BAILII [Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]

United Kingdom Statutory Instruments


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Statutory Instruments >> The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 No. 561
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2001/20010561.html

[New search] [Help]



STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2001 No. 561

ROAD TRAFFIC

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001

  Made 26th February 2001 
  Laid before Parliament 28th February 2001 
  Coming into force
  for the purposes of regulations 1(1)(a) and 17 21st March 2001 
  for all other purposes 1st September 2001 


ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS


PART I

PRELIMINARY
1. Citation, commencement and revocation.
2. Interpretation: general.
3. Exempt vehicles.

PART II

REGISTRATION PLATES
4. Interpretation of Part II.
5. Fixing of rear registration plates: vehicles registered on or after relevant date.
6. Fixing of front registration plates: vehicles registered on or after relevant date.
7. Fixing of registration plates: vehicles registered before relevant date.
8. Fixing of registration plates: works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines.
9. Lighting of rear registration plates.
10. Specifications for registration plates.
11. Further requirements for registration plates.

PART III

REGISTRATION MARKS
12. Interpretation of Part III.
13. Layout of marks.
14. Size and spacing of characters.
15. Style of characters.

PART IV

MISCELLANEOUS
16. International distinguishing signs and other material.
17. Optional early use of new-specification plates and prescribed font.
18. Saving for vehicles constructed before 1st January 1973.
19. Offences under section 59 of the Act.

SCHEDULES

  1. Regulations revoked.

  2. Requirements for registration plates.

  3. Layout of registration marks.

  4. Prescribed font.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 23(3) and (4) and 57 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994[
1], and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations: - 



PART I

PRELIMINARY

Citation, commencement and revocation
     1.  - (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 and shall come into force - 

    (2) The regulations specified in Schedule 1 are hereby revoked.

Interpretation: general
    
2.  - (1) In these Regulations the following expressions shall have the following meanings - 

    (2) Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference in these Regulations to - 

is to be construed, where the vehicle is towing a trailer, so as to include a reference to the registration plate which is required under these Regulations to be fixed to the trailer or a reference to the mark displayed on the plate fixed to that trailer.

Exempt vehicles
     3. Nothing in these Regulations applies to - 



PART II

REGISTRATION PLATES

Interpretation of Part II
    
4. In this Part the following expressions shall have the following meanings - 

where one corner of the square is immediately below the middle of the plate and the diagonal of the square from that corner is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

Fixing of rear registration plates: vehicles registered on or after the relevant date
     5.  - (1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines, first registered on or after the relevant date.

    (2) A registration plate must be fixed on the rear of - 

    (3) Where a vehicle (or, in a case where the plate is required to be fixed on a trailer, that trailer) has been constructed so as to satisfy the requirements of the relevant type-approval directive, whether or not it is required by law to satisfy them, the plate may be fixed in the space provided in accordance with those requirements but if it is not so fixed it must be fixed in the manner required by paragraph (5).

    (4) Except as provided in paragraph (3) the plate must be fixed in the manner required by paragraph (5).

    (5) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed - 

    (6) The diagonal length of the relevant area is - 

Fixing of front registration plates: vehicles registered on or after the relevant date
    
6.  - (1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines, first registered on or after the relevant date.

    (2) Except as provided in paragraph (5), a registration plate must be fixed on the front of the vehicle in the manner required by paragraph (3).

    (3) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed - 

    (4) The diagonal length of the relevant area is - 

    (5) In the case of a motor cycle or a motor tricycle which does not have a body of a type which is characteristic of the body of a four-wheeled vehicle - 

Fixing of registration plates: vehicles registered before the relevant date
    
7.  - (1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines, first registered before the relevant date.

    (2) Except as provided in paragraph (4), a registration plate must be fixed in the manner required by paragraph (3) on - 

    (3) This paragraph requires each plate to be fixed - 

    (4) In the case of a motor cycle and a motor tricycle which does not have a body of a type which is characteristic of the body of a four-wheeled vehicle, a registration plate need not be fixed on the front of the vehicle.

Fixing of registration plates: works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines
    
8.  - (1) This regulation applies to works trucks, road rollers and agricultural machines.

    (2) A registration plate must be fixed on the vehicle in a vertical position or, where that is not possible, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable - 

    (3) Where the towing vehicle is an agricultural machine, a plate fixed on the trailer may, instead of displaying the registration mark of the towing vehicle, display the mark of any other agricultural machine kept by the keeper of the towing vehicle.

Lighting of rear registration plates
    
9.  - (1) This regulation applies to vehicles other than - 

    (2) Where the vehicle is being used on a road between sunset and sunrise the registration plate fixed on the rear of - 

must be lit in accordance with this regulation.

    (3) Where a vehicle (or, in a case where the plate is required to be fixed on a trailer, that trailer) has been constructed so as to satisfy the requirements of the relevant type-approval directive, whether or not it is required by law to satisfy them, that plate may be lit by a lamp which complies with those requirements but if it is not so lit it must be lit in the manner required by paragraph (5).

    (4) Except as provided in paragraph (3) that plate must be lit in the manner required by paragraph (5).

    (5) This paragraph requires the plate to be lit so that it is easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having a diagonal length - 

Specifications for registration plates
    
10.  - (1) A registration mark must be displayed on a registration plate conforming to the requirements prescribed by this regulation.

    (2) In the case of a vehicle first registered on or after 1st September 2001 the registration plate must conform to the requirements set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2.

    (3) Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a vehicle first registered on or after 1st January 1973 but before 1st September 2001 the registration plate must conform either to the requirements set out in Part 2 of Schedule 2 or to the requirements set out in Part 1 of that Schedule.

    (4) Where on or after 1st September 2001 a new registration plate is fixed to a vehicle to which paragraph (3) applies to replace a plate previously fixed thereto, the plate must conform to the requirements set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2.

    (5) In the case of a vehicle first registered before 1st January 1973, the registration plate must conform either to one of the requirements set out in Part 3 of Schedule 2 or to the requirements set out in Part 2 of that Schedule or to the requirements set out in Part 1 of that Schedule.

    (6) The corners of a registration plate may be rounded off provided that the requirements of regulation 14(9) (margins around registration marks) are not thereby infringed.

Further requirements for registration plates
    
11.  - (1) No reflex-reflecting material may be applied to any part of a registration plate and the plate must not be treated in such a way that the characters of the registration mark become, or are caused to act as, retroreflective characters.

    (2) A registration plate must not be treated in any other way which renders the characters of the registration mark less easily distinguishable to the eye or which would prevent or impair the making of a true photographic image of the plate through the medium of camera and film or any other device.

    (3) A registration plate must not be fixed to a vehicle - 

which has the effect of changing the appearance or legibility of any of the characters of the registration mark, which renders the characters of the registration mark less easily distinguishable to the eye or which prevents or impairs the making of a true photographic image of the plate through the medium of camera and film or any other device.

    (4) Section 59(2)(a) of the Act (regulations the contravention of which attracts a level 3 fine) applies to paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of this regulation.



PART III

REGISTRATION MARKS

Interpretation of Part III
    
12.  - (1) In this Part and in Schedule 3, the following expressions shall have the following meanings - 

    (2) Any provision as to measurement contained in this Part or in Schedule 3 shall be taken to be complied with - 

    (3) For the purpose of any provision contained in this Part or in Schedule 3 as to the spacing between characters or between groups of characters or as to the width of a margin the measurement shall be made - 

Layout of marks
    
13.  - (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a registration mark of a description specified in column (1) of Table A must be laid out on the registration plate in conformity with one of the diagrams specified in relation to that description in column (2) of Table A.

    (2) A mark displayed on a motor cycle may not be laid out in conformity with diagram 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a or 9a.

    (3) A mark may not be laid out in conformity with diagram 2c, 3c, 4b or 7b if it is displayed on - 

Size and spacing of characters
    
14.  - (1) Except in the cases mentioned in paragraphs (2) and (3), each character in a registration mark must be 79 millimetres high.

    (2) In the case of a registration mark displayed on a vehicle first registered before 1st September 2001, a character in a registration mark may be 89 millimetres high unless - 

    (3) In the case of a registration mark fixed on a motor cycle, motor tricycle, quadricycle, agricultural machine, works truck or road roller, each character of the mark may be 64 millimetres high.

    (4) The width of each character of a mark other than the letter "I" and the figure "1" must be - 

    (5) The width of every part of the stroke forming a character in a mark must be that shown in line 3 of Table B in relation to the relevant character height.

    (6) Except in a case to which paragraph (11) applies, the spacing between any two characters within a group must be that shown in line 4 of Table B in relation to the relevant character height.

    (7) The horizontal spacing between groups of characters in a mark must be that shown in line 5 of Table B in relation to the relevant character height.

    (8) The vertical spacing between groups of characters must be that shown in line 6 of Table B in relation to the relevant character height.

    (9) The width of a margin between the mark and the top, bottom and lateral edges of the registration plate must be not less than that shown in line 7 of Table B in relation to the relevant character height.

    (10) Paragraph (11) applies where - 

    (11) Where this paragraph applies the spacing between - 

but where one or more characters in a group is "I" or "1" all the characters within that group must be evenly spaced.

Style of characters
    
15.  - (1) In the case of a registration mark displayed - 

each of the characters of the mark must be in the prescribed font.

    (2) Except in a case to which paragraph (1) applies, each of the characters of the registration mark must either be in the prescribed font or in a style which is substantially similar to the prescribed font so that the character is easily distinguishable and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of those requirements, characters must not be formed in any way described in paragraph (4) or in a manner which is similar to any of those ways.

    (3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), a character shall not be treated as being in a style which is not substantially similar to the prescribed font merely by virtue of the fact that it has, or does not have, serifs.

    (4) The ways of forming characters referred to in paragraph (2) are their formation - 



PART IV

MISCELLANEOUS

International distinguishing signs and other material
    
16.  - (1) No material other than a registration mark may be displayed on a registration plate except material complying with the requirements of any of the relevant standards mentioned in Schedule 2.

    (2) Where a mark is displayed on a dual purpose plate - 

    (3) Unless it forms part of a dual purpose plate a registration plate may not be combined with a plate or device of any kind containing material which would not be permitted to be displayed on a dual purpose plate.

Optional early use of new-specification plates and prescribed font
    
17.  - (1) This regulation applies in a case where, on or after 21st March and before 1st September 2001 a registration mark on a vehicle - 

    (2) Where this regulation applies - 

(which provide for the format and means of display of registration plates and marks) shall cease to apply in respect of that vehicle and any trailer being towed by it and the provisions of these Regulations shall apply instead.

Saving for vehicles constructed before 1st January 1973
     18. For the purposes of these Regulations a vehicle which was first registered on or after 1st January 1973 shall be treated as if it was first registered before that date if - 

Offences under section 59 of the Act
     19.  - (1) For the purposes of section 59(1) of the Act (regulations: offences), the person responsible for complying with these Regulations is the person driving the vehicle or, where it is not being driven, the person keeping it.

    (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a regulation the breach of which would constitute an offence under section 42(1) of the Act (not fixing a registration mark as required by virtue of section 23).



Signed on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions


Larry Whitty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

26th February 2001



SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 1(2)


REGULATIONS REVOKED


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 2
Regulation 10


REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION PLATES




PART 1

VEHICLES 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 - 

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 2

VEHICLES 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 - 

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 3

VEHICLES REGISTERED BEFORE 1ST JANUARY 1973 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS)

     A. Requirements 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.

     B. Requirements 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 145[
15] 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 - 



SCHEDULE 3
Regulation 12, 13 and 14


LAYOUT OF REGISTRATION MARKS




PART 1

TABLE 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 2

DIAGRAMS SHOWING PERMITTED LAYOUTS

Diagram 1a

Diagram 1b

Diagram 2a

Diagram 2b

Diagram 2c

Diagram 3a

Diagram 3b

Diagram 3c

Diagram 4a

Diagram 4b

Diagram 5a

Diagram 5b

Diagram 6a

Diagram 6b

Diagram 7a

Diagram 7b

Diagram 8a

Diagram 8b

Diagram 9a

Diagram 9b



PART 3

TABLE 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 4
Regulation 15(1)


PRESCRIBED FONT




PART 1

FONT DESCRIBED FOR CHARACTERS 79 MILIMETRES IN HEIGHT

    



PART 2

FONT PRESCRIBED FOR CHARACTERS 64 MILIMETRES IN HEIGHT

    



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations revoke and replace regulations 17 to 22 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 and regulations 18 to 23 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973 and instruments amending those regulations by making new provision in respect of the fixing and lighting of registration plates on vehicles and for the format of registration marks.

The principal changes from the revoked provisions are:

The Regulations make the use of mandatory plates containing characters of the specified size in the prescribed font (with or without the international distinguishing sign) optional on vehicles either currently registered or first registered before 1st September 2001 with effect from 21st March 2001. (See regulation 17.)

A draft of these Regulations has been communicated to the European Commission in accordance with Article 8 of Directive 98/34/EC (a directive of the European Parliament and Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations; OJ No. L204, 21.7.98, p. 37).

The Regulations have been made in conjunction with the Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/560). A combined Regulatory Impact Assessment for the two instruments has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Road Safety Division of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Zone 2/09 Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone number 020 7944 2452) or viewed on the DETR website www.detr.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the library of both Houses of Parliament.


Notes:

[1] 1994 c. 22. Section 57(1) was amended by the Finance Act 1996 (c. 8), Schedule 2, paragraph 16.back

[2] Paragraphs 4B and 4C of Schedule 1 were inserted by the Finance Act 1995, Schedule 4, paragraph 10.back

[3] OJ No. L 299, 10.11.98, p. 1.back

[4] OJ No. L311, 14.12.93, p. 83.back

[5] OJ No. L118, 6.5.99, p. 32.back

[6] OJ No. L331, 14.12.93, p. 1.back

[7] OJ No. L75, 6.4.70, p. 25.back

[8] OJ No. L262, 27.9.76, p. 85.back

[9] OJ No. L171, 30.6.97, p. 49.back

[10] S.I. 1971/450. The Relevant amendments are by S.I. 1972/1865, 1975/1089 and 1984/814.back

[11] S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1973 No. 490. The relevant amendments are by S.I. 1976/2180.back

[12] Paragraph 1A was inserted by the Finance act 1996, s. 19, and amended by the Finance Act 1998, s. 17.back

[13] Published by the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL. The ISBN number is 0 580 28985 0. Copies may be obtained by post from BSI Customer Services, Sales Department, at the above address or from a BSI sales outlet.back

[14] Published by the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL, being the first revision of the standard first published in 1967. The ISBN number is 0 580 07327 0. Copies may be obtained by post from BSI Customer Services, Sales Department, at the above address or from a BSI sales outlet.back

[15] Published by the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL, the standard having been revised in 1972 to BS AU 145a, as to which see the immediately preceding footnote.back

[16] The directives are Council Directives 70/222/EEC, 76/760/EEC (as amended by Commission Directive 97/31/EC), 93/92/EEC (as amended by Commission Directive 99/26/EC) and 93/94/EEC.back



ISBN 0 11 028799 1


 © Crown copyright 2001

Prepared 7 March 2001


BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2001/20010561.html