The Difference Between Show Plates and Standard Number Plates
It’s important to know the difference between standard number plates and show plates. These differences are aesthetic, but more importantly, they’re legal too. Incorrect or illegal number plates can lead to serious consequences, so you need to know where you stand.
In this article, we’ll talk through the differences between show plates and standard number plates.
What are Show Plates?
To put it simply, show plates are number plates that are not intended to be used on the road under UK law.
Show plates can be used on classic cars or custom cars during competitions, rallies or displays but they must not be used on cars that travel on UK roads.
Because show plates are not legal, they can be stylish in ways that you wouldn’t usually see on the road. They might use creative fonts, different letter spacing, italic fonts, or even unique colours. This gives car owners an incredible degree of personalisation, allowing them to match the show plate to the style and colour of the car.
If you’re looking for customisable show plates, check out our smoked number plates or our hex-shaped plates (which we have road-legal and show plate versions of).
What are Standard Number Plates?
Standard number plates are plates that can be legally used on UK roads.
There are strict rules about the design, background and durability of standard number plates, as well as the font and the style of the characters that are used.
Some of these rules include:
- Characters must be black and in a certain font
- There is a minimum top, side and bottom margin of 11mm around the numbers
- The characters must be 79mm in height
- The characters must be 50mm in width
- The space between characters must be 11mm
- There must be a 33mm spacing between the two groups of numbers
- The British standards number (BS AU 145d) and manufacturer name must be in the bottom right-hand corner of the plate
- The manufacturer's postcode must also be displayed on the lower section of the plate
Any car, van or other vehicle driving on UK roads must comply with these rules and regulations. Buying your number plate from a reputable manufacturer will ensure you purchase a safe and legitimate plate.
If you’re looking for road-legal plates, you can check out our 2D standard plates or 3D gel plates.
Got Questions About Number Plates?
We’ve answered plenty of questions about show plates and standard number plates on our FAQ page here. Alternatively, if you have any questions or concerns about ordering your plates, get in touch and our team will be happy to talk you through your options.