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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

number plate law - dry reading, but worth knowing..


Mike B
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A lot of you will know this already but thought it would be good info... if not a little dry.

 

I have just changed my plates and have removed a front sticker plate which is afaik now illegal, but I didn't want to put on a massive 520x111 front plate, so I started to check out what can and can't be done within the law...

 

I was pulled some time ago (with legal plates) by a copper who kept getting interrupted on his moble by some one protesting that their undersized plate was legal.. the copper was having none of it... so I thought I would find out and, if true, carry a copy of the law in the car - save messing around..

 

I have looked as far as I can without boring myself stupid, and there is a loophole announced in a 2002 ammendment to the Display of registration marks act, which states imported cars which do not have type approval are allowed smaller plates as long as the follow the following rules;

 

.......................................................................................................................

 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/uksi_20022687_en.pdf

 

"(2) After regulation 14, insert the following regulation—

“Size and spacing of characters: special cases

 

14A.—(1) This regulation applies in relation to any vehicle imported into the United

Kingdom which—

(a) does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval; and

(b) is so constructed that the area available for the fixing of the registration plate precludes the display on the plate of a registration mark in conformity with the requirements of regulation 14.

 

(2) In relation to a vehicle to which this regulation applies—

(a) each character in the registration mark must be 64 millimetres high;

(b) the width of each character of the mark, other than the letter “I” and the figure “1”, must be 44 millimetres;

© the width of every part of the stroke forming a character in a mark must be 10 millimetres;

(d) the spacing between any two characters within a group must be 10 millimetres;

(e) the vertical spacing between groups of characters must be 5 millimetres;

(f) the width of a margin between the mark and the top and lateral sides of the registration plate must be not less than 5 millimetres;

(g) the space between the bottom of the mark and the bottom of the registration plate must be not less than 13 millimetres; but, within that space, the space between the bottom of the mark and the top of the name and postcode of the person by whom the plate was supplied must be not less than 5millimetres.”(a)

 

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport.

David Jamieson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

24th October 2002 Department for Transport"

 

.................................................................................................................

 

The only bit open to interpretaion by us and our friends in blue is the word "preculdes"

 

Definition;"To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent.

To exclude or prevent (someone) from a given condition or activity: Modesty precludes me from accepting the honor."

 

Well - lets face it it is always possible - but you can argue that there is too much windange and it would shatter and come off, or that it impedes ariflow into the car and makes it over heat.. still not clear but we are allowed...

 

well.......

 

jspec owners, anyway ;)

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I read about this on the dvla website once and thought about keeping a copy in the car. I have a j-spec with bomex front bumper and the proper numberplate mounting is very small. So, can I get away with having a small number plate on my import even if its an aftermarket bumper? (see pics of number plate attached) The small plate is actually as big as the proper holder I have for this bumper, and a larger plate would not fit. Although I have managed so put a square one on as I got pulled for it a while ago

 

image

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all the specs are listed above - you'd have to get your tape measure out and check yours against the meausrements above...

 

If your car was imported into the UK, it doesn't seem to matter what bumper is on it, the law states you can get away with the above...

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I sold a 98 corvette i imported to a guy , i sva,d it fitted the plates in the original places.

He had lots of hassle from the police and ended up with a fine.

I knew the plates were ok so i told him to ring vosa, anyway he got his fine money back and a sorry letter from the police,

just proves they dont know everything!.

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