The new car I am buying (Indy) has very low ground clearance at the front especially with a legal size front number plate attached.........

Sadly, I will be driving predominantly in N Wales where the traffic police are sharper than the average bear and I suspect that the currently fitted small plate may taking the p*ss a bit.

I have noticed that some cars have the "sticker" type front number plates across the top front of the nose cones and wonder:

1. Are there any requirements as to where they are exactly positioned from a legal point of view.
2. I assume they have to be the same size as a standard plate.
3. Where do you get them from???
4. Are they superglue strong (ie once they are on thats its or can they be applied and removed easily even if they're not reusable
5. Talking of reusable, is there any other alternative methods of attaching a plate like this to make removal easier?????

Thanks for your help in advance

MOz

Stick on number plates are illegal AFAIR

That said I use one and have been into north wales conastabularies area with no problems so far.

As long as you use the correct font and a stick on plate as close to standard size as possible (ie dont use italicised times new roman font etc) then I doubt youll have a problem.

I'm pretty sure that stickers are not legal, fullstop.

I'm sure you can get them made up on ebay (as show plates).

I got mine from

www.fancyplates.com

btw (i think)

I think they used to be legal but not since they updated the regs to give camera vans an easier time.

Found this posting from a plate manufacturer which seems even handed on the subject (another for the 'do as we say' files if the last sentence is correct.

http://www.craigsplates.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85

Yup. Stick on plates are pretty illegal.....

You can get them from many vendors on Ebay and the web (as show plates only mind you...)... They stick on pretty well- not sure how I'd get mine off but I think they'd take some of the gel coat off unless I slowly soaked them off...

If the font is reasonably normal (e.g. not italic) and the spacing / font size is normal the amount of nothingness around it isn't so important... you'd be unlucky to get nicked for that.... Mostly small reg plates are that size because the writing is blooming small rather than they've been trimmed....

Of course some people just buy a front number plate run over it with their car and say (if they get stopped) that it fell off and they're going to the nearest garage to get it re-attached.... Trouble is, although grey-area-enough to be legal, they'll probably then go over the car with a fine tooth comb for something else to nick you on....

Of course there is a dispensation for nose cone number plates on cars designed and built before the rules changes- one reason why having a Q ("Q"uestionable age) plate is a good thing... Okay, if they look you up on the database they'll see the date of first use but you're more likely to get stopped (I reckon / hope) with a brand new reg number with a nosecone plate....

....but at the end of the day they're illegal and you could get nicked for it....

I heard that some cars (e-type was used as an example) are allowed stick on plates.

Its one of those areas that most coppers wont know the regs and you may get lucky or you might not. Depends how interested they are in your car I guess.

According to my MOT guys,
The number plate must be visible from the front of the car, the numbers/letter's must be of regulation size, and uniform seperation from each other, with no spaces or other marks,

my car has gone thru all of its MOT like it is now
He has however mentioned, that he feels that its up to the mot tester on the day,


I still have my original number plate that is kept in the boot, and can be put on in seconds, if the BIB decide that I am not playing by there rules

"Yup. Stick on plates are pretty illegal....."

sorry, but that is bollox,
This is taken from the current MOT website , nowhere does it say stick on plates are illegal, and no where does it say, sticking them on a nosecone is illegal
it does however say that you will need to be able to read them from 20 metres

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm

The Testers Manual
6.3 Registration Plates and VIN Details
Information Method of Inspection Reason for rejection
Registration Plates

Unregistered vehicles
Unregistered vehicles need not be fitted with registration plates.

Style of letters/figures
Letters/figures must be of equal width along their entire length.

Letters or figures of a particular style, eg 'computer' or 'sloped' are not to be regarded a reason for rejection unless they are likely to be misread,

Note: a three-wheeled vehicle, which has a motorcycle derived front end, does not require a front number plate.
1. Check that there is a registration plate both at the front and the rear of the vehicle, and check each one for security and condition.

2. Refer to page 6 and check visually that the letters and figures are correctly formed, spaced, and are not obviously likely to be misread due to, for example, badly positioned or uncovered retaining bolts etc (see information column
Style of letters/figures).
1. A registration plate:
a. missing or incorrect

b. so insecure that it is likely to fall off

c. letter or figure missing or incomplete

d. faded, dirty, deteriorated or obscured, (for example by a towbar so that it is likely to be misread or is not easily legible by a person standing approximately 20 metres to the front/rear of the vehicle)

2. A registration plate with:
a. letters and figures obviously incorrectly spaced

b. letter or figure not correctly formed or likely to be misread

c. a letter or figure which is obviously not of equal width along its entire length

d. any feature on a number plate that has the effect of changing the appearance or legibility of any of the characters, so that the true identity of the vehicle is less easily identified.

Vehicle Identification Number
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN or chassis number) is required on all vehicles first used on or after 1 August 1980. except those which are
. kit cars
. amateur built vehicles
If a VIN cannot be found the vehicle presenter should be advised of the likely location of the VIN and to thoroughly search for the number with the aid of the registration document. If following this action the VIN cannot be found the vehicle presenter should contact the nearest Vehicle Registration Office.
If more than one different VIN is found, the vehicle presenter should contact the nearest Vehicle Registration Office.
3. Check that the vehicle is permanently displaying a legible Vehicle Identification Number (this can either be
. on a VIN plate secured to the vehicle. or
. stamped or etched on the vehicle
body or chassis).
Note: A guide as to the likely location of a VIN is given in appendix B.
3.
a. a Vehicle Identification Number not permanently displayed or not legible, or

b. more than one different Vehicle Identification Number displayed

The Registration Mark must be set out in one of the following ways

Layout 1
Letters on one line, figures on another
New style registration format introduced from 1st September 2001



Layout 2
The gap between letters and figures must be at least double the gap between adjacent letters or figures



Note 1: A year identifying letter is regarded as a figure

Note 2: Vehicles with foreign or diplomatic registrations need not conform to these layouts.

This Gap must be greater than the gap between adjacent letters or figures
Issue Date: June 2002

Sorry Steve, but they are illegal in the eyes of the law, I've been pulled twice

Click THIS link and look up Para 6,3a it's what the nice police man quoted to me. A stick on number plate os mounted no where near vertical enough for my local coppers at least. Para 11 refers to using reflex reflecting material which most don't have.
ATB Dan.

I think that Mr Plod will be fairly ok about illegal plates as long as you don't push your luck too far with silly fonts and designs. I have got a small (70%scale) version sticky front plate because there is no way I can fit a full size rigid plate without blocking my cooling intake.
From a distance it looks normal ... just further away No problems so far

Thanks Scutter, for the info, nice bed time reading !! for a good sleep

so the MOT and the Road Traffic act differ considerably ?
and no mention about sticky plates in either, perhaps my car is ok, as the Road Traffic act. came into effect more than a year of me getting on the road

all rule are up for interpretation so say that to mount the plate low to keep the airflow to the rad would be dangerous, to mount it over the intake would be dameging so sticking on the nose was the best you could do, they won,t take you to court over this one.
Razman where you gonna put yours then?
I think i might use a smaller one on the front and see how i get on.

[Edited on 29/1/07 by snapper]

quote:

---

Originally posted by snapper

Razman where you gonna put yours then?
I think i might use a smaller one on the front and see how i get on.

---

Steve, tell me about it. He quoted it to me so i just had to look it up, Having just reread it I'm now off to bed.

ATB Dan.

as can be seen in mt avtar, my plate is readable from the front, except by me, as im a dwarf !!

any one over 6ft could read it from a distance