Are 3D Number Plates Legal in the UK?

3D Number Plates are 100% road legal. DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) state that number plates can “have 3D (raised) characters” if they comply with British Standards (BS AU 145e). You can find more information about the legality of 3D plates and number plate rules on the government’s website.

Are Gel Number Plates Legal?

Yes, gel plates are legal and are in the same category as 3D Number Plates. The gel resin used to make 3D plates is why they can often be referred to as gel number plates, 3D gel plates or 3D gel number plates.

What are 3D Number Plates?

3D number plates are made with gel resin which is used to cover sheet cut characters, giving the characters on the number plate a raised profile and a unique appearance over standard UK number plates.

3D number plates are made with gel resin whereas 4D number plates are made with acrylic which is why 3D plates have a shiny gloss black finish compared to 4D plates which are closer to a solid black finish.

Are 3D plates becoming illegal?

A new British Standard (BS AU 145e) became mandatory from 1 September 2021 which means that all number plates fixed to vehicles after this date will need to comply with these standards by ensuring the entire surface of the characters including all the sides of the characters are black.

No, 3D plates are not becoming illegal. 3D number plates are only illegal if any colours other than black are used to customise the number plates characters. At Numero Plates, we only sell 100% road legal number plates which adhere to these new British Standards.

I heard 3D Number Plates Are No Longer Legal after September 2021?

A newsletter sent out to Registered Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS) in December 2020 contained a sentence about 3D number plates which was misinterpreted, and the assumption was made that they would no longer meet the new British Standard (BS AU 145e). However, this was false, although, that did not stop the rumour from spreading.

As the rumour spread, a petition to “stop the ban of 4D and 3D registration plates” was commenced to stop something that was never going to happen in the first place. Shortly after, the department of transport squashed the rumour and made their position clear with a response to the petition.

Are 3D carbon number plates legal?

3D carbon number plates and 3D carbon gel number plates are not legal. They do not adhere to the previous British Standard (BS AU 145d) nor do they adhere to the new British Standard (BS AU 145e). Number plate characters must be solid black to comply with these standards.

Do 3D Gel Plates Pass MOT?

Gel plates are legal under British Standard (BS AU 145e) as long characters are all black without any additional effects like carbon, glitter or neon. If 3D gel plates meet these requirements, they will pass an MOT test.

TLDR:

3D number plates (also referred to as gel number plates) are legal even after 1 September 2021 as long as plates manufactured before this date adhere to British Standard (BS AU 145d) and plates manufactured after this date adhere to the new British Standard (BS AU 145e).

Where Can I Buy 3D Number Plates?

If you’re looking to purchase road legal 3D number plates, you can trust Numero Plates who are a Registered Number Plate Supplier in the UK and only supply 100% road legal number plates.

We offer free standard delivery on all number plate orders which takes 2-4 business days or alternatively, we offer next day delivery for only £2.49 (which we don’t make a profit on).

If you have any questions, feel free to refer to our FAQ section or contact us via email – if you’re in a hurry and need an answer to your question as soon as possible, give us a call.

All Numero Plates number plates are fully road legal and you can count on us to deliver number plates manufactured in the UK to the upmost quality which comply with the current British Standard.