Number Plate Spacing

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merckdan

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Considering buying a private number plate for the first time. I’ve seen a D4 NXO which the current owner has always had printed as D4N XO. What are the chances of getting pulled over? And what actually happens if you do? I’ve seen so many people with plates that have been moved like that.
 
Playing around with the reg is an offence and as it will not have the relevant standard marks on the plate then it is just down to luck if you are pulled for it. You would also have to have the originals to be displayed at MOT time.

Roger
 
Considering buying a private number plate for the first time. I’ve seen a D4 NXO which the current owner has always had printed as D4N XO. What are the chances of getting pulled over? And what actually happens if you do? I’ve seen so many people with plates that have been moved like that.
If you get pulled you’ll probably just get a warning but you can get a fine (£100 I think)... 3 strikes and the DVLA can revoke the registration (I think this is pretty rare).
 
3 strikes and the DVLA can revoke the registration (I think this is pretty rare).
Not even that, the police can report it to the DVLA on the first offence if they deem it sufficiently serious - no warnings. It's also technically an MoT failure, but I don't envisage many test stations adhering to that.
 
Apparently the reason for the rule is wrong spacings mess up ANPR. The possibility that it could make it easier for a human witness to remember it is immaterial. For instance, with this number, DAN XO would stick in the mind more than D4 NXO.

However, accident/incident witnesses don’t raise cash. ANPR systems do, and will also have benefits elsewhere - entry to prebooked airport car parks, for instance!!
 
Yep, just pot luck if you get pulled, depends what kind of day the copper has had, or wether he's got one on him etc, but always be polite, don't try to be funny, they could just warn you, or if you get a copper like I got, the book was out, £100 fine, you takes ya chance, as they say. :)

 
Slim chance of getting stopped unless you are doing something "look at me" Bad wrap,speeding,thumping tunes.As others have said they could take it back.
 
I was continually getting pulled for the plate on my old Saab , got fed up in the end with replacing it for the MOT and having to be overly nice to a jobsworth police person so just put it back to the standard spacing and sold it with the car.

100_1317-1 by Kenny Niven, on Flickr

K
 
I’m sure I read something somewhere about number plate regs being tightened up this year. Think 3D plates are becoming illegal too?
 
Correct! And points on licence?
 
Apparently the reason for the rule is wrong spacings mess up ANPR. The possibility that it could make it easier for a human witness to remember it is immaterial. For instance, with this number, DAN XO would stick in the mind more than D4 NXO.

However, accident/incident witnesses don’t raise cash. ANPR systems do, and will also have benefits elsewhere - entry to prebooked airport car parks, for instance!!

Our local town centre multi-story has ANPR now - it opens the barrier automatically as you leave (if you've paid!). It's not a big stretch to imagine automated cameras issuing tickets for mis-spaced plates in future - as you say, it's easy money.
 
Slim chance of getting stopped unless you are doing something "look at me" Bad wrap,speeding,thumping tunes.As others have said they could take it back.

Some years back a friend of mine (very conservative older guy) had a "K90 xxx" plate on his new-ish Shogun, spaced as "K9 xxxx". He got pulled for it twice in quick succession and had to change it ... as mentioned with actual Police officers it depends what sort of a day they're having etc. Just the luck of the draw really.
 
Carry a spare set of correctly spaced plates in the boot,when your pulled over be allowed polite and acknowledge the fact you are in the wrong and offer to change said plates. Jobs a good un.
 
Carry a spare set of correctly spaced plates in the boot,when your pulled over be allowed polite and acknowledge the fact you are in the wrong and offer to change said plates. Jobs a good un.

I don't think you'll get away with that more than once though ... there's likely to be a record of you being asked to change the plates.
 
Ok so it's wrong & does tend to mess up ANPR ( yes I know as I was a cctv control room manager) however even working in that position I still drove around with A20 **R on my coupe incorrectly spaced & still ownership in 2007 have never been stopped by the boys in blue. Now I have a second car registered YR03 D*R & haven't been stopped over the passed 18 mths.
 
Well the chances of being pulled over while driving are remote,I have only ever been spoken too about my plate once when I went to a Morrisons fuel station and a rozzer was eating his take away sandwiches,he addressed me by my surname so at least the plate works,not sure what it is with rozzers eating that sharpens their urge to write a ticket,I was in a Mc Donalds with my grandson when armed with his takeaway burger a rozzer started to pay attention to my car so said Grandson got another ice cream and me a coffee and we waited him out.
I would suggest you carry a correct set of plates,then you can always say plates on the car were bought for your xmas or birthday and yes you do have the real plates in the boot that should head them off giving you a fine,you will need to fit them for a MOT,unless you know the test centre is not manned by testers who salute the flag every morning,the one I use normally does care about number plates.
 
The sad thing is that I have no idea what these illegally spaced plates are trying to "say" most of the time! :thumb:
 

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