Motorists have been issued an urgent warning ahead of the introduction of new number plates, as strict rules could result in drivers facing a hefty £1,000 fine.
As the new '75'-plated cars are set to roll out on 1 September, the DVLA has reminded drivers to ensure their own licence plates adhere to the specifications required to be road legal.
"Number plates (also known as licence plates) must show your registration number correctly," the DVLA stated. "You could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates."
The DVLA further clarified that number plates must be made from a reflective material, displaying black characters on a white background at the front, and black characters on a yellow background at the back.
There should be no background pattern, and the plate must indicate who supplied it. Characters on the number plate must not be removable or reflective, and any plates fitted after 1 September 2021 must be a single shade of black.
Be made from reflective material
Show black characters on a white background (front plate) and yellow background (rear plate)
Not have a background pattern
Include the name of the plate supplier
Show the correct British Standard mark (‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 Sept 2021)
Use a single, solid black font if fitted after 1 Sept 2021
Number plates must also bear a British Standard number, which for plates fitted after 1 September 2021, is BS AU 145e. The DVLA does allow number plates with raised (3D) characters, certain flags and symbols, and a green flash for zero-emission vehicles.
New vehicles will be registered with 75 number plates until February next year, when they will switch to '26, before changing to '76' from September 2026.
It comes as drivers looking to sell their cars were told they should do so before the end of August or risk missing out on thousands of pounds, according to industry experts.
Discussing how September’s new registration plate might impact the value of your vehicle, Tim Rodie, driving expert at Motorpoint said: “It’s well documented that new car prices are heavily impacted by the plate change, but motorists may not be aware that the price of their current vehicle can also be affected.
“Interestingly, it isn’t the new plates themselves that impact the value of your car but rather the influx of brand-new vehicles on the road. With newer models entering the used car market and lots of drivers looking to sell, you could see the value of your car decline quite considerably. If anyone is looking to sell their car, I would strongly recommend that they do so ahead of September 1st.”
The introduction of “75” plates on Monday 1st September will be the first registration-plate change to take place in 2025 and will impact drivers across England, Scotland and Wales.
Since 2001, the UK Government has rolled out new number plates on March 1st and September 1st to clearly differentiate when a new car has been registered.
When it came to what elements of the plate change are most important, Tim said: “To understand a number plate, you don’t really need to worry about the letters, the first two act as a DVLA memory tag and the final three are completely random. The most important bit for motorists is the two numbers in the middle because these show the age of a vehicle. 1
“Those registered between March and the end of August have the current year of ‘25’, but for any car registered between September 1st and the end of February 2026, the identifier will be the last two digits of the current year plus 50 – which is why this time it will be “75”.”
Discussing why motorists should be aware of the plate change, Tim said: “Age is one of the most important factors to impact the value of your vehicle and each time a new registration plate is introduced your car will be considered older and therefore lose some of its value.
“Keeping tabs on the age of your vehicle and selling your car ahead of the plate change is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting the best price possible.”
