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Complete Guide to Number Plate Fonts

January, 5 2016

On September 1st 2001 the DVLA introduced a new compulsory font for all number plates in the United Kingdom. This font was released with the aim of making number plates more easily read. Any number plate attached to a vehicle after this date must meet the requirements detailed below.

Legal number plate font

National Numbers is one of the leading number plate suppliers in the country and a recognised reseller of DVLA registrations, and we've been in the private registration game for over 40 years now.

It's fair to say then, that we love talking about private number plates from the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. It's for this reason, as well as the knowledge of our team of experts, that we're widely considered to be a leading figure in the personalised number plates industry.

A complete guide to DVLA number plate fonts.

In today's blog, we'll be taking a look at DVLA car number plates, in particular the fonts that will make your reg plates road legal in the UK. The reason that this blog is required at all is because the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency have brought about new legislation and British standards for number plates when it comes to fonts, digits, and spacing.

Let's explore the new vehicle registration legislation in a bit more detail before providing a full breakdown of the new rules introduced by the DVLA.

The new DVLA car registration legislation.

On September 1st, 2001, the DVLA introduced a new compulsory font for all registration plates in the United Kingdom.

This font was released with the aim of making vehicle registration plates easier to read by police and ANPR cameras, which will help the police identify vehicles that break any laws. It also helps if you've had your car or private number plates stolen, among a range of other crimes.

Overall then, it's a positive thing, but it's important to understand the rules in some detail so you aren't caught out buying number plates with dodgy spacing or illegal lettering.

Everything you need to know about the new registration font legislation.

The number plate font name

The name for UK car registration fonts is called "Charles Wright", which is named after its original designer. The font was used on many old style number plates before an updated version was created, which is sometimes called "Charles Wright New", and it's this new version that is compulsory on all private registration plates as of September 1st, 2001.

This font is clear, simple, bold, and pretty much perfect for car number plates, which is why it's being introduced on a widescale basis.

Number plate digit spacing

Spacing is often ignored when it comes to dodgy number plate manufacturers, but it's a crucial aspect to make a private plate road legal.

First of all, the digits on UK number plates have to be monospaced. This means that every character (except I / 1) is of equal height and width. This extends to all reg plates on UK roads, from prefix registration plates to suffix private number plates, dateless car registrations, and those from Northern Ireland.

On top of this, all other car registration spacing has to be uniform. This means that there must be an exact gap of 11mm between each character, as well a 11mm margin around the outside of the vehicle registration. The space in the middle of a registration number must also be 33mm according to the DVLA and as of September, UK law.

Again, this makes it easier for police and ANPR cameras to read and identifier a vehicle and vehicle owner.

Number plate font size

Size matters when it comes to fonts for reg plates, and as mentioned previously, UK number plate fonts are monospaced. As a quick refresher, this means that all letters (except I) and numbers (except 1) are the same height and width.

In addition to this, all characters on UK number plates must also be 50mm wide and 79mm tall, and the thickness of each stroke on the characters must be 14mm. This applies to DVLA personalised registrations as well as general government stock, Northern Irish plates, and all new number plate formats moving forward.

Illegal number plate fonts

There are some people selling illegal number plates in the UK, or show plates, that don't adhere to British standards and are not road legal. Sometimes they mess with spacing, so the digits look like they spell a word a bit more clearly, and others use illegal tints, colours, and materials for the acrylic reg plates.

So, let's clear up some confusion around illegal registration marks.

Only two fonts are legal for number plates in the UK: standard and 3D effect (aka two-tone). Previously available fonts such as italic, highline and carbon are now prohibited on new registration marks.

In addition to this, you cannot add anything extra to a registration number other than flags and borders. This means that, for example, you cannot add your own slogan beneath your private registration on the number plate (this space is for the name of the manufacturer/supplier of the plate) and you cannot add any custom image to the side of the number plate.

Essentially, you can't mess with the format that we've spoken about above, and personalisation beyond what's acceptable by the standards of the DVLA is strictly prohibited.

Penalties for illegal number plates

It's pretty simple stuff, but the amount of people trying to flout the rules increases year by year.

The risk of illegal spacing, materials, digits, or anything else we've detailed is a failed MOT for your vehicle and your number plate may also be seized. You're also liable to a police fine of up to £1,000.

More information about registration plate legislation

If you'd like to find out more about the DVLA and their legislation for registration plates, you can visit the National Numbers FAQs page. The FAQs page features lots of information regarding new number plate legislation and personalised plates in general, covering retention documents and entitlement information, age identifiers that correspond to the age of your vehicle, the transfer process for DVLA number plates, transfer fees, and all other British standards.

Visit our car registration FAQs page here.

Buy private number plates with National Numbers.

And for those in the market for a brand new registration number, look no further than National Numbers.

With more than 67 million registration plate options available to buy online, a simple checkout process, finance options, and everything registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, we can help you find the perfect plate and provide an excellent service to every customer. Payment options include debit cards and credit cards, and as a registered number plate supplier in the UK, we offer secure payments for all registration mark sales. We also offer private registration plate valuations for those looking to sell personalised plates.

Browse our range of private number plates here.

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