UK numberplate guide

[RichardA]

Available here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_the_United_Kingdom

[culzean]

Good info on UK plates but I'm afraid the year identifier on the number plates is probably only for the benefit of police and number plate year 'snobs' (which seem almost unique to UK).

In Germany for instance you get the same number plate every year, and the new plate is endorsed with road tax and insurance details - that seems a much better idea than our year ID, which is hated by motor vehicle manufacturers and garages alike because it causes two artificial 'humps' in the sales figures as everyone rushes to get latest year reg on March 1st and September 1st - it used to be worse when we had only one change of letter per year because that caused one horrendously large sales peak and then very little for rest of the year - no wonder our home car industry had such a hard time.

[RichardA]

It also affects the car's value as a car registered just before the plate change would be worth less at trade in.

[joejazz]

take trouble to find out what can be imposed IE you get caught with a non standard plate........the police are more clued up than you think.......you can have the plate and its registry taken away and replaced with Q plate for the life of the car, plus fines and things etc etc........so remember the correct font, spacing, and any logos under the lettering or the Euro flag at the edge of the number is OK but any other flag is not..any of these back to front numbers you see are living on borrowed time or those altered to form a name, any of the sprays you can buy to try and fool cameras are also illegal so are the honeycombed backing patterns be warned.........try to sell a car with a "Q" plate on.....its not easy at all. Always carry a legal set of plates in the car in case you get a pull......you show the law you are going to have the bent ones changed..or to go for an MOT.........