Hi everyone, I’ve been doing lots of searching on this without much clarity!
I have a 91 mx5 with a stock on front plate. The plate was on the vehicle when I bought it in 1996 and has never been changed.
The question is… is it legal?
Now, some may say it does not comply with the regs brought in in 2001 and hence it is not. However, those regs only apply to replacement plates made after 2001. So my car does not need to comply with the 2001 regs and is perfectly legal so long as the plates comply with the legislation in place when the plate was made (some time between 91 and 96). Can anyone give me clarity on what the legislation was for number plates at that time?
Stick on plates aren’t legal. Even befofe 2001, the reflective material had to meet BS AU 145d[13], and at that time, no stick-on reflective material met that standard.
[quote=Standard] VEHICLES REGISTERED ON OR AFTER 1ST JANUARY 1973 AND BEFORE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION)
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 145a[14], 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.[/quote]
Stick on plates are still not legal however. The OP runs the risk of a fixed notice penalty. It might be a slight risk, but its a risk. The plate is never a problem until you are stopped and issued a ticket.
Slightly different, I was pulled and fined because of my rear plate. The rear plate was perfectly legal in 1998, but was not legal in 2001. I had previously owned a Roadster in Northern Ireland that was imported in 1997. I transferred the registration in 2005 to another Roadster, and was an utter skinflint in decided to physically take the plate off one car and put it on another, rather than pay ~£25 for a new plate. The plate went through 5 further MOTs without issue, until one night in Watford, I was pulled over. The police were apologietic, the plate had screwed around with their ANPR, and they had no alternative but to pull me over. New rules meant they could not issue a “producer” but instead had to fine me on the spot.
Second fine esclates. hird fine means any personalised late is withsrawn, and futher financial penalties.