Making illegal number plates lands company in hot water
Not everyone is familiar with the laws for the display of number plates. These rules are the same regardless of whether you have a private number plate or just a standard one.
The law requires manufacturers of number plates to be registered with the DVLA, and to comply with their rules. The Company concerned, No1 Showplates Ltd, were found to be breaking the rules as they were not registered with the DVLA, and were apparently also producing number plates with distorted letters and or spaced contrary to the rules.
Many of their customers would not have been aware that they were buying number plates that are not road legal. Which leaves them exposed to the risk of being stopped by the police and facing a fixed penalty.
The Company was fined £10,000's, and well over half million pounds was confiscated.
Customers need to be aware that they are buying number plates which are not legal. And we've raised the issue of the sale of number plates which are claimed to be road legal before. We've seen number plates advertised on various auction and number plate websites, making this claim.
But many customers also ask us at The Plate Market to deliberately mis-space or distort letters, knowing it's not legal. Requests we have to politely decline of course. But there are companies out there who are supplying them anyway. Clearly.
