Replacement Road Legal and Show Plates for Alfa Romeo Number Plates
We make Alfa Romeo number plates, road legal or show, in one size: 520mm x 111mm, front and rear, from £25 to £64 a pair. This page is for owners replacing a plate that has cracked, faded or gone missing. It covers the offset front plate so many Alfas carry, which Alfa can wear a green flash, and when a classic is old enough for black and silver. Our general replacement number plates page covers other makes.
Why is the number plate on the side of an Alfa Romeo?
Because of the grille. The triangular Alfa grille, called the Scudetto, sits low in the middle of the bumper. A plate in the centre would get in the way of the air the engine needs for cooling, so Alfa moved the plate to one side. The first regular Alfa built that way was the Giulietta Spider of 1955. It became normal with the 156 in 1997, and the 147, 159, Brera, GT, MiTo, Giulietta, 4C, Giulia and Stelvio all carry the front plate off centre.
For you, that means a tape measure matters more than usual. Wherever your plate sits, the gov.uk rules for number plates set out how it must look and be fixed. Read them, and ask your MOT tester if you are unsure.
Alfa Romeo number plates model by model, from the 156 to the Junior
The years below are launch or build years, so check the date on your own car. Recess sizes and rear plate positions differ from car to car, so measure yours rather than reading it off a table.
| Model (years) | Best finish from our seven | Why it suits this car | Who it is wrong for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Elettrica (late 2024 on) | 3D Gel or 4D 3mm | A new compact SUV with a central front plate, so the plate is seen head on. Modern, not loud. | Anyone who wants a deep, loud plate on a calm modern car. |
| Junior Ibrida (late 2024 on) | 3D Gel or 4D 3mm | Same body as the Elettrica, so the same choices work. | An owner expecting a green flash. A mild hybrid does not qualify. |
| Tonale (2022 on) | 4D 5mm | A premium compact SUV on daily miles. A clear shadow without turning it into a show car. | Hybrid owners hoping for a green flash. |
| Giulia (2016 on) | 5D Gel or Black Diamond | A rear-wheel-drive saloon with a sporting reputation. The deepest finishes match it, especially on dark paint. | Anyone wanting the plain factory look. |
| Stelvio (from late 2016) | 4D 5mm or 4D Gel 3mm | A five-door SUV used every day, so a strong finish that still cleans with a soft cloth. | An owner wanting the least cleaning effort. |
| Giulietta (2010 to 2020) | 3D Gel | An older hatchback, now a daily driver. A subtle step up from Standard for £13 more a pair. | Show-car builders wanting maximum depth. |
| MiTo (2008 to about 2019) | 4D 3mm | A small three-door where a neat raised plate looks right and a heavy one looks too much. | Anyone with a tight surround. |
| 4C (2013 to 2020) | Black Diamond or Standard | A two-door sports car people look at closely. Cut characters catch the light, or keep it plain. | Anyone wanting a deep plate who has not measured. |
| 159, 147, GT (2000 to 2011) | Standard or 3D Gel | Older cars, often daily drivers. Sensible money for their age. | Anyone about to spend £64 on 5D Gel for the school run. |
| Brera and Spider (2005 to 2010) | 4D 3mm or Black Diamond | A coupe and a roadster bought for looks and fine days. | Weekly pressure washers. |
| 156 and 166 (1996 to 2007) | Standard | The 156 made the offset plate normal, and a plain plate suits its shape. | Anyone wanting a very deep finish in an old holder. |
| 105/115 Spider (1966 to 1993), Giulia Sprint GT (1963 to 1965) | Standard | Original-style cars where the factory look is the point. | Anyone assuming every old Alfa can show black and silver. |
What a 7-character Alfa Romeo registration takes up on a 520mm plate
Take a registration such as AB12 CDE: seven characters. Under BS AU 145e (the British standard for road plates) each character is 79mm high and 50mm wide, except a 1 or an I. Gaps between characters are 11mm, the gap after the age identifier (the two numbers) is 33mm, and the margins at each end are 11mm.
The sums: seven characters at 50mm is 350mm. Five 11mm gaps is 55mm. One 33mm gap is 33mm. Two 11mm margins is 22mm. That is 460mm, which leaves 60mm of the 520mm spare. A 1 or an I frees up a little more. In road legal mode our builder sets the spacing for you.
How much more do raised Alfa Romeo number plates cost than Standard?
Less than most people expect. Standard is £25 a pair and 3D Gel is £38, a £13 step. 4D 5mm is £50, another £12. 5D Gel is £64, another £14. Black Diamond is £60 a pair at the introductory price, usually £75. So the jump from Standard to 5D Gel is £39 a pair. On a 20-year-old daily car, that buys deeper, glossier letters and nothing else.
Four Alfa Romeo owners and the number plates they need
These are scenarios, not customer stories. We made them up to show how the choices play out.
Scenario one: Giulietta or MiTo number plates after a cracked offset mount
The front plate on your Giulietta has cracked where it fixes to the bumper. First find what broke. If the holder has cracked, a new plate has nothing solid to sit on, so sort that first. We make the plate, not the bracket.
Keep the old plate, even in pieces, and measure it and the space it sat in. In the builder, set the rear to 0 if only the front has gone. A single 3D Gel is £20 and a single Standard is £15, both under the £30 line for free delivery. A pair of 3D gel plates is £38: £18 more than the single, with free delivery and a matching rear. If the mount has failed once, use screws.
Scenario two: Junior Elettrica number plates and the green flash
You have just collected a Junior Elettrica and want the green flash, the small green strip on the side of the plate. The gov.uk rules allow it only on zero-emission vehicles. In the Alfa range that is one family: the Junior Elettrica, including the Elettrica Veloce, because it is a pure battery car.
In our builder the plain green flash is one of the free badge choices in road legal mode, next to GB with EU stars, UK, ENG, CYM and SCO. Any local benefit varies by council, so do not assume a saving.
Scenario three: Giulia or Stelvio number plates for a premium look
Dark paint shows raised finishes more clearly, because the letters throw a shadow. White or silver paint tends to look cleaner with a flatter finish. So a dark Giulia suits 5D Gel (£64 a pair) for the deepest, glossiest look, or 4D 5mm number plates at £50 as the middle step. A white Stelvio looks tidy in 3D Gel at £38. Whichever you pick, and whatever the trim, measure the recess depth and surround first.
Scenario four: number plates for a pre-1980 Alfa Romeo Spider
You are restoring a 105 series Spider and wonder about black and silver. Black and silver plates may only be displayed on vehicles built before 1 January 1980. The 105/115 Spider was made from 1966 to 1993 in four series, so some were built before that date and some after. The Giulia Sprint GT coupe of 1963 to 1965 is before it.
Go by the build date of your own car, not the series name. Our guide to black and silver plates law explains the rest, including the historic tax class. The road plates we make are white at the front and yellow at the rear, and standard plates at £25 a pair keep the factory look a classic wants.
Alfa Romeo badge number plates are for show only
Our show plate builder has 7 Alfa Romeo badges: the maker logo, with the model name underneath on the model badges. Show plates are for display only: a wall, a garage, a car show or photos. They are never for public roads.
Show mode gives you your own spacing, 41 badge categories, borders and bottom text. Road legal mode allows one side badge and a border.
Are Alfa Romeo number plates road legal? BS AU 145e explained
Our road legal plates are made to the DVLA's published rules (BS AU 145e), and we check ID and entitlement documents before we make one. The standard has been mandatory since 1 September 2021. It asks for black characters on a reflective white front plate and on a reflective yellow rear plate, in the legal font with no italics, with the supplier's name and postcode.
A plate that breaks those rules can fail an MOT, and gov.uk says a fine of up to £1,000 is possible. See the gov.uk guide to displaying number plates. A show plate is never a legal replacement, however good the Alfa badge looks.
Fitting Alfa Romeo number plates: measure first, then screws
We do not offer a fitting service, so here is the how-to. Measure the recess and surround before you order. Screws are the more reliable fix, and they matter most on a front plate that sits off centre and takes the weather. Sticky pads work best on a smooth, flat panel in normal weather, so use them only if your fixing area is like that. You can add a fitting kit to the order. Our fitting guide goes through it step by step.
Ordering Alfa Romeo number plates in our number plate maker
Open the number plate maker, type your registration (up to 10 characters, letters, numbers and spaces), and choose Road Legal or Custom Show. Pick a style, set the front and rear quantity, and add any badge or border. The live preview shows a white front and a yellow rear before you pay.
Check the registration against your V5C before you pay. The slips we see caught most are O for 0 and I for 1. Once the plates arrive, wash raised finishes gently with a soft cloth.
Delivery and returns for Alfa Romeo number plates
Tracked24 delivery is free on orders over £30. Every pair clears that line except the £25 Standard pair, and singles of Standard (£15) or 3D Gel (£20) fall under it. Order before 2pm and most plates go out the same day. We deliver to the UK and Ireland, and take card and PayPal. The plates are for UK-registered vehicles. Returns terms are on our delivery and returns page.
Which number plates should I buy for my Alfa Romeo?
Verdict: For most older Alfas used daily, 3D Gel at £38 a pair is the sensible step up, and Standard at £25 is right for a 156, a 166 or a pre-1980 Spider where the original look is the point. A Giulia or Stelvio in dark paint suits 4D 5mm or 5D Gel once you have measured the recess. Choose the green flash only for a Junior Elettrica, and keep the Alfa badge plates for show.
Why buy from Legal & Show Plates
We're a Bradford-based online plate maker shipping UK-wide, rated 5.0 on Google from over 300 reviews and 4.6 on Trustpilot. Order before 2pm for same-day dispatch, with a tracked 24-hour Royal Mail option available.
Alfa Romeo number plate FAQs: offset fronts, green flashes and classic Spiders
Q: Is an offset front number plate legal on an Alfa Romeo?
Position is covered by the gov.uk rules, which set out how a plate must look and how it is fixed, so check them for your own car. Keep the plate straight, firmly fixed and easy to read, and ask your MOT tester if you are unsure.
Q: Do newer Alfa Romeos like the Junior have a central number plate?
The Junior sits its front plate in the middle. Alfa's design chief said in May 2024 that pedestrian safety rules no longer allow a side plate on new models, and the next Giulia and Stelvio are due to follow. The current pair are reported to stay on sale until 2027. Whichever you drive, measure the space before you order.
Q: Can I put 4D number plates on my Alfa Romeo?
Yes, we make 4D 3mm, 4D 5mm and 4D Gel in road legal mode, with the spacing set to the legal format for you. A 5mm finish stands further off the plate than 3mm. If you have not measured your recess and surround, 3mm is the safer start.
Q: Does a hybrid Alfa Romeo like the Tonale get a green flash number plate?
No. A green flash is for pure battery electric cars only. Mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids do not qualify, which covers the Tonale and the Junior Ibrida (a 1.2 litre petrol with a mild hybrid system). Of the current Alfas, only the Junior Elettrica is a candidate. The green flash badge is free in road legal mode, so only choose it if your car is fully electric.
Q: Can I fit black and silver number plates to my Alfa Romeo 164 or 75?
No. Black and silver plates are only for vehicles built before 1 January 1980, and the 75 and 164 were built after that. They must show a white front and a yellow rear plate. Check the gov.uk rules if your car is near the date.
Q: Can I order just one front number plate for my Alfa Romeo?
Yes. In the builder, set the quantity you do not need to 0, so only the front or only the rear is made. A single plate costs a little more than one bought in a pair: a single Standard is £15 against £12.50 each when you buy two.
Q: Can you make a plate for my Alfa Romeo if I bought a private registration?
Yes. We make the physical plate. We do not sell registrations. Because it is a road plate, we check ID and entitlement documents before we make one, so have them ready. Type the registration exactly as it appears on your paperwork, and check the letters before you pay, because O and 0 look alike on a screen.
