Buyer guide
Legal number plates and why we check documents
A plate that looks good still needs to meet the rules before it goes on a public road. We check entitlement and identity so the right registration is supplied to the right person.
01 · Documents
Why we ask for documents
As a DVLA-registered number plate supplier, we need evidence of your identity and your entitlement to use the registration. At checkout, we ask you to upload supporting documents, such as a V5C or accepted entitlement document and suitable identity or address evidence. We review them before making your plates and will contact you if we need anything further. Government guidance also requires registered suppliers to see original documents for number plates made for road use.
We ask for documents for both road-legal and show plate orders as our business policy. One set of documents can cover a mixed basket. A show plate is for display or off-road use only and must not be fitted to a vehicle used on a public road.
Be cautious if a seller offers road-use plates without checking your documents. A missing check is a warning about the supplier's process; it does not by itself tell you whether the finished plate meets every physical specification. Driving with an incorrectly displayed number plate can lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and an MOT failure.
Check the accepted documents on GOV.UK ↗02 · Road use
What makes a plate road legal?
The complete plate must meet the rules, not just the character style. For most current UK vehicle plates, check these essentials:
- A reflective background with black characters: white at the front and yellow at the rear.
- The prescribed character size, font and spacing, with no altered or obscured registration.
- The supplier's details and the applicable British Standard marking (BS AU 145e for plates fitted after 1 September 2021).
- Characters that are not removable or reflective; plates fitted after 1 September 2021 must have characters in a single shade of black.
Raised 3D characters can be permitted when the finished plate complies. Tinted or obscured characters, changed spacing, camera-blocking films and other decorative show-plate features are not suitable for road use. Vehicle and trailer formats can have additional rules.
Read the full display rules on GOV.UK ↗03 · Ghost plates
Camera-evasion “ghost plates” are illegal
So-called ghost or stealth plates use films, coatings or altered materials intended to make all or part of a registration unreadable to ANPR or speed cameras, often under infrared light. They are not road legal. Police can identify non-compliant plates during stops and are testing specialist infrared viewing equipment. Drivers using an incorrectly displayed plate can be fined up to £1,000. We do not supply camera-evasion ghost plates.