LCGB Forums

Do you need a yellow reflective number plate for an M O T

Loads of info' on the DVLA website........

7 Number plate design specification
Vehicles manufactured after 1 January 1973 must display
number plates:
n made of a reflective material
n with a white background at the front of the vehicle and
a yellow background at the back of the vehicle, and
n with black letters and numbers

Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001
The characters on number plates fitted before
1 September 2001 must meet the size requirements
shown below.
Group 1 Group 2
Number plates Traditional
fitted before number plates
1 September 2001 for vehicles made
before 1 January
1973
Character height 89mm 79mm
Character width (except
the number 1 or letter I) 64mm 57mm
Character stroke 16mm 14mm
Space between characters 13mm 11mm
Space between the age
identifier and
random numbers 38mm 33mm
Side margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Top and bottom
margins (minimum) 13mm 11mm
Vertical space between
the age identifier and the
random numbers 19mm 19mm
Traditional number plates for vehicles made
before 1 January 1973
Vehicles made before 1 January 1973 may display
traditional ’black and white’ number plates (for example,
white, silver or grey characters on a black plate)

short answer is Yes

never been failed for having a black number plate even though it's illegal

If your steed has is a pre 73 or has "historic" classification as stated on your V5, then you can use black and whites, else its yellow and black.

The way I see it is,the "historic" class is a rolling 40 years,but all vehicles made after January 1st 1973 have to have reflective number plates.In other words you could have a vehicle which is "historic" and not have pay for the tax yet still have to have reflective plates

HxPaul wrote:The way I see it is,the "historic" class is a rolling 40 years,but all vehicles made after January 1st 1973 have to have reflective number plates.In other words you could have a vehicle which is "historic" and not have pay for the tax yet still have to have reflective plates

I dont think this is correct. You can now have black and white plates on a rolling basis as your scoot enters the historic class.
Its all on the government website, in black and white , so to speak.

This law needs clarification because according to this article black and white(silver) number plates are only lawful on vehicles made before 1st January 1973 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... ule/2/made

I don't think the law really cares anymore. If the letter size and spacing's are something like right then coppers don't seem to bother unless they are really bored.
I see GTS Vespa's out there with every variant of plate imaginable and they have been like that for years.

Is the plate's layout and compliance actually part of an MOT check or just its physical condition?

HxPaul wrote:This law needs clarification because according to this article black and white(silver) number plates are only lawful on vehicles made before 1st January 1973 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... ule/2/made

This is out of date by about 16 years!

The most current details are contained within https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... plates.pdf

Fast n Furious wrote:I don't think the law really cares anymore. If the letter size and spacing's are something like right then coppers don't seem to bother unless they are really bored.
I see GTS Vespa's out there with every variant of plate imaginable and they have been like that for years.

Is the plate's layout and compliance actually part of an MOT check or just its physical condition?

see section 6.3 https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/ ... 000101.htm, for all the answers.

Thanks Citydaz,
That does indeed answer the questions.

citydaz wrote:

HxPaul wrote:This law needs clarification because according to this article black and white(silver) number plates are only lawful on vehicles made before 1st January 1973 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... ule/2/made

This is out of date by about 16 years!

The most current details are contained within https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... plates.pdf

Perfect