Number plates

[MrBen5]

Hi all, i am think ing of buying some number plates off e-bay. The ones where you can get the little pic to the side and a background pic too.
Are these legal?
The reg number is the same and the font would be the same too.
cheers

[Ethel]

Unless the seller is licensed by the DoT to sell number plates they are selling illegally.

If they are the ones I have seen with the 'plate generator' in the listing, these are not legal and are sold as 'showplates'.

Any legal seller of number plates will need your proof of id and proof of entitlement to that registration number. I don't think I would be happy giving that information to an eBay seller - although I don't know why!

Regarding background pictures - these are certainly illegal.
The front must be plain white, the rear plain yellow.

The only emblems allowed on number plates are the Union Flag, the national flags of England, Scotland or Wales, or the EU stars GB flag.

[MrBen5]

thanks a lot Ethel. i see you in a few posts on here actually, your a very clever and knowledgeable person...

[Ethel]

I know where to look for information, hopefully. I find many of the questions very interesting. But thank you!

[chadwin62]

i have had those sort of number plates on my car for the last 3 years and had no problems with the police over them. just don't go to over the top with them you should be ok.

[almcd007]

I ordered some online for a friend who had a conversation with a Traffic Policeman friend of hers. He said he wouldn't bother pulling her over - as long as the numbers/letters are legible and not forced to look like another number/letter and it was indeed on a plane background. He wasn't bothered about a picture as long as it wasn't offensive.

Keep your old plates and then if you get a producer you can always swap them back.

[Ethel]

With the recent crack downs it is going to get harder - and you must remember to swap them for the MOT.

[Grunty]

The authorities have announced several times that the law on number plates will be enforced strictly. This is to make them all readable by number recognition cameras and speed cameras.