DanH Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 My front plate is not in brilliant condition and needs to be changed. I was thinking about changing it with a square import one. Is this legal? I tried to find some info here: https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates but I couldn't see anything saying it is not legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazi Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 oh this old chestnut :rolleyes: technically no as the font size is small and reserved for imported vehicals only but trying to find a cop that knows its illegal is slim. if you are going to get one get an import plate and not a square plate as IMO the square ones look gash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanH Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Thanks Kazi.. Yeah, it will be an import one, not square...I don't know why I said square in my first post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsolentMinx Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 you'll have to swap it for the regular road legal one for your MOT though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReloadedSR Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Ive got a document from the dvla i believe stating that my uk car has had its plates changed to import. ill try and dig it out as i cant quite remember what type of document it is. I looked at it when i bought the car but havent checked it since, but my car has passes two mot's with import plates. Standard uk lettering i think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsolentMinx Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 if you can get the legal UK letter sizing on the import size plate then you'll prob be ok. Obvs all testers are different, so you might get more lenient ones. I think there's 2 different height plates for imports though, the taller plate might just fit legal font sizing, worth checking, but take a UK road legal plate to the MOT just in case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanH Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Thanks guys! I just ordered a plate which is supposed to be MOT legal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetheforce Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Don't do the square one as that's usually for the back of the car, and some police don't realise they are on some fronts on JDM as well. An import one (square or small plate) will probably get you stopped by police as an illegal plate if they feel inclined and if they know the car is UK. Even when the car is a JDM import they still stop the car - happened to me many times and had to explain it was an import, I did have aftermarket plates too but were legal ones but import size. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherv Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Font size is UK legal,I havent been stopped yet but I have passed 2 MOT's with it..suppose it depends on the tester and your local nick-nick bobbies But then you would be amazed at the amount of people that don't even know the first thing about my car other than its got CELICA on the front and back.. :rolleyes: I've got a JDM engine officer,is that ok? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Askari Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I read somewhere that the Police pull over older cars more frequently - particularly older sports cars and coupes - because they assume that they are wrecks being driven by chavs with a dozen, unsafe mods without any reference to their insurance company (probably because they don't have insurance). I live in hope of being pulled over so that I can show the Police Officer exactly how much work I have had done on my car to improve its performance and looks and keep it in the best possible condition I can, including excellent tires, lights that all work - and a number of other very tasteful modifications. Sadly it never seems to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Red Celica Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I read somewhere that the Police pull over older cars more frequently - particularly older sports cars and coupes - because they assume that they are wrecks being driven by chavs with a dozen, unsafe mods without any reference to their insurance company (probably because they don't have insurance). I live in hope of being pulled over so that I can show the Police Officer exactly how much work I have had done on my car to improve its performance and looks and keep it in the best possible condition I can, including excellent tires, lights that all work - and a number of other very tasteful modifications. Sadly it never seems to happen. I know the reason..........................Age: 46!! I was pulled up in the Corolla, the Policeman asked IF it was my car 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherv Posted October 19, 2014 Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I was followed into a pub car park and blocked in by a youngish copper one evening,Id taken my mate out for a spin just after the Beams engine was plopped in,I'd gone past a junction on a dual carriageway and he'd obviously heard me accelerating up the road.As we got out of the car you could see he had an 'ah,right' look on his face when he saw me (im 43). He cocked an eyebrow and asked me how loud the exhaust was,I told him ooh about 82db,to which he looked and smiled and said, 'oh yeah and the rest'.He didnt even question the JDM plate he saw on the front,though I still have a UK one on the back.I forgot that I'd had the front plate on in my previous post. Conversation then carried on in the vein of what good condition the car was in,what i'd done to it etc etc.Turned out he hadnt seen a gen4 on the road before,he'd always actually fancied a Gt4,185s he liked in particular,and then went on to say how he had an MX5 at home track prepared and all that.He then wished us a good night and went,saying as he pulled away "That exhaust is still too f****g loud though." Fair play to him. Other than that i havent really had toooo much attention from Plod.(Fingers crossed,im bound to at some point though i know).If I lived in Norfolk I'd have been strung up by now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanH Posted October 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2014 I received the plate and I'll change it tomorrow. It is a JDM one and the letters are a bit smaller but is legal (for a JDM car). Hopefully I'll be fine. It might be even better to change the rear one too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKINY Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 I read somewhere that the Police pull over older cars more frequently - particularly older sports cars and coupes - because they assume that they are wrecks being driven by chavs with a dozen, unsafe mods without any reference to their insurance company (probably because they don't have insurance). I live in hope of being pulled over so that I can show the Police Officer exactly how much work I have had done on my car to improve its performance and looks and keep it in the best possible condition I can, including excellent tires, lights that all work - and a number of other very tasteful modifications. Sadly it never seems to happen. pull them over just to show them then mate i had them beside me at lights, they were in a t180 avensis i was just sitting there absorbing the bass in a wee dream world then all i hear is "nice classic" turned to look and its 2 cops 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threepot Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 1. Check that there is a registration plate both at the front and the rear of the vehicle, and check each one for security and condition. 4. Refer to pages 4 - 6 and check visually that the characters are correctly formed, spaced, and are not obviously likely to be misread due to, for example, badly positioned or uncovered retaining bolts etc. P4 Size of Characters Testers are not required to physically measure the characters or their spacing and the following information is provided for guidance only. Registration plates should only be rejected for character dimensions or spacing if they are clearly incorrect I think some poeple get abit anal about number plate law, really the plate has to be in the correct font, and the correct colour, and safely fixed to the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L20 Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 (edited) I have an import size plate on the back of my car. From what I understand the size of the plate is irrelevant as long as the letters and numbers are the correct size and font and spaced correctly, and I believe mine is the correct font, but has slightly too small letters to be fully legal. However, because I use my car to deliver pizzas in and work just up the road from a police station, I get pulled over all the time, normally atleast once a week, usually to check its insured properly for business use etc. Not once have the police mentioned the plate, and I have been pulled a couple of times by traffic cops which are the type i'd expect to mention the plate. It's also passed two MOTs with it on, so i'm guessing unless you were unlucky enough to find a cop that really knew every detail in the law, you'd be fine with it on Edited October 30, 2014 by L20 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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