Sandhurst Autoprint's products and services all comply with current DVLA legislation and British Standards. The DVLA provide the licence plate number and set requirements on how the registration number must be displayed on the plate. The current British Standard sets the physical characteristics of a number plate. These requirements are based on visibility, strength and reflectivity. Our in house production systems and printing equipment offered to our customers is tailored to produce legal number plates for the UK.

 

DVLA Legislation

 

The DVLA provides instructions for number plate suppliers, manufacturers and customers buying licence plates for their vehicles on how the registration number must be displayed. Motorists driving with illegal number plates could be fined up to £1,000 and face an M.O.T failure.

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• More information on DVLA number plate legislation is available here 

 

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DVLA, RNPS – Register of Number Plate Suppliers

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The Register of Number Plate Suppliers is a department of the DVLA who administer and monitor businesses that manufacture licence plates. You must be registered with the RNPS if you are making number plates for vehicles that are being sold in a B2C market and if you’re selling number plates to the public.

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• More information on the DVLA, Register of Number Plate Suppliers can be found here

 

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British Standard BSAU145d

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This standard has now been superseded from September 2021 to BSAU145e. This is the first change in legislation since 2001

 

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British Standard BS AU 145e

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​ In September 2021 BSAU145e was introduced. Number plates manufactured to the current British Standard should have the BSAU145e mark on the bottom right of the plate. This certifies the licence plate has been made to comply with requirements set by the current British Standard, it is a legal plate and fit for purpose.

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The main changes in the legislation was the introduction of new tests the plates need to pass and dimensions of the details on the plate:

a. The space between the bottom of the registration mark and any other mark must not be less than 7 millimetres.
b. Outlet artworks (at the bottom centre of the plate) can only be one shade of non-reflecting colour and be between 3 and 10mm high (inclusive).
c. Optional borders must be 5mm or thinner in width, can only be one shade of non-reflecting colour and mustn’t infringe closer than 10mm from the

   edge of any registration digit.

 

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BNMA – British Number Plate Manufacturers Association

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Sandhurst Autoprint are proud members of The British Number Plate Manufacturers Association (BNMA). The BNMA are an organisation that represents 95% of the UK’s major number plate component, manufacturers and distributors. They are the industry’s link to the UK government’s Department of Transport and the DVLA. 

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• More information on the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association can be found here

 

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What is a Legal Number Plate?

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View our guide to how a legal number plate should be presented here