Trailer numberplates...

harveybobbles

Can I use a home made number plate on a trailer that i'm going to use next week? Or do I have to have the correct yellow one fitted?
The problem I have is I'm not sure which car I'll be using, so I can't even get a number plate made up in readiness.

I'll be doing about 400 miles with the trailer on the back of t'car.

No one seems to know if there is a law set in stone about the plates.

Other question is, could I take the rear number plate off the car and put it on the trailer OR use trade plates?

Mathew

Hi this may be off help

There is a minumum standard

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/displayofnumberplates.pdf

Ebe_Scrooge

The laws about number plates are quite strict - here's a useful website :

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/leaflets/v796.pdf

Having said that, you're probably OK with a homemade plate as a one-off. As long as your plate is near enough the correct size, letter spacing and character size, and most importantly is clearly legible, then you'll be OK. Of course, you may get some jobsworth bobby who pulls you over, and you could technically get done for it. But in my experience, most traffic cops are reasonable folk, and as long as your plate is legible and near enough the correct size, you'll be OK. After all, how many "personalised" plates have you seen that have incorrect spacing to try and make it spell a word ? Again, it's illegal, and they could pull you up for it, but I presume they don't bother too much. Even safer if it's obvious you've made an effort to approximate the correct size / spacing.

To be completely legal you'll need a proper plate made up, but I've always used home-made plates for one-off situations like yours, and been fine ( and yes, I've had police cars behind me on occasions who obviously thought the plate was good enough not to pull me up ).

But I will emphasise that strictly speaking the laws ARE set in stone, and they could pull you up if they feel so inclined.

anewman

Halfrauds will make a plate up for about £15.

harveybobbles

I won't know what car i'm going in until i'm going lol. As I have 15 cars on the yard that have tow bars lol.

anewman

harveybobbles wrote: »

I won't know what car i'm going in until i'm going lol. As I have 15 cars on the yard that have tow bars lol.

When car selected just have v5 and driving license to hand and Halfrauds should be able to make them there and then.

pianeet

we have a blank magnetic yellow one and just write very neatly and clearly with white board markers,
last time we got pulled for towing in the outside lane of a motorway(was stuck behind two lorries trying to overtake each other both going at 56 mph for 10 minutes) the copper never mentioned the number plate ,just gave me a slap on the wrist for driving in the outside lane

Rolandtheroadie

local car accessory shop does them for £7.50. If the trailer hides the back end of the car, take the one off the car an put it on the trailer.

hewhoisnotintheknow

i got a yellow relflective strip, wrote my number plate out in word, printed it, cut the numbers out, stuck them on the plate, drew round them with a fine marker pen, peeled off the letters and then coloured in with a marker

from more than a few meters it looks perfect. I even downloaded the correct font from the web site

if you are new to towing please remember you are not allowed in the outside lane, saw loads of idiots towing stuff in the outside lane today

pianeet

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

i got a yellow relflective strip, wrote my number plate out in word, printed it, cut the numbers out, stuck them on the plate, drew round them with a fine marker pen, peeled off the letters and then coloured in with a marker

from more than a few meters it looks perfect. I even downloaded the correct font from the web site

if you are new to towing please remember you are not allowed in the outside lane, saw loads of idiots towing stuff in the outside lane today

i knew i wasn't allowed in the outside lane,even the copper said he knew i was going to get pee,d off eventually sitting behind the 2 lorries

vikingaero

Harvey,

Do you have a colour photocopier at work?

Copy the number (probably need to copy the two ends and join it in the middle) and stick it on the rear of the trailer. I've done this once or twice.