What's in a number plate...?
Twice a year, in March and September, new vehicle registration plates are released into the market.
This newer system was first introduced in September 2001 and has now become widely familiar. It contains two letters which denote the area of registration, two numbers to signify the year, followed by three randomly generated letters.
The March registered vehicles simply use the year in question, so a March 2022 number plate would simply be represented by a ’22 number. However, the plates registered in the second part of the year have 50 added to them, with a September 2022 registered plate having the number ’72.
Planet Leasing have a selection of great car leasing and van leasing deals for brand new 2023 vehicles, but also some fantastic offers on cars and vans which are soon to become 'previous year' models, along with older vehicles.
Our Special Offers page lists a great range of van leasing and car leasing offers. If you want to discuss any of these, you can give us a call on 01702 410470 and one of our knowledgeable and award-winning team will be more than happy to discuss your options and find you the best lease deal.
But first, let's take a look into the history of the UK registration system...
History
Number plates were first used in the United Kingdom back at the start of the 20th century, with the first set of plates issued in 1903 and being made a legal requirement on January 1st 1904 when the Motor Car Act came into law.
The first number plates were issued with a random number from 1-9999 and the letter code representing how heavily populated the region of registration was, with London being represented by the letter ‘A’.
This initial system was not particularly well thought out in terms of future growth though and, by the 1950s, had already reached the end of its means.
Private Plates?
As with all plates, the less bespoke the plate, the cheaper it is likely to be. However, there are some key rules to registering private plates.
As an example, someone with the name ‘Tess’ may wish to obtain a number plate set out as 'TE 55'. The key component to note, is that the number used must pre-date the actual age of the car, so in the above example, 55 would be fine if used on cars registered from September 2005.
Putting 'TE 55' on a car older than 2005 would be prohibited as the rule is generally that, to paraphrase, 'you cannot make your car appear newer than it is'.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
New number plates can now only display solid black lettering.
In September 2021, this rule was introduced to help ANPR cameras (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) identify vehicle number plates on the roads. Therefore, two-tone registration plates that used different shades to create a 3D-like effect have been banned.
As well as this, another rule regarding 'incorrectly displayed' number plates has been in long-standing effect, which includes obscuring or manipulating the digits where even small amounts of mud or debris obscuring characters can put you at risk of a fine.
As per the DVLA website:
"Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly. You cannot rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they’re hard to read.
"You could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates."
Going Forwards...
Up until the United Kingdom left the EU, new plates required the blue strip with the classic gold rings. Now this is no longer necessary, drivers can have the choice of using English, Scottish, Welsh, or Union Jack flags. This is the same for electric cars, except the strip is usually green.
This system is set to run until February 2051, where the DVLA will announce implement a new system.
So, How Do I Get One?!
Simple! Give our team a call today on 01702 410470 or use our contact form below to get in touch!
Planet Leasing release new cars onto the market every week and because of the relationships we have with our nationwide network of vehicle manufacturers and funders throughout the UK, we secure unbeatable fleet discounts that we pass on to every customer and apply to every quote.
This applies to whether you’re looking to obtain just one vehicle or a whole fleet! We also offer free vehicle delivery to any mainland UK address.
