Engine experts also cite that new license plates must also include the company name and postal code of the supplier, as well as the name of the license plate manufacturer, to comply with the new BS AU 145e standard. The new rules stipulate that all lettering on a license plate must have the same uniform shade of black. This effectively prohibits the use of shades that use different shades of black or color to give 2D characters a 3D look. Despite the changes, there is no complete ban on 3D license plates. When we talk about 3D and 4D license plates, we are talking about the style of composition used on the plates themselves. This is not related to custom car registrations, so what exactly are 3D and 4D license plates? Some license plates are banned every year because they are too coarse – here is the latest list of prohibited license plates. Three significant changes came into effect in March 2022, building on the license plate rules introduced in September 2021. In response to a petition to end the ban on 3D licence plates, the government said: “The new UK standard for retro-reflective licence plates does not indicate that licence plates with high characters, including 3D freezing and 4D licence plates, are not allowed.” Panels must not be removable or reflective. If your license plates were mounted after September 1, 2021, they must also have a single shade of black.
So, what are 4D license plates and are they illegal? Here`s everything you need to know before you hit the road. The new regulations also prohibit the use of two-tone surfaces to create 3D effects to facilitate the capture of the registration number by ANPR cameras. Therefore, the advice to the driver is to stay on the safe side and stick to traditional 2D license plates. Before deciding where to buy your license plates, make sure the company manufactures them to UK standards. All UK licence plates must be marked with a UK standard number (BS AU 145e for plates installed after September 2021). In previous years, carbon fiber license plates were approved for road traffic. However, with the new DVLA standard (BSAU 145e) for licence plates, carbon fibre licence plates are no longer legal on UK roads. Motorists must also refrain from displaying a license plate with a patterned background. The license plates at the front of the car should have a continuous white reflective background, while signs with a solid yellow background at the rear should be used. The short answer is yes, but only if these 4D license plates meet the standards that apply to other registrations via the DVLA. These legally enforced rules and regulations are covered here and cover the width of the characters, spacing, size, and materials used. At a glance, 3D license plates are very similar to the standard license plates seen on most cars on UK roads.
On closer inspection, however, these license plates differ due to the markedly beveled font used for the recording lettering itself. This gives the visual impression that the text is in 3D, when in reality the letters and numbers remain flush with the surface of the license plate. The step to make these changes is to make the plates more readable for Automatic License Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which are increasingly common across the country. While 3D license plates simply use a modified font to achieve the 3D effect, “3D freeze” or 4D license plates contain embossed text that protrudes from the surface of the license plate. Individual letters are usually made of laser-cut acrylic or gel layers and tend to cost more than their 3D counterparts. These signs are new to UK roads, and many have questioned whether these 4D licence plates are legal in the eyes of the DVLA and UK law. If you`re wondering if 4D license plates are legal, we`ve covered you below with a quick and easy guide. The new license plate revisions have been made to reflect the changes to our roads. In response to a government petition to end the ban on 3D/4D license plates [2], the Department of Transport clarified the position – as long as the 3D gel and 4D laser cut letters meet the requirements of the current BSAU 145d standard, they are legal and would not need to be changed after September.
when the new standard comes into force. In addition, 3D gel and 4D laser cut license plates are legal according to BSAU 145e, provided they meet the requirements of the standard and pass the mandatory tests. This change excludes two-tone license plates, which typically use different hues to create a 3D or 4D effect, which have now been banned. Attach the trailer license plate as far away as possible from the license plate of the towing vehicle. In order to facilitate vehicle identification through automatic license plate recognition systems, license plates must have a continuous black font. This, in fact, prohibits plates with a two-tone 2D font, which makes it look like 3D. True raised 3D lettering is still allowed. Shortly before Christmas 2020, the DVLA sent a newsletter to Registered License Plate Providers (RNPS). This bulletin contained a single sentence suggesting that 3D/4D licence plates would not comply with the new Uk standard for licence plates (BSAU 145e). In addition, it has been suggested that they do not comply with the current British standard (BSAU 145d). However, this statement had no factual basis or supporting evidence. We knew very well that the statement in the bulletin was wrong because the RNPS enforcement team went to our premises and gave the “clear” for our products and we talk to them regularly to ensure compliance.
Not only that, we`ve spent much of our time in this industry making sure we understand and adhere to the UK standard for license plates. How does negativity bias come into play here? First of all, the unscrupulous creation of a “press article” that definitely raises a negative point (3D / 4D will be illegal), without factual basis, will receive much more attention and clicks.