subject: The Difference Between Legal Number Plates and Display Number Plates [print this page] Im sure that many of you have been to restaurants, cafes, shops, or even just peoples houses, and have seen funny or interesting number plates , hanging on the walls that either make you laugh, make you think, or accentuate something thats in the room. Maybe its just the name of somebody hung up in their bedroom, or maybe its EAT UP or YUMYUM hanging in the kitchen. You might wonder why people would have them hanging there, rather than proudly displaying them on their cars. The reason is actually rather simple once you understand how license plates work. Because the authorities that govern the use of number plates on vehicles want to keep strict control of which registrations appear on their roads, the only personalised number plates people can get are those that have already been approved. The plates all follow rigid formats, such as A123 BCD, which means that SUZIE or EAT UP wouldnt conform to the standards that are set. The other main reason is that number plates have to be unique. No two vehicles can share a number plate, and so even if everybody called Suzie wanted SUZIE for their license plates, it simply wouldnt be possible whilst maintaining the unique aspect of each number plate. So how is it possible for people to have these license plates in their homes if they can not have them made due to the laws? The answer is that the laws only apply to number plates that are subsequently attached to cars. If you wish to make a display license plate, rather than one that will actually be registered to your vehicle, then you can have whatever you want written on it, providing it fits. There are still regulations governing those who are allowed to print number plates, rather than registering them with vehicles, but they arent as stringent. This means that there are two ways to get number plates, but they end up being used for different things. The less-stringent display plates that you can hang around the house, and the more-stringent, unique vehicle number plates, which you can have personalised and attach to your vehicle as a cherished number plate.
The Difference Between Legal Number Plates and Display Number Plates
