is this personalised numberplate legal?

pinkangelnic

Hi I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to check if a numberplate is legal that is being sold on ebay thats on a retention certificate. The buyer said that he got it from the dvla but the format is slightly different to everything else i've seen its

X5 5TE C


I want to buy it for my boyfriend for xmas but dont want him to end up with illigal plates. I've not done this before so am a little confused with what else i would need to do as part of the transfer service.

Many thanks

daveyjp

The reg is on e-bay so it's hardly a secret!

Why not tell us what it is?

MX5huggy

Are you sure its NL NLL L this one could be LNL LNNN when it is in fact LLL NNNN if you see what I mean?

pinkangelnic

Updated post to show full format

daveyjp

X55 TEC is a normal reg, the spacing you show is illegal and they may have changed a 5 to look like an S.

doningtonphil

hello

As already mentioned, the reg is X55 TEC. The DVLA do not supply the actual numberplate, just the right to use the registration combination.

If you get someone to 'make the plate up' for you in any format except X55 TEC witht the required space between the two groups of characters or not using the standard 'font' and you display the registration plat on the road you will be breaking the law.

I am not sure if it is actually illegal to make an incorrectly formatted plate up however they are oftern offered as 'show plates' - in theory to be used if showing your car off road.

Is it the X5 that is relevant (does your boyfriend driver a 4x4 BMW) or is it the initials STE C, or both?

Gloomendoom

This site gives some useful information on what is, or isn't, legal.

pinkangelnic

doningtonphil wrote: »

hello

As already mentioned, the reg is X55 TEC. The DVLA do not supply the actual numberplate, just the right to use the registration combination.

If you get someone to 'make the plate up' for you in any format except X55 TEC witht the required space between the two groups of characters or not using the standard 'font' and you display the registration plat on the road you will be breaking the law.

I am not sure if it is actually illegal to make an incorrectly formatted plate up however they are oftern offered as 'show plates' - in theory to be used if showing your car off road.

Is it the X5 that is relevant (does your boyfriend driver a 4x4 BMW) or is it the initials STE C, or both?

its the number 5 ( as its his lucky number) and his name and surname inital that i want on there, I've had a look at the other official websites but couldnt find anything. Dont think its worth paying for X55 TEC its not as impressive !

cyclonebri1

Not many are in any way impressive untill they are "altered", but I can pretty much guarantee that sooner or later any illegal change will be picked up by anpr or suchlike and will cost you a fine.

There are some styles that you can just about get away with that 8's 5's 9'sand S's look much more similar than the latest script. The spacing would be the killer.

motorguy

try https://www.newreg.co.uk

They have a plate builder too so you can search for suitable plates.

harveybobbles

So its not going on an X5 then?

That will make him look like a right clown! Even more so than having a tacky private plate does anyway!

The only ones that are any good and look nice are the 2x2 or 3x3 formats.

ie AB12 or ABC123.

the only tacky one I really like is C14 EAT which is on a silver Ferrari around Warrington, but its done up to look like CHEAT