How to Check If Your Number Plates Are Legal (UK Checklist 2026)
Plate Legality · 10 March 2026 · 5 min read
Not sure if your plates are road legal? Use this quick checklist to verify your number plates meet BS AU 145e standards and avoid a £1,000 fine.
How to Check If Your Number Plates Are Legal
If you're unsure whether your current plates meet UK legal standards, use this quick checklist to verify compliance. Driving with illegal plates can result in a £1,000 fine, MOT failure, and police attention.
The 10-Point Legal Plate Checklist
✅ 1. BS AU 145e mark visible — Look for "BS AU 145e" printed somewhere on the plate (usually bottom corner). This confirms the plate was manufactured to the current British Standard.
✅ 2. Supplier name and postcode displayed — Every road-legal plate must show the DVLA-registered supplier's trading name and postcode. If there's no supplier mark, the plate is likely a show plate and is not road legal.
✅ 3. Correct font — All characters must use the Charles Wright 2001 typeface. No italic, bold, shadowed, or decorative fonts are permitted.
✅ 4. Correct character size — Characters must be 79mm tall, 50mm wide (except '1' and 'I'), with a 14mm stroke width for standard plates. Motorcycle plates use smaller dimensions.
✅ 5. Correct spacing — 11mm between characters, 33mm between groups. No letters should be spaced apart or pushed together to spell words.
✅ 6. White front plate — The front plate must have a white retroreflective background with solid black characters.
✅ 7. Yellow rear plate — The rear plate must have a yellow retroreflective background with solid black characters.
✅ 8. Characters are solid black — No tinted, coloured, carbon-effect, or smoked characters. Characters must be solid black on both front and rear plates.
✅ 9. No covers or coatings — Plastic covers, gel overlays, tinted films, or any coating that reduces reflectivity or legibility is illegal.
✅ 10. Plate is legible from 20 metres — Stand 20 metres from your vehicle and check you can read every character clearly. If any characters are faded, cracked, or obscured, the plate needs replacing.
Common Reasons Plates Fail an MOT
| Issue | Result |
|---|---|
| Missing BS AU 145e mark | Fail |
| No supplier name/postcode | Fail |
| Wrong font or spacing | Fail |
| Faded or peeling characters | Fail |
| Cracked or damaged plate | Fail |
| Tinted cover or coating | Fail |
| Yellow front or white rear | Fail |
| Characters not black | Fail |
| Plate not securely fixed | Fail |
What If My Plates Are Illegal?
If your plates don't pass the checklist, you need to replace them before driving. Driving with non-compliant plates is an offence under the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.
To get replacement plates, you'll need to provide proof of identity and entitlement to a DVLA-registered supplier.
Where to Get Legal Plates
At Limitless Plates, every plate we manufacture is:
- BS AU 145e compliant with the standard mark printed on every plate
- DVLA-registered — our supplier details are printed on every plate
- Correct font and spacing — automatically applied, no option to change
- Approved retroreflective material — white front, yellow rear
- Available in standard, 3D gel, 4D, and 4D gel
Check your plates and order replacements — design your new plates in our 3D configurator and have them delivered same-day.