Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we're asked most often about buying number plates from Legal & Show Plates: what's legal, what documents you need, how the plate styles compare, and what happens after you order. If you can't find what you're looking for here, email us and we'll answer it directly.
Legality and the Rules
Q: Are 3D number plates legal in the UK?
Yes. Raised gel and laser cut characters are permitted under BS AU 145e, provided every visible face is a single, solid shade of black, built in the correct Charles Wright font and to the correct spacing. A rumour that circulated around 2020 to 2021, claiming 3D and 4D plates were being banned outright, was never true.
Q: Are 4D number plates legal in the UK?
Yes, on exactly the same basis as 3D. Raised, laser cut characters are permitted provided the colour, font, spacing and supplier markings all meet BS AU 145e. Coloured, tinted or oddly spaced 4D plates fall outside that standard and are sold as show plates only, for off road display.
Q: What is BS AU 145e?
BS AU 145e is the British Standard that has applied to every number plate fitted to a UK vehicle since 1 September 2021, replacing the older BS AU 145d. It sets out the reflectivity, character colour, weathering and UV resistance a plate has to meet, along with the format of the supplier marking printed on it.
Q: What is the actual legal size and spacing for number plate characters?
For a standard car registered from 1 January 1973 onwards: characters 79mm tall, 50mm wide (narrower for the number 1 and the letter I), a 14mm stroke width, 11mm between characters, 33mm between the two character groups, and 11mm margins around the edge of the plate. These are fixed measurements set out in law, not a style guideline.
Q: What font has to be used on a legal number plate?
The Charles Wright typeface, mandatory since September 2001. Italic, outlined, shaded or otherwise decorative letterforms aren't permitted on a road going plate, whatever finish or material the plate itself is made from.
Q: Can a number plate cause an MOT failure?
Yes, and it happens more often than most drivers expect. DVSA figures show well over a million MOT tests fail every year because of the number plate alone, and the single biggest cause is testers simply being unable to read it clearly, whether that's from fading, dirt, damage or poor spacing. A smaller but still significant number fail for the wrong font, incorrect spacing, or a non-standard background such as a tint or pattern.
Q: Are show plates illegal?
No, not to own or display. Show plates are legal to own, and legal to use off the public road: at shows, on private land, or for photography. The offence is fitting a show plate to a vehicle that's actually being driven on the public road, not owning or displaying the plate itself.
Q: Can I rearrange the spacing on my registration to spell something?
No. The spacing figures are fixed in law. Closing up or widening a gap to change how a registration reads, sometimes called gap fraud, is illegal, can fail an MOT outright, and in serious or repeated cases can lead to the DVLA withdrawing the registration altogether.
Q: Are tinted or smoked number plates legal?
No. Anything that reduces legibility or changes the true colour of the plate's background, including tinted covers, smoked overlays or coloured films, isn't permitted on the road.
Q: Are black and silver number plates legal?
Only on eligible older vehicles registered in the historic vehicle tax class, which are allowed to display the older black background with white or silver characters. Every other vehicle needs the standard white front and yellow rear reflective plates. Because the exact qualifying date is a legal detail worth getting precisely right, see our note on this in the delivery summary below before this figure is republished.
Ordering and Documents
Q: Why do you ask for documents at all?
It's standard practice across the industry, and it exists to make it harder for stolen or cloned plates to be produced. Our checkout itself doesn't ask you to upload anything: email your documents to docs@legalshowplates.com after ordering and we'll take it from there. It's a five minute job that protects you as much as it protects anyone else on the road.
Q: Can I order plates for someone else, or as a gift?
Yes for show plates, no problem at all. For road legal plates, the documents need to come from the actual registered keeper, so you'd need their paperwork with their permission, which is common for birthday or Christmas gifts. Email the documents to docs@legalshowplates.com the same way, with a note that it's a gift order, and we'll handle the rest.
Q: Can I see what my plate will look like before I order it?
Yes. Our online plate builder gives you a live, accurate preview as you design, character by character and font by font, so what you see on screen is a genuinely close representation of the finished plate. It's built to be precise rather than a rough mock-up, which is why most customers are happy to order straight from the preview alone.
Q: Can I change or cancel my order after I have placed it?
Email us the moment you notice a mistake, ideally before manufacture has started. Once a plate has been made we can't cancel it, since it's been produced specifically to your registration and can't be resold to anyone else.
Q: How do I pay, and is it secure?
Yes, checkout is fully secure. We accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, secure debit and credit card payments, and PayPal, all processed through an encrypted checkout. We never see or store your card details on our own systems at any point.
Q: Do you deliver outside mainland UK?
Plates are made to UK legal standards for UK registered vehicles. If you're ordering from the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands or elsewhere outside mainland UK, email us first and we'll confirm what we can do.
Choosing a Plate Style
All of our letter styles, standard, 3D gel, 4D, 5D and Black Diamond, are fully road legal when built in our standard configuration. The only exception is a plate deliberately ordered in show spacing for display purposes only, which is kept clearly separate from our road legal range.
Q: What is the difference between 3D gel and 4D plates?
3D gel is a resin dome over a printed character, typically 1 to 2mm proud of the plate. 4D is a laser cut acrylic letter with a gel dome on top, typically 3mm or more proud, with a stronger shadow line. Both are road legal when built in our standard configuration, using the correct Charles Wright font and spacing.
Q: What is a 5D plate?
5D takes the 4D construction and adds a second gel layer, for the deepest and glossiest finish we make. It's a smaller, niche choice for people who've already seen 4D and want to go further still.
Q: What is a Black Diamond plate?
Our newest finish, using a faceted, diamond cut style on solid black acrylic characters, giving a sparkling, cut glass appearance that catches light from multiple angles. It's road legal in the standard configuration, built to the same font and spacing rules as every other plate we make. See our Black Diamond plates page for more details.
Q: Which plate style suits my car best?
As a rough guide: subtle and factory-like suits 3D gel, bold and eye-catching suits 4D or 5D. Dark cars usually benefit from the shadow lines a raised character throws, while light cars often show 4D more clearly from a distance than 3D.
Q: Can I get a road legal plate and a show plate in the same order?
Yes. If you want to run road legal plates day to day and a separate show plate for events, you can order both. They're configured, priced and labelled separately in the builder, so there's no confusion between the two at checkout.
Delivery, Returns and Problems
Q: How fast is delivery?
We offer two delivery options at checkout. Express, sent via Royal Mail Tracked24, is usually with you the next working day, though we'd suggest allowing 1 to 2 working days to be safe. Economy usually takes 3 to 5 working days. Choose whichever suits your timeline at checkout. For full details, see our delivery and returns page.
Q: What if my plates arrive damaged?
Photograph the damage and email us straight away. We'll get a replacement made and sent out on our express 1 to 2 day service, so you're not left waiting.
Q: Can I return plates if I simply change my mind?
No, because plates are made specifically to your registration and can't be resold to anyone else. If anything is faulty, damaged or wrong, we'll always replace it, sent out on our express 1 to 2 day service at no extra cost to you.
Q: What happens if delivery is delayed by Royal Mail over Christmas or during a strike?
Postal delays outside our control do happen, particularly in December. If your order is running late, email us and we'll check the tracking and give you an honest update rather than a guess.
Q: My plate arrived slightly curved or warped, is that normal?
A small amount of flex is normal in acrylic plates and usually flattens out once fitted securely. If a plate is visibly bowed or won't sit flat after fitting, email us a photo and we'll look into it, since that's not how a plate should leave the workshop.
Q: Can I track my order?
Yes. Choose Express at checkout and you'll receive a tracking link by email as soon as your order is dispatched.
Fitting and Looking After Your Plates
Q: How do I fit my new plates?
Sticky pads or screws, depending on your car and your preference. Clean the surface first, make sure it's completely dry, and follow our fitting guide for step by step photos. Never drill directly through a character.
Q: Why did my sticky pads not hold?
Almost always down to a dusty, cold or slightly greasy surface at the time of fitting. Clean the plinth properly, fit somewhere reasonably warm if you can, and use the full set of pads supplied, especially on heavier 4D or 5D plates.
Q: How do I clean gel and 4D plates without damaging them?
Warm water, car shampoo and a soft cloth. Keep pressure washers at least a metre back from the characters, and avoid solvent based or abrasive cleaners on the raised finish specifically.
Q: Will my new plates affect my MOT or insurance?
A road legal plate made to BS AU 145e passes the MOT plate checks. It's legally just a number plate rather than a modification, so most insurers don't need to be told, though policy wording varies, so a quick check with your insurer costs nothing if you want certainty.
Q: What should I do with my old plates?
Cut through the registration characters before you dispose of them. Intact old plates are one of the easiest ways for cloned plates to end up on another vehicle, and two minutes with a pair of snips closes that off.
Q: Do you sell fitting kits?
Yes, sticky pad and screw fitting kits can be added at checkout alongside your plates.
Private and Cherished Registrations
If you're putting a private or cherished registration onto physical plates for the first time, here's what you'll need before you order.
Q: What documents do I need to put a private registration onto physical plates?
Your V750 Certificate of Entitlement if the registration has never been used on a vehicle before, or your V778 Retention Document if you're bringing it out of retention, plus your V5C for the vehicle it's going on. Email copies to docs@legalshowplates.com and we'll take it from there.
Q: What is an eV948, and do I need one?
The eV948 is a temporary DVLA authorisation certificate emailed to you once a private plate transfer or assignment has gone through online. It lets you have physical plates made immediately, without waiting for the updated V5C logbook to arrive in the post.
Q: How long does a private plate transfer take before I can order plates?
An online assignment using an existing V750 or V778 is often processed within a few working days, after which you'll receive the eV948 and can order plates straight away. A full vehicle to vehicle transfer without either document can take longer, so check your DVLA confirmation for the exact status before ordering.
Q: Can I put my private registration on physical plates the same day I buy it?
Once the DVLA has confirmed the assignment and issued the eV948 or updated V5C, yes, you can order plates immediately. That's exactly what the eV948 exists to allow.
Q: Do private and cherished registrations follow the same font and spacing rules as standard plates?
Yes. A private registration still has to be displayed in the correct Charles Wright font, at the correct size and spacing, with no rearranging of characters to spell words, exactly the same as a standard age related registration.
