Private plate character spacing

carpmaster · 7 Aug 2006 at 23:42

Thinking of buying a private plate.

The spacing of it is XX XXX

So lets just say it is M4 RKY for arguments sake

Now, I really want to display it as M4RKY and leave out the space.

Whilst I am aware this should not cause a problem for number plate recognition, neither will it use any stupid fonts or anything else, I am also aware that technically this is illegal.

Can we have some input from people as to their experiences with this. I don't want to hear what you "think" the law might be, or to see text copied and pasted about £1000 fines. I just want to know what the reality is like out on the street with a plate like the above.

Muncher · 7 Aug 2006 at 23:46

In all likelihood you won't be pulled.

If you do, you may get a £30 fine.

Pulled again another £30 fine and a warning the DVLA may take the plate off you.

Get caught again you'd probably lose the plate.

NickXX · 7 Aug 2006 at 23:49

You see it about loads, but guess it's hard to tell how long the car's been wearing the plates.

It won't get through an MOT. A neighbour had a funny spaced plate - normal font which was in the illegal spacing for a couple of years. It's now reverted to legal spacing, and has lost its meaning.

I would be worried about a clamp down on these sorts of plates (due to the increase in plate recognition cameras now being used for various things) which could result in an expensive plate being worth sod all.

Muncher · 7 Aug 2006 at 23:51

NickXX said:
You see it about loads, but guess it's hard to tell how long the car's been wearing the plates.

It won't get through an MOT. A neighbour had a funny spaced plate - normal font which was in the illegal spacing for a couple of years. It's now reverted to legal spacing, and has lost its meaning.

I would be worried about a clamp down on these sorts of plates (due to the increase in plate recognition cameras now being used for various things) which could result in an expensive plate being worth sod all.

I have never had a problem at MOT time at all.

johnny6 · 8 Aug 2006 at 00:49

Like you said you can get pulled for it, but I've found as long as you don't take the micky and try and make your plate read differently police leave you alone. My girlfriend has a private plate which has the wrong style font and is incorrectly spaced, but it is still readable, and she's not been pulled once about it. I've been pulled whilst driving her car twice and the police haven't even commented on the plate.

Pinter75 · 8 Aug 2006 at 01:23

The law states:

Post- January 1973

Number Plate characters can be either 89mm by 64mm or 79mm by 57mm gaps between characters must be 13mm for the taller characters and 11mm for the shorter. The gap between the two "parts" of the number plate must be 38mm ( 89mm tall characters) and 33mm for the shorter ones. No definitive font is given but styled characters ( for example italics) are forbidden. Note these regulations govern number plates FITTED after Jan 1973 but before September 2001, they do not relate to the year of the car.

Post September 2001

Characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide with a stroke of 14mm.Inter-character gap is 11mm and the space between the two parts of the registration number is 33mm. The only font allowed is based on the "Charles Wright" font.

It has never been legal to use screws etc to alter the appearance of the characters on the plate and the only other option when buying them is the EU emblem with a national flag e.g. Saltire.

carpmaster · 8 Aug 2006 at 09:03

Thanks for the replies. I'm still unsure as to what do do really. I'm thinking that because the change is simply the removal of a space, and the plate would still read perfectly without confusion, then there might not be a problem at all.

Then part of me says that it's simply not worth paying a large sum of money if I had to display the plate with a gap.

Von Luck · 8 Aug 2006 at 09:07

carpmaster said:
I just want to know what the reality is like out on the street with a plate like the above.

The reality is that 90% of people who see the plate will think you're a plonker.

theboyrob · 8 Aug 2006 at 09:07

Just leave it normal spacing

People can still read it as its supposed to be read.

Trifid · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:09

From my sister "we never bother with pulling people over for illegal numberplates, along with exhausts that are too loud as we have better things to do." She then stated the 2 warnings and 3rd its off. You can't guarentee though that a police officer will not be *****y about it and pull you over.

It is also ironic that the better things to do is that she has to take statements for every crime report even if it is pointless now. :rolleyes:

[TW]Fox · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:16

Trifid said:
From my sister "we never bother with pulling people over for illegal numberplates, along with exhausts that are too loud as we have better things to do."

Is your sister a regular officer or a dedicated traffic officer?

Trifid · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:27

Just a regular. (They will not let her do the blue run training.) :mad:

[TW]Fox · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:29

Trifid said:
Just a regular. (They will not let her do the blue run training.)

So, hardly suprising she would ignore minor motoring offences, they have other priorities.

Traffic police, however..

Samtheman1k · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:42

Great. So we can all drive around with illegal number plates and deafening exhausts!!! I sometimes wonder what I pay my council tax for...

Trifid · 8 Aug 2006 at 10:45

In residential areas if traffic cops are more strict. I can't imagine them wasting their time just for a plate or a zaust, but adding into onto something else I can.

Avalon · 8 Aug 2006 at 12:43

Plate on my bike should be 2 lines with 3 letters per line but (3,3) I have it as 4,2. Been stopped twice but nothing major.

Last time was a classic, filled up with petrol before heading over to the hill, spotted 2 bike cop's and 3 traffic cars and made a point of standing between them and the plate till they were in the shop, handed (read almost threw) my tenner over to the guy behind the counter, turned round and headed for the door, past two traffic blokes and the bike cop and hoped for the best, I made it outside the door and half way to the bike only to be called back... I got let off because he liked the sound of the zorsts as they weren't overly loud (Renegade twin pipes not overly loud ?!?!) and those little letters under it were very hard to read and he hoped id change them (and I have) as next time he's put his glasses on and have a proper look. He also understood that my legal size/spacing/font plate was only in an attempt to make simple for him to remember.

With this in mind I drove over to Westgate road to find the only spaces were between 3 more bike cop's outside M&S. Expecting the worst I parked up, all I got was 3 nod's closely followed by them all grinning like idiots as the loudest vmax I've ever heard with a tiny plate went past....

From the example plate you mention I'd probably stick with legal spacing in the same way as if I was putting my plate on a car it'd be 3,3.

Cyanide · 8 Aug 2006 at 14:17

First thing my dad told me when I passed by bike test was "Don't give them any excuse". I suppose it all does down to what you drive/ride, if you're young and it's something sporty they love to pull you for the smallest thing just to give you a good check over...

MNuTz · 8 Aug 2006 at 14:22

I thought it was a £1000 fine for having a misleading plate but something silly like £60 if you had no plate at all.

The plate im buying for my G60 is G6 OSF, which will become G60 SF.

The car and my initials. However, i will carry 2 plates with the real number on incase i ever get stopped. I can just say they are show plates and im very sorry for forgetting to replace them

Hopefully that will work!

Edinho · 8 Aug 2006 at 14:33

Cyanide said:
First thing my dad told me when I passed by bike test was "Don't give them any excuse". I suppose it all does down to what you drive/ride, if you're young and it's something sporty they love to pull you for the smallest thing just to give you a good check over...

Whats wrong with that? Been pulled over many times in the very early morning, asking where I was going. I dont mind at all. Should be doing it more imo.

As for the incorrect spacing and convenient location of the plate screws. You are breaking the law, and it looks crap.

MNuTz said:
I thought it was a £1000 fine for having a misleading plate but something silly like £60 if you had no plate at all.

The plate im buying for my G60 is G6 OSF, which will become G60 SF.

The car and my initials. However, i will carry 2 plates with the real number on incase i ever get stopped. I can just say they are show plates and im very sorry for forgetting to replace them

Hopefully that will work!

Yeah im sure they will fall for that. The O is not a zero. I tell you what why dont i get my number plate and rearrange them into a decent anagram after all the letter and numbers are the same. :mad: