter spacing or layout.
• The registration must be easily readable at a distance by law enforcement and ANPR systems.

2. Character font, size and spacing

All characters on a legal UK number plate must follow the standard typeface (commonly known as the "Charles Wright" font) and comply with fixed sizes and spacing.

• Characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide (except the number 1 or letter I).
• The stroke (thickness) of each character must be 14mm.
• The space between characters in the same group must be 11mm.
• The space between the two groups (e.g. AB12 and CDE) must be 33mm.
• The margin at the top, bottom and sides of the plate should be at least 11mm.

Note: These measurements apply to standard car plates. Motorcycle and some imported vehicles may have slightly different size rules.

3. Flags, identifiers and symbols

Certain flags and national identifiers are permitted on UK plates, but only in specific formats.

• Permitted flags include: Union Flag, Cross of St George, Cross of St Andrew, Red Dragon of Wales.
• Permitted identifiers include: GB, UK, ENG, SCO, CYM, or W.
• Flags and identifiers must appear on the left-hand side, on a vertical band.
• No other logos, emblems, backgrounds or images are allowed in the character area.

4. Illegal spacing and styling

Even if your registration number itself is valid, the way it is displayed can make the plate illegal.

• You must not change spacing to make names or words.
• You must not use non-standard fonts or stylised characters.
• You must not add screws, bolts or stickers to alter the appearance of characters.
• Shadowed, 3D-effect or coloured fonts that reduce legibility may be illegal.
• Background images or patterns behind the characters are not allowed.

5. Plate supplier details

Legal number plates must include the details of the supplier and the relevant British Standard mark.

• The plate should show the name and postcode of the supplier.
• The plate must show the correct British Standard (e.g. BS AU 145e) in a small mark.
• These marks are usually printed at the bottom centre or bottom corner of the plate.

6. Penalties for illegal plates

Driving with an illegal number plate can lead to enforcement action.

• You can be fined if your plates are not legal or are difficult to read.
• The registration number can be withdrawn if it is persistently displayed incorrectly.
• Vehicles may fail an MOT test if plates do not meet the required standard.

7. Retention and transfers

Many cherished registrations are kept on retention documents before being assigned to a vehicle.

• V750 – Certificate of Entitlement (for unassigned numbers purchased from DVLA).
• V778 – Retention Document (for numbers taken off a vehicle and held on retention).
• You must follow DVLA procedures when assigning or transferring a registration to a vehicle.