Sticker on rear windscreen

[Emil Tiades]

Ask SWMBO for a few drops of nail varnish remover.

[Frank Erskine]

There doesn't seem to be anything on that site that precludes the use of home-made plates (so long as they comply with the BS).

Well, this *is* a d-i-y group :-)

[The Medway Handyman]

WD40 often does the job.

[Dave Liquorice]

True but then you'd have to put your name postcode on along with that of the place you got the bits from. I think you might find it quite tricky getting the relevant BS approved parts to make your own number plate in the first place. It's not as easy as it was to get a number plate made up now, which probably accounts for the tens of thousands of plates that are stolen each year.

[Adrian]

"Dave Liquorice" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Yes. But not if the plate's manufactured outside England or Wales. It's not a legal requirement to USE plates with the supplier's details on, only to SUPPLY 'em without. If you're in England or Wales.

Fortunately, there's plenty of suppliers outside England or Wales. Or who don't care...

Like the very nice man (in the same building as my office) who supplied me with a plate for one of mine a couple of months ago. Strangely anonymous, it was. My email works if anybody wants to know who.

[Adrian]

"Dave Liquorice" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Every single one of the last few plates I've had made up has involved no paperwork at all - V5 or proof of ID. In England. In the last few years. It's involved nothing more than a phone call, a wander along to the supplier, or a click on a website.

If it used to be easier, I'd love to know how. It must involve psychic abilities.

[Dave Liquorice]

Why am I not surprised at such a gaping loophole in a fairly recent law?

Technically sold "not for road use" and without the suppliers/makers information does not comply with BS AU 145d. This now starts to get complicated with the exceptions for older/foreign plates etc etc. ICBA'd to dig any deeper, you obviously buy your plates without worry about the technicalities of them being strictly legal.

[Adrian]

"Dave Liquorice" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

"Loophole"? It simply isn't Scottish or Nor'n Irish law. That simple. It doesn't apply there.

Ooooooh. I'm very scared now.

What "exceptions"? It's as simple as it being a badly written law only applying to plates supplied since 2001 by suppliers based in England and Wales.

Well, you'd be wrong - because most of 'em have been completely and utterly legal - even down to being the post-2001 font and having a correct business name, phone number and postcode on. Except I didn't produce any ID. The others were absolutely legal apart from not having those on the bottom. (Oh, and one was (legal to use) silver-on-black pressed aluminium in a slightly different font, but since a modern plastic plate would look ridiculous on a vehicle of that age...)

All of which makes no difference to anybody whatsoever with regard to clarity or legibility. Forgive me for seeing no benefit whatsoever in jumping through hoops for no point.

As a side benefit, they were all a damn sight cheaper than Halfrauds and their ilk, too.

[Dave Liquorice]

The loophole that the inclusion of supplier/maker information does not apply to the use of the plates only supply in England/Wales.

So you jump through a loop and get your plates made outside of England/Wales to legally (assuming the plates otherwise conform) avoid having that information on them. As you say it's a badly written law and I'm not surprised at that.

[mark]

Well that is DIY!

mark