Number Plates

[PeterH]

I've read somewhere that there are some new regulations regarding black and white number plates. Does anyone know what is happening.

[dougbgt6]

My car is a 73 and had black and white, however at the 78 MOT it was pointed out it should have the new yellow and black. This changed in 72 I think, but in the last couple of years this is relaxed and we are now allowed the old black and white if we want. 

Doug

[PeteH]

From DVLA site:-

Since April 2015 (Only) vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 can display the older style plates. You must:

• have applied to DVLA, and
• be registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.

This allows your vehicle to retain its authenticity and be in keeping with its age. This does NOT roll forward;

NOT to be confused with:-

Vehicles constructed 40 or more years ago are exempt from vehicle tax.

The 40 year exemption date rolls forward automatically each year on 1 April.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

Over here it seems to have gone by-the-by, every kind of plate is displayed these days and I think a lot of the current younger Police Officers have given up on enforcing it, although it's probably still ticket-able. We have plates reading as single words or names that bear absolutely no resemblance to what they're meant to be, and there's no way those go through MOT every year. They're taken off and replaced for the test. We also have a lot of modern cars on black and silver plates. Technically they're meant to be reported to DVA and if reported three times the number can be withdrawn - pricey if it's a personalised plate - but it rarely happens. The person making the plate is also liable for prosecution but again they don't put their name or business on the plate, as required by law, so they're never identified.

[Clive]

New regs (latest) say you can have silver (or white) on black up to 1980, but the rolling 40 thing no longer applies to the plates.

DVLA seem to have admitted the plates thing was a cock up, and that should never have been part of the rolling 40 year plan. But you can't put the genie back in the bottle.

Personally, old plates on a post 72 car look wrong. Especially as just about every car sold in 1972 (and I fully expect previous few years, from when they became legal in 1968, after all you would put the most modern plates on your brand new car) would have been black on white/yellow plates 

[thescrapman]

I hadn't picked up that the rolling 40-years on the plates had been dropped.

Will be a few disappointed owners of 1981 cars onwards.

[ludwig113]

https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/news/article/changes-to-black-silver-number-plates-from-01012021?fbclid=IwAR0pKB4DWlE8F8Q0HwGBdQ0j1EIZC0Bmie9Ro6jOo0lx4vKa5KIV007ro-M

here ya go