Caterham Number Plates: Replacements for Road, Track and Show Sevens

We make replacement number plates for Caterham in one size, 520mm x 111mm, and a pair starts at £25. The nose is narrow and plenty are built at home, so start with how you use yours, then measure before you order.

Caterham number plates: is your Seven a road car, a track car or a show car?

Decide by where the plate will be seen, because that sets what you can order. This covers the current Seven range (170, 360, 420, 620 and Super Seven 600) and older Caterhams.

• Road car: any Seven driven on a public road needs road legal plates, white at the front and yellow at the back.
• Track car: a Seven that lives on circuits still needs road plates for the drive there and back.
• Show car: a Seven that only goes to meets can wear show plates, which are for display and never for the road.

Road Caterham number plates: what to order and what to check

For the road, choose road legal mode in our builder. 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.

• Read the registration letter by letter against your V5C before you pay.
• Check your number plate lamp still lights the rear plate once the new one is on.
• Pick a finish for a car with simple lines. We would start with Standard plates at £25 a pair or 3D Gel plates at £38. Deeper finishes such as 4D 5mm at £50 need the depth checked first.

Track day Caterham number plates: what changes on a hard-used car

One owner's build blog says the front plate can come off for track days, so plan for a plate you can remove and one that copes with grit.

• Use screws or another fixing you can undo. Strong pads are hard to remove cleanly.
• The front plate takes grit and spray. In our view a flat plate wipes clean most easily.

Caterham kit car number plates: when can you order after the build?

Order only after DVLA has issued your registration number. A kit build ends with an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test, and you can drive on the road once your DVLA registration documents arrive.

1. Finish the build and pass the IVA test.
2. Wait for your DVLA registration documents.
3. Build your plates in road legal mode.

Will 520mm x 111mm Caterham number plates fit your nosecone? Measure first

We make one size, so measure the nosecone before you order. Owners on forums report that a full-width front plate can be wider than the nose or cover part of the grille and oil cooler. That may not apply to every Seven, so check yours.

• Cut a card template to 520mm x 111mm and hold it where the front plate will go.
• Check whether it overhangs the nose or sits over the grille or oil cooler, and the depth if you want a raised finish.
• Repeat on the back panel for the rear plate.

Not sure from the card? Ring us on 07747 744407 and we will talk it through.

Number plates for a 1974 to 1979 Caterham: where black and silver comes in

Caterham took over the Seven from Lotus in 1973 and built its own cars from 1974, so some 1974 to 1979 cars are still around. If yours was built before 1 January 1980, black and silver plates may be possible. Our article on black and silver plate rules explains. A Caterham built on or after that date must show white at the front and yellow at the back. For an original Lotus Seven, our Lotus plates page is the better start.

Two Caterham number plate scenarios: a kit 360, and a 620 on road and track

Worked examples, not customer stories:

• A kit-built 360: the IVA test is passed but the DVLA documents have not arrived, so order nothing yet. When the V5C lands, a Standard pair at £25 sits under our £30 free delivery line and a 3D Gel pair at £38 is over it.
• A 620 used on the road and at track days: the front plate comes off for circuits. Fit it with screws, and consider two fronts and one rear in 3D Gel for £57 so a spare is ready.

Which Caterham number plates should you order? Our verdict

Let the use choose. A road Seven suits road legal Standard or 3D Gel, once the card test shows they fit the nose. A track Seven wants screws and a spare front. Kit builders wait for the DVLA number. Show mode takes any finish but never goes on the road.

Why buy from Legal & Show Plates

We're 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.

Caterham number plate questions: legality, size, fixing and cleaning

Q: Are 4D number plates legal on a Caterham?

A 4D plate can be road legal when it is built to the rules. Show mode plates are display only. The gov.uk number plate rules set out what a road plate must follow. Use road legal mode for any Seven that goes on the road.

Q: Is there a green flash number plate for a Caterham?

Not today. A green flash is only for pure battery electric cars, and hybrids never qualify. No Seven now on sale in the UK is electric, so there is no model to put one on. The electric Project V is still a prototype.

Q: What size is a Caterham number plate?

520mm x 111mm, front and rear. It is the only size we make, so test a card template of that size against your nosecone or back panel before you order.

Q: Can I order only a front or a rear Caterham number plate?

Yes. Set the other quantity to zero in the builder. A single Standard plate is £15, a single 3D Gel plate £20 and a single 4D 5mm plate £26, so all three sit under the £30 free delivery line.

Q: Can I order Caterham number plates for a private registration?

Yes. We make the physical plate for a private or cherished registration, but we do not sell registrations. Type the number into the builder and choose road legal or show. We check ID and entitlement documents before a road legal plate is made.

Q: Which finish is easiest to keep clean on a Caterham?

In our view, a flat Standard plate, because grit has no raised edges to sit in. Raised 3D Gel and 4D finishes need gentler cleaning, so rinse the grit off before you wipe them.