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if i make car licence plates is it legal to do so?
I’m looking on the net for info about selling licence plates from my shop
Some websites tell me that I can and others tell me that I can’t
I know it’s different here in Scotland from the rest of the UK and the DVLA website is more geared towards the rest of Uk
Anyone able to update me on the new laws?
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9 Replies
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John
as far as i know at present you do not need to be a registered in Scotland thats why internet sites selling Plates are registering the site in Scotland so they don’t need to see log books etc before selling a plate. However i believe they are going to include Scotland soon. I’m sure someone on the boards is in Scotland and registered and then found out they didn’t need to maybe they will post a reply to clarify for you.Kev
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quote Kevin Flowers:John
as far as i know at present you do not need to be a registered in Scotland thats why internet sites selling Plates are registering the site in Scotland so they don’t need to see log books etc before selling a plate. However i believe they are going to include Scotland soon. I’m sure someone on the boards is in Scotland and registered and then found out they didn’t need to maybe they will post a reply to clarify for you.Kev
OK cheers Kev
Anyone else??
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Anyone got any info on this please?
Thanx
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i it is road legal plate that u r looking to supply, they r not worth the hassle, 75p- £1 profit. If it is custom plates however that fetch a premium no problem. £15 profit and all u have to do is put a disclaimer that they r not intended for road use and r for show purposes only
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Heres DVLA’s opinion on show plates, which means you are still open to action from them if they decide to crack down and a bit regarding Scotland
Kev
Extension to Scotland and Northern Ireland
3.3 At present, the supply of number plates in Scotland and Northern Ireland is completely unregulated. It is very easy for anyone to obtain plates showing a registration mark for a vehicle with which they have no connection whatever.Show Plates
3.11 A large number of queries and comments have been generated about the supply of “show plates” and their role within the RNPS scheme. Some suppliers claim that their products are “show plates” rather than number plates to avoid the obligations of registered number plate suppliers. We cannot endorse that activity. To do so would be to sanction the acquisition of number plates for illegal purposes under the guise of buying “show plates”.3.12 A number plate is defined as a plate that displays a vehicle registration mark and is designed to be fixed to a vehicle or trailer. It cannot be further qualified as a ‘show plate’ or ‘not for road use’ as a means of circumventing the legal requirements. The term “show plate” is not recognised in law, and simply stating that something is a “show plate” or issuing some similar disclaimer does not automatically guarantee that a prosecution would not be successful.
3.13 We recognise that there is some confusion in the industry about this issue and propose to amend current legislation to clarify the issue beyond doubt.
3.14 Firstly, we will seek to make it an offence to supply any plate bearing a vehicle registration mark and designed to be fitted to a vehicle or trailer that does not comply fully with the display requirements and British standard as contained in regulations. Whether the supplier intended to sell the plate for road use or for some other purpose would not be relevant. It would be the responsibility of the supplier to ensure that the products they sell meet legal requirements.
3.15 Secondly, we will allow a facility to make exemptions to this rule if required. What we have in mind is to allow the sale of plates that do not meet the display regulations and British Standard provided that the disclaimer is clearly printed on the face of the plate. The precise wording, its location on the plate and the size and colour of the characters could be contained in legislation. Possibilities for appropriate wording could be “NOT FOR ROAD USE”, or “FOR SHOW USE ONLY”. Your comments are sought on this point, and you should also suggest any other exemptions you feel would be appropriate.
3.16 This would give show plates legal recognition for the first time and allow a legitimate trade in show plates to continue. The alternative to making this or other exemptions is to simply ban the sale of plates that do not conform to the display regulations and British standard in all circumstances.
3.17 Of course it should be borne in mind that plates that do not show a vehicle registration number are not number plates and so are not regulated. An example of this might be a plate displayed by a lorry driver in the cab window with the driver’s name on it. However, if such a plate might be mistaken for the genuine article and is sold as a vehicle number plate, it could be regarded as a counterfeit plate. For example, if a supplier sells a plate with a number that looks like a real registration number, but in fact is not, there could be an offence. This is necessary because motorists could display fictitious registration numbers to make their vehicles untraceable.
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blimey they getting tough on it then,
only prob i see, a ‘show plate’ in its proper sense, is ne that only gets put on the car at shows, who’s gonna want legal jargon plastered all over it !
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another thing that i found out when stopped in my own vehicle for having ILLEGAL Number plate.
police cars in N.Ireland do not have a BSAU145a (British standard stamp code) on them.
I asked the officer was he going to give himself a ticket, as in the law it says BSAU145a must be on the plate. He fancied a ticket as much as i did and let me go 😀 -
I sell loads of conventional number plates for both motorcycles and cars. I find the margin very favourable. I do however sell show ‘signs’ for motorists and motorcyclists who wish to put them up in the garage or shed. If they wish to use them otherwise, that is not my concern. 😉 I sell signs that happen to be black and yellow or white and yellow. This is not appreciated by the authorities, but legally, thay cannot stop me selling a sign that happens to be a close facimile to something else.
Motorcycles will be further victimised this summer as the new number plate recogniton systems are rolled out through the UK. These systems cannot read non standard plates so anyone with a non standard plate will be targeted. As opposed to a £30.00 fine and a producer, new legislation is being pushed to also give three points for every offence. Will this reduce the market potential? I doubt it. I will continue to sell show signs for as long as I can. -
Unfortunately, we live in an over regulated society. 🙄 I don’t bother with number plates as they are too much hassle. Better to sell more conventional signs
(Having said that – I’ve seen my number plates on Television recently – I supply the Arnold Clark group with number plates featuring the “Arnold Clark” logo – I’m reliably informed that I am the only person that supplies this particular item to the group and my heart swells with pride every time I see one of my number plates featured in an Arnold Clark TV advert 😎 – These are of course “Show plates” – Each Arnold Clark dealership produces their own number plates at prices I wouldn’t dream of trying to compete with).
Honestly Guys – Forget about making number plates for a living – it’s too competitive. Stick to making real signs 😀
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