Vehicle registration plates of the United Kingdom information
Registration plates of motor vehicles in the United Kingdom
"British number plates" redirects here. For Northern Ireland, see Vehicle registration plates of Northern Ireland. For British territories outside the United Kingdom, see Vehicle registration plates of the United Kingdom, Crown dependencies and overseas territories.
Great Britain
UK regular legal standard front (top) and rear (bottom) number plates.
The national identifier on the UK's number plates is optional. Number plates including the "UK" code are valid in countries party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic if displayed on its own or together with the Union Jack.[a]
Country
United Kingdom
Country code
UK (previously GB)
Current series
Size
520 mm × 111 mm 20.5 in × 4.4 in
Serial format
AA11 AAA
Colour (front)
Black on white
Colour (rear)
Black on yellow
Introduced
1 September 2001
Availability
Issued by
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
History
First issued
1 January 1904
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Vehicle registration plates (commonly referred to as "number plates" in British English) are the alphanumeric plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle, and have existed in the United Kingdom since 1904. It is compulsory for motor vehicles used on public roads to display vehicle registration plates, with the exception of vehicles of the reigning monarch used on official business.[1]
The Motor Car Act 1903, which came into force on 1 January 1904, required all motor vehicles to be entered on an official vehicle register, and to carry alphanumeric plates. The Act was passed in order that vehicles could be easily traced in the event of an accident, contravention of the law or any other incident. Vehicle registration alphanumeric plates in the UK are rectangular or square in shape, with the exact permitted dimensions of the plate and its lettering set down in law. Front plates are white, rear plates are yellow.
Within the UK itself, there are two systems: one for Great Britain, whose current format dates from 2001, and another for Northern Ireland, which is similar to the original 1904 system. Both systems are administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea. Until July 2014, Northern Ireland's system was administered by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Coleraine, which had the same status as the DVLA. Other schemes relating to the UK are also listed below. The international vehicle registration code for the United Kingdom is UK.[2] Prior to 28 September 2021, it was GB.[3] The specification of plates incorporating the UK code was created by the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association, and is seen as the default design by the Department for Transport.[4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^The Royal Household. "The Royal Household – Transport – Cars". Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
^"GB code when travelling abroad". matriculasdelmundo.com. Matriculasdelmundo. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"UK plates from 28th September - BNMA". www.bnma.org. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
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