Frequently Asked Questions

Legality and the rules

1. Are 3D number plates legal in the UK? 
Yes. The DVLA has confirmed that raised gel and laser cut characters are permitted under BS AU 145e, provided they are a single solid shade of black on every visible face, in the correct Charles Wright font and correct spacing. A 2020 to 2021 rumour claiming 3D and 4D plates were being banned was false.

2. Are 4D number plates legal in the UK?
Yes, on the same basis as 3D. Raised laser cut characters are permitted, provided the colour, font, spacing and markings meet BS AU 145e. Coloured, tinted or oddly spaced 4D plates are not road legal and are sold as show plates only.

3. What is BS AU 145e?
The British Standard that has applied to every UK number plate fitted since 1 September 2021, replacing the older BS AU 145d. It sets requirements for reflectivity, character colour, weathering and UV resistance, and the format of the supplier marking printed on the plate.

4. 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 1 and I), 14mm stroke width, 11mm space between characters, 33mm space between the two character groups, and 11mm margins around the plate. These figures are fixed measurements, not guidelines.

5. What font has to be used on a legal number plate?
The Charles Wright typeface, mandated since September 2001. No italic, outlined, shaded or decorative fonts are permitted on a road plate, regardless of finish.

6. Can a number plate cause an MOT failure? 
Yes, and it happens often. DVSA figures show over 1.4 million MOT tests failed due to number plate issues in a recent year, with the largest single cause, more than 389,000 failures, being testers simply being unable to read the plate due to fading, dirt, damage or poor spacing. A further tens of thousands failed for wrong font, incorrect spacing or non-standard backgrounds like tints or patterns.

7. Are show plates illegal?
Show plates are legal to own and to use off the public road, at shows, on private land, for photography or display. Fitting a show plate to a vehicle actually being driven on a public road is the offence, not owning or displaying the plate itself.

8. 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 the registration reads, sometimes called gap fraud, is illegal, can fail an MOT, and in repeated or serious cases can lead to the DVLA withdrawing the registration.

9. Are tinted or smoked number plates legal?
No. Anything that reduces legibility or alters the true colour of the background, including tinted covers, smoked overlays or coloured films, is not permitted on the road.

10. Are black and silver number plates legal?
Only on vehicles built before 1 January 1973, which are entitled to use the older black background with white or silver characters. Every other vehicle needs the standard white front and yellow rear reflective plates.

Ordering and documents

1. What documents do I need to buy road legal plates? 
Proof of identity, such as a photocard driving licence or a recent utility bill, and proof of entitlement to the registration, typically your V5C logbook or a new keeper supplement (V5C/2). This does not apply to show plates for off road use, which need no documents.

2. Why do you ask for documents at all? 
It is standard practice across the industry, and it exists to make it harder for stolen or cloned plates to be produced. It takes a few minutes at checkout and protects you as much as anyone else.

3. 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 would need their paperwork with their permission, which is common for birthday or Christmas gifts.

4. Can I see what my plate will look like before I order it?
Yes, the online builder shows a live preview as you design. For anything unusual, email us and we can send a proof before manufacture.

5. 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 cannot cancel it, since it has been produced specifically to your registration and cannot be resold to anyone else.

6. How do I pay, and is it secure?
Card and PayPal payments are both accepted through a secure checkout. No payment details are stored on our own systems.

7. Do you deliver outside mainland UK?
Plates are made to UK legal standards for UK registered vehicles. If you are ordering from the Isle of Man, Channel Islands or elsewhere, email us first and we will confirm what we can do.

Choosing a plate style

1. 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 can be road legal.

2. 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 is a smaller niche choice for people who have already seen 4D and want to go further.

3. 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 can be made road legal in the standard configuration.

4. 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, light cars often show 4D more clearly from a distance than 3D.

5. Can I get a road legal 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 are configured, priced and labelled separately in the builder.

6. Do you make plates for imported or unusual sized vehicles?
We make a range of standard sizes. If your vehicle has a restricted recess or is an import that cannot take a standard plate, email us with the registration and the space available and we will confirm whether a legal build is possible.

7. Can I add a badge or flag to a road legal plate? 
Only specific permitted identifiers: the UK badge with the union flag, and national flags of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland with the correct national letters. Novelty badges and club crests are show plate options only.

Delivery, returns and problems

1. How fast is delivery?
Most orders arrive within 1 to 3 working days through Royal Mail, with a tracked next day option available at checkout.

2. What if my plates arrive damaged?
Photograph the damage and email us straight away. We will get a replacement made and sent out quickly, usually within a day of hearing from you.

3. Can I return plates if I simply change my mind?
No, because plates are made specifically to your registration and cannot be resold. If anything is faulty, damaged or wrong, we will always replace or refund it.

4. 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 can check the tracking and give you an honest update rather than a guess.

5. My plate arrived slightly curved or warped, is that normal?
A small amount of flex is normal in acrylic plates and usually flattens once fitted securely. If a plate is visibly bowed or will not sit flat after fitting, email us with a photo and we will look into it, since that is not how a plate should leave the workshop.

6. Can I track my order?
Yes, if you chose tracked delivery at checkout you will receive a tracking link by email once your order has been dispatched.

Fitting and looking after your plates

1. How do I fit my new plates?
Sticky pads or screws, depending on your car and preference. Clean the surface first, make sure it is dry, and follow our fitting guide for step by step photos. Never drill directly through a character.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Will my new plates affect my MOT or insurance?
A road legal plate made to BS AU 145e passes the MOT plate checks. It is legally just a number plate rather than a modification, so most insurers do not need to be told, though policy wording varies, so a quick check costs nothing if you want certainty.

5. What should I do with my old plates?
Cut through the registration characters before disposal. 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.

6. Do you sell fitting kits? 
Yes, sticky pad and screw fitting kits can be added at checkout alongside your plates.

Private and cherished registrations

1. 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 are bringing it out of retention, plus your V5C for the vehicle it is going on.

2. 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.

3. 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 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.

4. 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, since that is exactly what the eV948 exists to allow.

5. 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.