Motorists could be slapped with a hefty £1,000 fine for breaking a simple number plate rule ahead of new March changes coming within days. The DVLA launches new number plates twice per year, with the latest ‘26’ designs dropping onto the market for all new cars registered from March 1.
New designs are highly attractive to road users, with a certain number of combinations considered more valuable or likely to hold significant personal meaning. The new release is likely to prompt many to secure new registration numbers, hoping to be among the first on the road with the new plates.
However, officials have warned that making the switch could backfire, with road users at risk of being slapped with hefty four-figure fines. New plates can only be displayed on modern cars registered after March 1, 2026, meaning they cannot be applied to older vehicles.
The DVLA has previously explained: “If you misrepresent a vehicle registration number you will not get back any money that you have paid for the registration number, or any other costs you have to pay. You can’t use a registration number to make your vehicle appear younger than it actually is.”
According to officials, number plates must follow the same legal format for every registration. Number plate designs must be made up of two opening letters, which usually refer to the region in the country where your vehicle was first registered.
The next two numbers usually detail when a vehicle was first issued, with the final three letters chosen at random. The age identifier is why it’s important that new number plate designs are not used on older vehicles.
However, officials have warned road users also run the risk of being slapped with fines for other serious number plate breaches.
GOV.UK has previously explained: “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.”
