http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2001/561

SCHEDULE 1REGULATIONS REVOKED

Regulation 1(2)

Title of Regulations	Number	Extent of revocation
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971	1971/450	Regulations 17 to 22 and Schedules 2 and 3.
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1972	1972/1865	Regulation 6.
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973	S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1973 No. 490	Regulations 18 to 23 and Schedule 2 and 3.
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1975	1975/1089	The whole instrument.
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976	1976/2180	Regulation 2(6), (8) and (9).
The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1984	1984/814	The whole instrument.

SCHEDULE 2REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION PLATES

Regulation 10

PART 1VEHICLES REGISTERED AND NEW REGISTRATION PLATES FITTED ON OR AFTER 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (MANDATORY SPECIFICATION)

1

The plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of—

a

the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January 1998 under number BS AU 145d13, or

b

any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard specification,

and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification.

2

Where the registration mark is displayed on the front of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a white background.

3

Where the registration mark is displayed on the back of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a yellow background.

PART 2VEHICLES REGISTERED ON OR AFTER 1ST JANUARY 1973 AND BEFORE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION)

1

The plate must be made of reflex-reflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of—

a

the British Standard Specification for reflex-reflecting number plates, published on 11 September 1972 under the number BS AU 145a14, or

b

and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification.

2

Where the registration mark is displayed on the front of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a white background.

3

Where the registration mark is displayed on the back of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a yellow background.

PART 3VEHICLES REGISTERED BEFORE 1ST JANUARY 1973 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS)

ARequirements where the vehicle carries a registration plate which is constructed so that the mark may be illuminated from behind by virtue of the translucency of its characters.

1

The registration mark must be formed of white translucent characters on a black background on the surface of that plate.

2

When the registration mark is illuminated during the hours of darkness, the characters on that plate must appear white against a black background.

BRequirements where the vehicle carries a registration plate which is not so constructed.

Either of the following is permitted—

1

A plate made of reflex-reflecting material complying with the requirements of the British Standard Specification for reflex-reflecting number plates published on 31 October 1967 under the number BS AU 14515 and which displays black characters on a white background where it is fixed on the front of the vehicle and black characters on a yellow background where it is fixed on the rear of the vehicle.

2

A plate displaying white, silver or light grey letters and numbers on a black surface having every character indelibly inscribed on the surface or so attached to the surface that it cannot readily be detached from it, which may either—

a

be made of cast or pressed metal with raised characters, or

b

consist of a plate to which separate characters are attached, or

c

consist of a plastic plate having either reverse engraved characters or characters of a foil type, or

d

consist of an unbroken rectangular area on the surface of the vehicle which is either flat or, if there is no flat area where the mark is required to be displayed, an area which is almost flat.

SCHEDULE 3LAYOUT OF REGISTRATION MARKS

Regulation 12, 13 and 14

PART 1TABLE A

PERMITTED LAYOUTS FOR REGISTRATION MARKS

(1)	(2)
Description of mark	Permitted layouts
1 A group consisting of two letters and two numbers followed by a group of 3 letters (for example DE51 ABC).	Diagrams 1a and 1b.
2 A group consisting of a single letter and not more than 3 numbers followed by a group of 3 letters (for example A123 ABC).	Diagrams 2a, 2b and 2c.
3 A group of 3 letters followed by a group consisting of not more than 3 numbers and a single letter (for example ABC 123A).	Diagrams 3a, 3b and 3c.
4 A group of 4 numbers followed by a single letter or a group of 2 letters (for example 1234 AB, 1234 A).	Diagrams 4a and 4b.
5 A group of not more than 3 numbers followed by a group of not more than 3 letters (for example 123 ABC, 123 AB, 12 A).	Diagrams 5a and 5b.
6 A group of not more than 3 letters followed by a group of not more than 3 numbers (for example ABC 123, AB 123, A 12).	Diagrams 6a and 6b.
7 A single letter or group of 2 letters followed by a group of 4 numbers (for example AB 1234, A 1234).	Diagrams 7a and 7b.
8 A group of 3 letters followed by a group of 4 numbers (for example ABZ 1234, being a form of mark issued only in Northern Ireland).	Diagrams 8a and 8b.
9 A group of 4 numbers followed by a group of 3 letters (for example 1234 ABZ, being a form of mark issued only in Northern Ireland).	Diagrams 9a and 9b.

PART 2DIAGRAMS SHOWING PERMITTED LAYOUTS

Diagram 1a

Image_r00000

Diagram 1b

Image_r00001

Diagram 2a

Image_r00002

Diagram 2b

Image_r00003

Diagram 2c

Image_r00004

Diagram 3a

Image_r00005

Diagram 3b

Image_r00006

Diagram 3c

Image_r00007

Diagram 4a

Image_r00008

Diagram 4b

Image_r00009

Diagram 5a

Image_r00010

Diagram 5b

Image_r00011

Diagram 6a

Image_r00012

Diagram 6b

Image_r00013

Diagram 7a

Image_r00014

Diagram 7b

Image_r00015

Diagram 8a

Image_r00016

Diagram 8b

Image_r00017

Diagram 9a

Image_r00018

Diagram 9b

Image_r00019

PART 3TABLE B

STROKE AND CHARACTER WIDTH, SPACING AND MARGINS

(1) Relevant dimension	Relevant character height:
	(2) 89 mm.	(3) 79 mm.	(4) 64 mm.
1 Character width (all new registration plates from 1.9.01 except replacement of “classic” plates)	—	50 mm.	44 mm.
2 Character width (other registration plates)	64 mm.	57 mm.	44 mm.
3 Stroke width	16 mm.	14 mm.	10 mm.
4 Space between two characters within group: general rule	13 mm.	11 mm.	10 mm.
5 Horizontal space between groups	38 mm.	33 mm.	30 mm.
6 Vertical space between groups	19 mm.	19 mm.	13 mm.
7 Minimum margin	13 mm.	11 mm.	11 mm.
8 Pressed/embossed plates fixed before 1.9.01 and “classic” plates: space permitted between “I” or “1” and another character	13 to 37 mm.	11 to 33 mm.	—
9 Pressed/embossed plates fixed before 1.9.01 and “classic” plates: space permitted between characters if both “I” or “1”	13 to 60 mm.	11 to 54 mm.	—

SCHEDULE 4PRESCRIBED FONT

Regulation 15(1)

PART 1FONT DESCRIBED FOR CHARACTERS 79 MILIMETRES IN HEIGHT

Image_r00020

PART 2FONT PRESCRIBED FOR CHARACTERS 64 MILIMETRES IN HEIGHT

Image_r00021