New Regulations on personal plates to be introduced 2026

[mega ade]

On 04/04/2026 at 13:26, DannyTGS said:

yes, here lies my problem, as ill be mounting mine above my vent on my nose cone so more horizontal than vertical, I suppose I could always snap one in half and fit it vertically under my nose cone and claim i didn't know it was broken lol

I stuck mine below the duct

[DannyTGS]

29 minutes ago, mega ade said:

I stuck mine below the duct

ive a duct and vent, i think above my vent will look best however below the duct is closer to the front, will see what looks best once it arrives

[Captain Colonial]

On 04/04/2026 at 10:45, DannyTGS said:

they are legal on our cars with the markings, stick on plates are legal for cars designed not to have a front plate, Westfields fall into that category as theres is no actual mounting point, but yeah i want legal size, font, reflective and BS code thingy

 

Not unless your Westfield was registered before 1st January 1973, they aren't.

 

On 04/04/2026 at 12:42, DannyTGS said:

I think I saw it on a TikTok when a traffic officer often posts about modifications and law's etc, google does suggest its only pre 73 cars, so maybe im wrong

 

Good luck using that as evidence in court.  "Your Honour, my evidence is from a TikTok account purported to be that of a traffic officer."

 

On 04/04/2026 at 12:54, DannyTGS said:

I have only skim read this, but nowhere does it mention stick on not being legal, so long as its fixed, reflective and BS numbers

 

The reflectivity has to be to a very high measured standard and the BS number has to be affixed by the supplier, which none of them will do now.  

 

Here's an example of a very naughty online plate supplier's wording:

 

Stick On Number Plates | Pro Plates

 

“These plates are 520mm x 111mm ( standard sized number plates ) and Road legal DVLA BSAU certified, this means we use the very best class A reflective.”

 

Very naughty and misleading wording to say the least.  By their own admission, they’re only referring to the reflective quality and plate size, not the finished plate itself with numbers.  Once you add the numbers, they can happily and legally wash their hands of you.  Note that it doesn’t say which BSAU code.  The first one was BSAU 145a issued in 1972, very different to the current BSAU 146e.  If you used this as a defense, you’d almost certainly lose.
 

Just because it’s reflective and uses the right size and font, that does not make it road legal on anything registered after 1st January 1973 .  If there’s no manufacturers name and postcode on it, it’s not a legal number plate.  That’s why they often get manufactured in Ireland, hiding behind a redirected UK phone number, so they can skirt the law on that point.  The ones manufactured in the UK are all required to have the manufacturer’s name and postcode displayed on them.  I have looked high and low for years and never found a UK-based manufacturer of fully road legal stick-on number plates.

 

It’s absolutely your car and your right to take a chance with a stick on number plate if you so wish.  It’s also the police’s right to apply either the spirit of the law (not legal but readable and reflective = let it slide) or the letter of the law (not legal = warning or ticket).  Only you can decide for yourself if you are happy to risk it.  If you draw attention to yourself in some way and get pulled over by speeding or driving like a b***, then decide to get a bit snippy about it, it’s just possible the officer in question will slowly put his magnifying glass over it and add that to your ticket if they so desire.

 

Personally, I like how they look and hope none of you using them ever get a ticket.   I'm running hard plates without a BS number, but they were manufactured two decades ago, so hopefully that's okay.  Not being Lieutenant Buzzkill here, but you deserve to know the above.  My advice is not to use stick-on plates on anything registered after 1st January 1973, but the list of people who have not taken advice from me over the years is long and distinguished.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

...And there absolutely have been first hand accounts - mainly Caterham owners from the posts I've read over the years, of Police actively targeting the number pate issue on Seven style cars. So while really rare,  it does happen. You pay your money and make your choice! Including accepting with grace, the outcomes of those choices!

 

And as Scott said, don't forget, if for any reason, the Police feel they have an issue with you, or your manner of driving, they absolutely can use it as an excuse to stop you and fish for further possible offenses. Or sometimes just to give you a bollocking!

 

I'll never forget, many, many years ago, arriving slightly late to a Cheshire & N. Staffs Area meet at the Whipping Stocks, (well before I was AO), to find a Police 4x4 slowly scouting around the car park, and those Westfields already there. Before they blocked the exit, climbed out, and gave a stern warning, (but no tickets, this time), to all those whose front number plates had "fallen off" or had otherwise troublesome plates. They left having made a few notes, with the usual "we'll be keeping an eye out for you" line.

 

So no, I'm afraid we're not invisible to the Police, they just usually choose to ignore us.

[Captain Colonial]

I'll add one further one - a member once attached his front number plate from the top by drilling holes and using zip ties loosely, so that when his car was in motion, the wind pushed the number plate flat under the nose.  Not only did the police not buy his "temporary fix" excuse, because the plate was drilled through the top and not the middle, they threatened him with possible prosecution for deliberately concealing his number plate.

 

It's a case of "welcome to the consequences of your actions"...

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Ah yes, flippy plates!

 

Many years ago, there  was a Cheshire biker, who decided it would be a great idea to fit his rear number plate on a springloaded panel the spring holding it in the normal position. He then had some kind of pull cord attached, so, when passing cameras etc, he could pull it and fold the plate up out of site.

 

Cheshire Police had quite an album of him apparently. Then one day, an ex copper I know happened to see the photos and burst out laughing. Being a biker himself, he recognised the leathers/helmet design etc and knew who it was.

 

ANd thus our care free biker rocked up home one day, only to find said office waiting for him on his drive. A quick check of the bike confirmed the device was still there. The charge he faced for the device was far more serious, and cost him far more than the the fines for the speeding would have done, even totalled up. (It's a long time ago now, so I can't remember, I want to say they got him on a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, but memory is hazy on that one.)

 

Said Police officer, not well known amongst his colleagues for his athleticism in chasing down miscreants, (desk jockey), dined out on that arrest for years. 

[Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO]

On 04/04/2026 at 09:13, DannyTGS said:

Anyway while on plate topic, anyone know who does stick on plates? Google doesn't give a straight answer lol 

I got mine from a local car parts place complete with self adhesive letters. No markings and for "off road use only". 

 

Photo from @Ross the Scottish exile.