Colour Of Personalised Number Plates In Uk

By Author: The Private Plate Company
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

If you have ever been to France, then you must have seen black and white number plates whereas in Australia, multi-coloured number plates are seen. However, vehicles in the UK have white and yellow personalised number plates. The number plates in front are white and private plates at the rear are yellow. To learn more about this in detail, read below.

What is the Colour of Number Plates You See in the UK?

If you wish to drive a car legally on UK roads, then its front number plate needs to be white in colour. The front private number plate of your vehicle is manufactured with reflective material and has black alphanumeric characters on it. The personalised number plate displayed at the back of your vehicle is yellow in colour with black alphanumeric characters engraved on it.
However, not every vehicle in the UK has black and yellow private plates. Armoured vehicles in the UK don’t have number plates made of reflective material as such vehicles can easily be identified and attacked by opposing forces.

According to DVLA, ...
... a classic vehicle can also carry a different coloured personalised number plate. Classic vehicles have black-coloured number plates. These plates have white and silver characters on them. Classic vehicles that are 40 or more than 40 years old get many concessions. These vehicles don’t require annual MOT’s. However, they are allowed to carry a private plate that is different from the yellow and white plates that you normally see on the road.

Why do Vehicles in the UK have White and Yellow Personalised Number Plates?

Vehicle registration marks are created so law enforcement agencies, authorities and other riders on the road can easily identify the vehicle. With a number plate, it also becomes easier for the cops to acquire needed information in the event of robbery or any other criminal activity.

The characters on a personalised number plate should be easy to read even in the dark and adverse weather conditions. White and yellow both are bright colours. Dark characters written on a bright surface are easily readable. So, this is why there are white and yellow-coloured number plates in UK.

Why is the Colour of the Rear Number Plate Yellow?

Why can’t both front and rear number plates be white? Why does the back number plate have to be yellow? As per DVLA’s guidelines, a white and yellow personalised number plate makes it easier for other motorists to determine whether they are looking at the front or back of a vehicle.

This way, the driver gets a good idea of how he should move on the road. If you are a novice driver and you don’t have enough experience of driving on the road, then you should know that having a white light at the back of your vehicle is against the law as light shining on a reflective material can cause confusion to others on the road.

Can I Add Other Colours to My Number Plate?

In order to drive on the road without breaking any law, your vehicle must carry white and yellow number plates only. However, there is one way to add colours to your personalised number plate that is by including one of your national flags in your number plate. It is legally allowed to place the flag of England, the flag of UK or the flag of Scotland in the beginning of your number plate.

So, this was all about personalised number plate colours in UK. You are only permitted to drive around in a vehicle that has a front white private number plate and a yellow rear private number plate. However, if you own a classic vehicle, then your vehicle can have a black number plate as it is legally authorised by DVLA.