From 28th September 2021, drivers going outside the UK must display either a Union Flag + UK initials plate, or UK initials sticker.

PLEASE NOTE THE IMAGES SHOWN MAY NOT REFLECT THE FINAL DESIGNS AS WE ARE STILL AWAITING A CONFIRMED SPECIFICATION.

The government has recently announced that from September 28th UK drivers going overseas to most countries will need to display either a UK initialled and Union Flagged plate on their vehicle, or a UK sticker.   

GB + UNION FLAG PLATES WILL NO LONGER BE SUITABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 27TH

Previous to this, UK vehicles could travel overseas with the the Union Flag design but with GB initials underneath.

WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A PLATE OR STICKER WITH THE GB INITIALS ON IT?

Gov.uk advises to cover a GB sticker over and to accompany a GB plate with a UK sticker.

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS – WATCH OUT!

If you’re driving in Spain, Malta or Cyprus, you must display a UK sticker regardless what you have on your plate.

FIND OUT MORE

Visit gov.uk

This newsletter (straight from DVLA) contains important information and details of changes to legislation directly related to the supply of number plates. In this newsletter you will find: Introduction of the new standard for number plates: BS AU 145e Changes to the eligibility for black and silver number plates Removal of the ‘EU’ symbol Green Number Plates Help and support for number plate suppliers Some of the RNPS Enforcement Team in 2019 (photo taken before the current restrictions) Upcoming changes to legislation Introduction of the new standard for number plates: BS AU 145e The British Standards Institute publishes the technical standards that all number plates are required to satisfy and this requirement is mandated in law. In March 2018, the BSI published an updated standard for number plates, BS AU 145e. This new standard will improve the durability of new number plates and enhance compatibility with on-road enforcement cameras. The new standard also requires that plates only display single shade black lettering, removing the ability to use different shades to produce 3D effects or highlighting. The agency has not seen any evidence to show that number plates displaying raised plastic, acrylic or Perspex lettering (3D/4D plates) are able to meet the requirements of either the current or new the British Standard. To take effect this new British Standard needs to be incorporated into the regulations and will become mandatory from 1 September 2021 but can be used from 1 January 2021. This means that as a supplier you: must ensure that the number plates you supply can meet all the requirements of the standard and the legislative requirements should contact your component supplier or manufacturer if you’re unsure whether the components they supply for you can meet the standard – it’s an offence to supply number plates that cannot meet the standard Copies of the new British Standard can be purchased from BSI. Changes to the eligibility for black and silver number plates It will be specified in law from 1 January 2021 that only vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1980 are eligible to display “black and silver” plates. This means that as a supplier you: can only produce black and silver plates for those vehicles registered prior to 1 January 1980 that have also been licensed in the historic tax class Removal of the ‘EU’ symbol As part of the UK’s exit from the EU, government will remove the ability to fix a new number plate displaying the Euro symbol after the end of the EU exit transition period. Those registration plates fixed to a vehicle before 1 January 2021 will be unaffected. This means that as a supplier you: cannot produce a number plate with an EU symbol from 1 January 2021. Green Number Plates Green number plates (GNP) will signify that the vehicle emits zero emissions and will consist of a green flash on the left hand side of a registration plate. They will be non-mandatory and available to new and existing qualifying vehicles. Regional emblems and identifiers that are currently permitted can still be displayed on the green flash. Eligibility Only vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions (e.g. fully battery electric, or hydrogen fuel cell) can display a green number plate. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids (including range extenders) are not eligible. This applies to all vehicle types – cars, vans, taxis, motorbikes; and buses, coaches and HGVs. Design The regulations state that: the green flash must be no less than 40mm in width, and no more than 50mm in width it must be retro-reflective and be matching or of an equivalent green to the Pantone 7481c colour reference Examples Help and support for number plate suppliers If you have any questions please contact: RNPS@dvla.gov.uk DVLA’s Enforcement Team are still available to support number plate suppliers during this unprecedented time. If you have any questions in relation to the upcoming changes, or legal requirements and standards in relation to number plates, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Remember You must see original documents – not copies or photographs – to prove a customer’s identity and entitlement before supplying a number plate. If there are any changes to your business you must advise DVLA. You can do this using the contact information above. You can find more information in our ‘Vehicle registration numbers and number plates’ leaflet.

A range of Covid-19 branded products for your business. Get in touch for quote today!

The GB flag on your number plate will still be legal after Brexit, regardless of the outcome, though drivers will need to display a GB sticker on the rear of their vehicle when travelling abroad.

It will still be legal to display GB number plates after Brexit, with or without a deal.

See https://www.bnma.org/news/gb-flags-on-number-plates-still-legal-post-brexit/

The trailer plate registration scheme is a DVLA service for certain UK trailers used internationally. It is being introduced as part of the UK’s ratification of the 1968 Vienna Convention and to address the issues already faced by customers using UK trailers abroad.

Click here for more details.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT

Dear Customer,

Previously scheduled for March 2019 and then postponed, a new date for the forthcoming new BSAU145e British Standard on number plates has not yet been set.

Bestplate will be managing the transition between 145d & 145e to ensure that all our customers will be compliant with the new standard. Over the coming months we will be furnishing new software to all customers in advance of that date.

The new software will work to both the old and new standards, and complies with DVLA recommendations to include a secure, tamperproof RNPS audit trail.

Customers purchasing pre-printed products from Bestplate will receive stock which is compliant with the new Standard.

Best regards

The Bestplate Team

Not only is the law taking a hard line on perpetrators of serious crimes. It is also taking an increasingly harder line on fraudulent number plate suppliers who facilitate such criminals and their criminal activity.

In this latest case, John Duckworth, 46, set up a fake business in order to con a legitimate company into supplying him with equipment to make the plates. He then went on to sell the plates to armed robbers and burglars across Merseyside who used them to evade the police.
Details of the case can be found at: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/jail-merseyside-man-who-supplied-7595531

Bestplate urge all suppliers to perform all appropriate entitlement and identity checks. Also to check their registration details with the DVLA. You can check your SID details in seconds via the SID check site: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier or through a quick call to the DVLA on 0300 123 0797.

The actions taken by the DVLA and the Police will, and is being extended into much more rigorous checks for all suppliers of number plates to make sure you all comply with the current legislation.

If you’re not registered or your details are incorrect you can resolve the situation on the telephone. If you are a Bestplate customer, we do need to keep an up to date copy of your Registration Confirmation – V942 Form.

A recently prosecuted Southport-based number plate supplier narrowly escaped a two year custodial sentence having printed 13,277 number plates without performing appropriate customer identity checks. In addition to being sentenced to two years – suspended, the offending business owner was ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work, made the subject of a three-month curfew and banned from driving for six months.

Details of the case can be found at: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyside-businessman-andrew-shaw-spared-7004740

More and more offending number plate suppliers are being taken to court and are facing large fines. Non-observance of your legal obligations can be extremely costly and damaging especially when it is a simple matter to rectify.

All Bestplate customers producing number plates are aware of the relevant statutory requirements and regulations they must follow. Not only must a supplier be registered with the DVLA under the RNPS scheme, but that registration must be maintained with fully accurate information about the name of the producer and location of the supply. Non-Registration or inaccurate registration will leave a supplier open to prosecution and fines.

We as a Company are constantly auditing our records to try and detect any inaccuracies so we can assist customers in rectifying any inconsistencies, and we will not supply anyone who does not have an RNPS registration. The DVLA are becoming more and more proactive in checking this information themselves, and actively seeking out inaccuracies in registrations and deficiencies in compliance with regard to keeping appropriate records.

We therefore strongly recommend you check your own registration with the DVLA to ensure your registration is still 100% accurate as to your business name, address and post code. Your registration can easily become inaccurate if you change business name or location. We also recommend you review your sales process ensuring you are fully compliant with the regulations as to proof of identity and entitlement checks before any number plate is supplied by yourselves.

Bestplate urge all suppliers to perform all appropriate entitlement and identity checks. Also to check their registration details with the DVLA. You can check your SID details in seconds via the SID check site: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier or through a quick call to the DVLA on 0300 123 0797. If you’re not registered or your details are incorrect you can resolve the situation on the telephone. If you are a Bestplate customer, we do need to keep an up to date copy of your Registration Confirmation – V942 Form.