DVLA considers changes to number plate rules which could affect ‘show plates’
The DVLA is considering tighter checks on number plate suppliers, which could spell the end of the road for undersized ‘show plates’.
The DVLA is considering changes to the way vehicle number plates are supplied in the UK, raising questions about whether the review could have implications for motorcycle plate sellers and riders.
The proposals are outlined in the agency's Business Plan for 2026 to 2027, published on 19 October, which says it will consider ways to strengthen the number plate supply regime as part of its work to tackle illegal plates.
Among the measures under consideration are tighter checks on number plate suppliers, improved intelligence sharing, potential changes to fees and closer cooperation with police forces and Trading Standards.
The plan does not set out any new restrictions specifically targeting motorcycle number plates, nor does it announce changes to the existing rules governing the plates riders can legally display. However, the review could have implications for businesses involved in supplying registration plates, depending on how the proposals develop.
The move comes amid wider government efforts to tackle the use of illegal number plates, including so-called ghost plates, which can be designed to make registration characters more difficult for cameras to read, as well as undersized ‘show plates’.
In a written parliamentary answer on 14 October, the Department for Transport confirmed that the DVLA was considering options for a more robust and auditable Register of Number Plate Suppliers. These could involve changes to the scheme's fees, structure, resources and funding.
The Government has also been working on amendments to the British Standard for number plates intended to prohibit raised or ghost characteristics and require finished plates to be flat. Work to bring those amendments into law is under way, according to the parliamentary response.
Separate proposals being considered by the Government include introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for people in charge of vehicles displaying incorrect, altered or false number plates. A consultation on those measures closed in May, with responses still being considered.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
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