Old numberplate font, legal?

[MK1_Ben]

My rear plate is still the original 80's one, and the front one is too (but it's snapped :( ) - Both in the "old style" font.

These no longer comply with current numberplate laws, however as stated, they're the original plates that the car came with and haven't been changed.

What's the view of a police officer / the law on this?

[Edd]

You can get them made with the old style font and it will be fine

Problems start if you put it on a say 55 plate lol

I have metal pressed ones in old font style for my Sport

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr359/EDDRODGERS/SAM_0768.jpg

[MK1_Ben]

Brilliant, cheers +rep.

Mine does appear to be slightly different font to yours though haha:

http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af126/bsrally/Photo087.jpg

/edit, I think it's just the angle comparing them properly.

[Bubba]

tbh i doubt they will worry about such a small difference, its italics they hate

[Pete]

Why not just take your plate off and take it to the station and ask them there opinion, and maybe get them to write you a form saying it's legal etc and then if your ever stopped then you've got the note to back you up?

[MK1_Ben]

Why not just take your plate off and take it to the station and ask them there opinion, and maybe get them to write you a form saying it's legal etc and then if your ever stopped then you've got the note to back you up?

Because if they say it's illegal and then I get pulled for it, they would know that I know it's illegal.

Nearest "town" to me is a small countryside one, the police are the same lot who know everyone. Plus the local traffic police are funny to me since I wrote off my last car quite bad just outside of said town.

[Novasport]

You worry too much mate. As long as its not some crappy italic font etc they wont be bothered.
As long as it is clearly legible and correctly spaced it will be fine
I have 'Period' new plates on the Sport.
MOT law changed a couple of years ago to clamp down on plates but they back tracked on it as it was not really enforceable and it was p*ssing people off

[MK1_Ben]

MOT law changed a couple of years ago to clamp down on plates but they back tracked on it as it was not really enforceable and it was p*ssing people off

I thought it had changed, my mothers car went through it's MOT on a private plate recently with no dealer information or anything on it.

[mk1nova_rich]

New laws are applied to cars produced at the time and onwards. There are loads of things on a Nova which are technically MOT failures/illegal etc if you go by todays laws and requirements

[marc69]

Whatever the requirements were at the time of first registration of the car, stays with the car throughout it's life. Therefore the style of number plate your car was originally issued with will always be acceptable for this car.

e.g. my 1960 car has black plates with silver letters. The emmisions test in the MOT is to rev it and see how much blue smoke there is. There are no seatbelts and so on..... The car essentially has to pass the same basic MOT requirements that it had to in 1960 with very few changes.

My 1984 Nov a has no rear seatbelts as these were not a requirement in 1984.

Hope this helps put your mind at ease.

[satchellm]

Trouble is dude that how many coppers atchuly know the law?

[amggsi]

Trouble is dude that how many coppers atchuly know the law?

I'd say quite a few!!!lol

[raf24]

i make number plates at work,the older bigger fonts were used on cars up to 2001,then they changed the font to a narrower one to make room for gb badges etc,so you can fit the new style to an old car but cant do it the other way because of np suppliers name,postcode,british std emblem etc ie not having it is mot failure on a post 2001 car,hope this helps.

[phazer]

Well my VXR (factory order) that was registered in 2006 came with new plates in the old font and my current car was fitted with new plates by the supplying Audi dealer and they have the old font also. I've never had a car registered after 2001 that had the skinny new font.

[raf24]

i'm not saying that everybody follows it to the letter but thats the way vosa,dvla etc say it should be.

[windfreek]

You can get them made with the old style font and it will be fine

Problems start if you put it on a say 55 plate lol

I have metal pressed ones in old font style for my Sport


have you ever been stopped with your metal plates on?

i want to get a set for mine, but tbh havent really looked into it yet but as its nearly finished would love to get some but didnt bother as i was unsure about legality etc

[Benn]

tbh i doubt they will worry about such a small difference, its italics they hate

I got pulled and fined cause the lettering on my rear plate was 5mm to small the guy measured it on the spot.

Cars made after 2004 have to have new style plates. Anything before 2004 can have the old ones.

[TeddyThom]

New laws are applied to cars produced at the time and onwards. There are loads of things on a Nova which are technically MOT failures/illegal etc if you go by todays laws and requirements

Like them actually still being on the road?? lol

On another note I have always wanted a set of black plates with the silver lettering for my nova...

[windfreek]

...I have always wanted a set of black plates with the silver lettering for my nova...

does anyone know if they are legal tho, and if theres a year limit to the car they can be fitted onto?

[Novasport]

Black plates are not legal on cars registered on or after 1st January 1973.

[Novasport]

Cut and pasted from another site...

STOP PRESS:
There has been an almighty legal gaff somewhere, all MOT stations have been informed not to fail any more number plates since 17th November until further notice. Something about not having the new MOT regs ratified by parliament. If you have had an MOT failure solely down to numberplates - since Oct 1st - you could possibly reclaim your costs. Not sure who you can claim against, the MOT tester (it wasn't their fault) or VOSA directly (it was their fault).


Before you MOT your car, make sure you are aware of the requirements for Number plates.

For cars registered after Sept 1st 2001 Your plate must have

* The new font (79mm high) there are a few excepions motorbikes and some imported cars.

* The name and postcode of the plate supplier

* It must say "BS AU 145d" on it bottom right corner (not neccessarily bottom right but that's where it usually is) - It must also have next to this a small company name or logo (it is the name of the manufacturer of the plate) There are many different types,
mine say HHSP BS AU 145d. The HHSP bit is the manufacturer.
Other examples
"Gould BS AU 145d"
"UP BS AU 145d" etc etc etc

* For the new longer plates with a space on the left for the EU flag symbol, the space can be blank but it must not have anything else there except 1 of the following:
Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack)
Scottish flag (saltaire)
English flag (george cross)
Welsh flag (dragon)
Euro union flag and "GB" symbol

Any other symbol in that space will fail the MOT, the letters must be black on a yellow (reflective) background for the rear...some plates have a large ford logo on the background (for show use only) this will fail MOT.


Some Halfords plates have the halfords details and BSAU145d written in white text on the front white plates, as long as it can be seen and read it should pass.

Cars registered from 1973 - 2001 can have either old style plates with no BSAU 145d mark & 89mm high font, or newly issued plates which must be as described above with new font.

Cars before 1973 can have those very old style plates or new style i.e a choice of 3 styles.

[Novasport]

The important bit for a Nova...


Cars registered from 1973 - 2001 can have either old style plates with no BSAU 145d mark & 89mm high font, or newly issued plates which must be as described above with new font.


If you have older style plates replicated it would need to be proved(By the MOT tester/Police/VOSA) that they were new(ie, made post 2001) which I think would be virtually impossible for them to prove.