Smaller Number Plates.

Sorry to bump a 1-2 month old post. At JDM Plates we do the smallest legal sizes for motorcycles subject to your reg number. Feel free to have a read of an article of ours!

https://www.jdmplates.co.uk/smallest-motorcycle-number-plates/

Any questions, feel free to ask!

Cheers,
Carl.

 

No need to apologize, many thanks to you for helping us to stay within the law with our monster plates that the majority of us hate.
Question: Are there any changes to plates in the foreseeable future that you are aware of that will affect us ?

 

I think has been largely misunderstood.

Currently, if you displayed no plate at all it was a fixed penalty only and no points - true. However, if you had a plate fitted that was illegible even down to dirt that was/is a fixed penalty and points. 31/12/21 EDIT; The above is slightly wrong, currently no points for any registration offences, just different levels of fine.

What I believe this legislation is designed to do it stop people deliberately displaying a false (no) number or deliberately making it illegible. There are also more and more plates and films that deliberately successfully defeat ANPR and these are typically used by organised crime gangs etc and other persistent criminals as well as people who are trying to avoid being caught by speed camera vans etc. It also can waste considerable police time trying to trace a vehicle that cannot be read by ANPR only to find that it's nothing to do with criminals, just some tool who wants to avoid getting caught for speeding. That wasted time is paid for by you and I, the tax payers.

The following link is likely to be more accurate than a toilet paper tabloid trying to shift copies before their format fully dies; https://www.car.co.uk/media/blogs/number-plates/what-is-the-law-on-number-plates

Regardless, this new legislation is likely to only effect number plate construction for vehicles from Jan 2021.

ANPR can read any plate that is correct and clear, small plates do not affect this. ANPR can read pretty poor plates but obviously not if it has been deliberately designed to defeat ANPR. ANPR cannot determine the actual size of the plate and so enforcement will be officers conducting vehicle stops. But that isn't what this new legislation is about anyway.

Regardless, police have discretion and should use it where appropriate. If your plate is clear and not ridiculously small, tinted, italics, mounted in front of the back wheel, etc, etc you're unlikely to have an issue.

If you are stopped, your attitude would do well to bear in mind the sole purpose of registration plates are for police identification. Don't lie about it, say you changed to look better and thought it was still clear enough and offer to change it. NB; You can't do this with a tiny plate that is incorrectly spaced, bolt altering a letter, tinted, italics...

If your plate isn't taking the mickey, front line police are unlikely to even realise it is small, a lot of them have very little in the way of policing (and life) experience and they are too busy trying to cover all the called in work. I cannot describe just how disinterest most officers are in this...again...unless you're taking the mickey.

Traffic officers on the other hand are normally very experienced officers and know traffic law back to front. However, again, if you plate isn't taking the mickey and is clear you shouldn't have a problem. However, as others have said, if you are doing something else wrong and you start giving attitude, don't be surprised if enforcement is not chosen over discretion. The small number plate could be the icing on the cake, it definitely isn't the cake alone.

This has nothing to do with police being "scared" of real criminals. In the main this sort of thing is dealt with by traffic police and their sole function is to deal with traffic related matters. The exception to this is normally a very young in service front line officer who is a wannabe traffic officer.

Police don't like guessing or being in the wrong, if your plate is good enough for them to question that it might be okay, you're unlikely to get pulled. Most officers who do know won't bother as long as they can read it easily and it's not taking the mickey by means of tint italics etc.

All my bike plates are undersize but not ridiculously and are very legible and don't have some sort of "Fast as F*ck" slogan on the bottom. I've been pulled for speeding and because I keep forgetting to tax it and have not had an issue at all with the plate. Again, my attitude accepted that I was in the wrong and willing to listen to words of advice.

In summary, nothing has changed for people not deliberately trying to avoid being identified.

 

This is a comment I posted on a different forum but will paste it here too:-

--------------

Hi all,

I thought I would get us registered as we had a little traffic coming from this site and thought I'd try and help a few members out.

Alot of bikers tend to mount the 7x5 and 8x6 plates on the rear of the bike as they look significantly better than the ugly 9x7 plates that come as standard; which is totally understandable. However, the smallest legal size completely depends on the number of digits you have in your registration number.

If you have a 6 digit plate for instance, with a format of 3 on each row, you will have a large amount of excess yellow reflective either side of the reg; this isn't needed. Regulations state that only 11mm margin is needed between the edge of the letter and edge of the plate (top and sides). However, a 13mm margin is required at the bottom of the plate to host the legal information and a 13mm gap between the 2 rows.

So long as the character sizes are of the legal limit and the margins, spaces and legal information is compliant on the plate, then essentially your fine, you could have any size and shape in theory so long as it doesn't not go below the smallest legal size.

The new BSau 145E standard coming out soon which is going to be mandatory from September 2021 is where the big upset is within the industry which could affect a significant number of businesses; not just the number plate businesses.

The DVLA state that letters must now be only 1 shade of black which means no 3d printed text; only solid black is allowed.

The DVLA are also stating that there is no evidence to show that 3D/4D plates meet legislative requirements but don't explicitly state they're not legal. (However, I've heard news that BSI have passed some 3d and 4d plates which meet the new BSau 145e standard )

The EU symbol will soon be removed.

Vehicles older than 1st January 1980 can now have black and silver plates.

I'm sure in the coming months we will all be more aware of what the changes are but for now, small plates are fully road legal so long as you meet legislative requirements!

Any questions feel free to ask. I may not be very active on the forums however, but we do have a contact-us section on the website!

Kind regards,
Carl.

----------------------

 

Hi carl,
Thanks for the info and i've ordered a plate (and pic of proof of ownership too you) and it's been dispatched very quickly.
Thanks for the prompt service!

 

Just to clarify, there is no legislation (legal requirements) regarding the size of a number plate, since 2001 the characters on your number plate must be 64mm tall and 44mm wide, except the number 1 or letter I, there is no official ruling on how big the plate itself needs to be, as long as it contains letters of the correct size, the standard plate size however is 229x178mm this equates to 9"x7".

The thickness (stroke) of the letters must be 10mm and the space between letters must be 10mm. The gap between the age identifying numbers and the random letters must be 30mm, the distance separating the two lines of text on the top and bottom must be 30mm, the distance separating the two lines of text on the top and bottom must be 13mm, and lastly there must be 11mm between the lettering and the edge o f the plate.

Companies that sell number plates have to be registered, the person supplying the plate or plates are required to enter their company details on the bottom of the plate e.g. Euro Car Parts Limited. Show plates or those described as "not for road use" often let you put characters on the bottom, that is illegal, the same goes for the sides other than those recognised legally e.g. Wales, England Scotland etc, you will need a GB sticker on after the 01/01/2021 if Driving or riding abroad. You will also have to supply proof of ownership and identity, documents are easily scanned and altered by those who are unscrupulous, hence the requirement for identification, e.g. Photo Driving Licence.

 

I think this is a bit too small.

 

sorry but you have got that wrong it doesn't matter what state you're plate is in dirty. wrong font. wrong size it's only a fixed penalty there are no points

 

I've had plates from JDM, great service and excellent plates, I bought the gel flavour. They look amazing, just about to order one for my S1000XR.

 

There will be soon, it is in the pipeline 2nd reading on 22/1/21. Which will give all those twats who think its cool to remove their front plate from their fancy car something to think about.

 

Reminds me of a bike I saw in Swindon years ago; a Yamaha TZR reverse cylinder, which had a one line plate, about 5 inches long and 1 inch high with the registration in tiny italic print.

I was only just able to work it out when I was so close in traffic that my front wheel was alongside their rear wheel.

Funny that I can remember this as clear as day from what must be 20-25 years ago but can't be sure what I had for breakfast

 

Depends how close you get

 

I apologise, you are quite correct. I was told the points for a obscured plate by a recently retired traffic inspector about a year ago while green laning. I should have checked it, but you'd think I shouldn't need to. I have checked directly with a serving traffic officer today who says there are currently no points of any registration offences but different fines - mis-represented like small or font is £100, no or dirty plate is £50.