DVLA Private Number Plate Guidelines
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DVLA Private Number Plate Guidelines

DVLA Number Plate Guidelines

There are numerous DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) guidelines that need to be followed when you’re buying vehicle registrations, and Private Number plates know, understand and adhere to the DVLA guidelines.

Every single vehicle registration should be correctly displayed on the number plate and you can find yourself in breach of the law if you rearrange your registration combination, making it more difficult to read or identify.

Registration numbers must be always be correctly displayed you are not allowed to alter the ordering of your registration combination. 

DVLA Number Plates - Understanding the Regulations

While personalised registration plates can be meaningful, humorous and distinctive, it’s important to know that the ultimate purpose of a vehicle registration is to be able to identify vehicles. The age identifier will change every six months, this is once in March and then once again in September. The current format was introduced in September 2001, and it contains two letters, then two numbers (the age identifier), followed by a space and random letters.

When you replace your registration plate, you must ensure that the correct material has been used. A reg plate is commonly made of reflective acrylic, and as you may have noticed; front vehicle registrations require black numbers and lettering on a white background while rear number plates must include black numbers and lettering on a yellow background.

There is often a certain amount of confusion when it comes to lettering, but you are legally allowed to include 3D lettering on your plate, providing it meets the relevant requirements, and you can be assured that ours do.

Every DVLA number plate should contain the following:

  • character height - 79 mm
  • character width - 50 mm (apart from the number 1 or the letter I)
  • character stroke - 14 mm
  • space between characters - 11 mm
  • space between groups - 33 mm
  • top, bottom and side margins - minimum of 11 mm
  • space between vertical lines - 19 mm

Motorbikes and tricycle registrations differ slightly, while there only needs to be a plate on the rear of the vehicle (if it is registered from 1 September 2001 onwards).

A motorbike reg must be a 'two-line' number plat containing the following:

  • character height - 64 mm
  • character width - 44 mm (apart from the number 1 or the letter I)
  • character stroke - 10 mm
  • space between characters - 10 mm
  • space between groups - 30 mm
  • top, bottom and side margins - 11 mm (minimum)
  • vertical space between groups - 13 mm

Tricycles that are built from motorcycles must meet the DVLA requirements for motorbikes, while tricycles from four-wheeled vehicles must meet the same requirements as all other vehicles.

Personalised registrations for motorists in England, Scotland and Wales have the option to display the Union Flag, the Cross of St George, the Cross of St Andrew or the Red Dragon of Wales with identifiers, such as ‘Great Britain’, ‘UK’, ‘SCOTLAND’, ‘Sco’ and ‘Wales’ among many others.

This information must then be displayed on the left hand side of the plate whilst no other symbols or emblems are prohibited.

Personalised DVLA Registrations with a Reliable Supplier

Private Number Plates always remain up to date with the latest DVLA requirements and regulations and our team will never supply a plate or a set of plates that do not meet the fundamental requirements. Our team are well-informed of the legal requirements and we will be more than happy to talk you through the regulations if you have any queries so please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team today.