Make a donation

Author Topic: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?  (Read 5498 times)

Offline DomBacon

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 4
  • -Receive: 2
  • Posts: 405
    • Email
Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« on: October 27, 2013, 12:24:02 pm »
Ive taken my front number plate mount off my ed30 and stuck my plate in the window

Ive heard lots of mixed views saying its legal and illegal

Can anyone help?

Cheers Dom.

Offline RetroRaz

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 32
  • -Receive: 194
  • Posts: 2820
    • Email
Re: Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2013, 12:29:04 pm »
By law the plate has to be in front of the wheels.

Thats what ive heard

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Offline Marc-5-GTI

  • Won't Shut up.
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 13
  • -Receive: 26
  • Posts: 549
    • Email
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2013, 12:35:29 pm »
Only insured between the license plates apparently....

But yeah, needs to be on the front to stop being pulled
3dr Reflex Silver GTI | BBS VZ | Eibach Sportlines | Cumbria


Offline jonnym

  • Won't Shut up.
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 40
  • -Receive: 22
  • Posts: 902
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2013, 12:40:37 pm »
Ive taken my front number plate mount off my ed30 and stuck my plate in the window

Ive heard lots of mixed views saying its legal and illegal

Can anyone help?

Cheers Dom.

#greyarea!!

Some people say yes, some people say no. You may get a ticket, you may not.
Ultimately it would be for a court to decide as no ones challenged this yet, as technically the legislation allows depending where it's placed and if it's vertical.

A friend with an evo spoke to a nice traffic police sgt and got this letter last year. The bottom part is more relevant about the aftermarket front bumpers - but tbh, that's technical!


By law the plate has to be in front of the wheels.

Thats what ive heard

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Who told you that?! No mention in the legislation?
@PSW - "Candy white ones are the nicest and fastest"

Offline aarondsg

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 16
  • -Receive: 3
  • Posts: 353
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2013, 12:46:06 pm »
I got £100
Now had to make my car look ugly and re fit it  :sad1:
R-Tech Power Stage 2+ Edition 30 (LC9Z)

Offline jonnym

  • Won't Shut up.
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 40
  • -Receive: 22
  • Posts: 902
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2013, 12:47:19 pm »
I got £100
Now had to make my car look ugly and re fit it  :sad1:

 :sad1:

On the dash?
@PSW - "Candy white ones are the nicest and fastest"

Offline arris

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 1
  • -Receive: 7
  • Posts: 369
    • Email
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2013, 01:46:17 pm »
Im pretty sure the law states the number plate has to be forward of the front axle.

Being in the window is defiantly illegal. i got pulled for mine but luckily got away with it other wise as stated is £100 fine.

That letter is all well and good but only really talks about the exceptions of fitting a import size plate.

Few of my friends run them in window, and i ran it like that for 2 months without any hassle depends if you think its worth it.


Offline jonnym

  • Won't Shut up.
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 40
  • -Receive: 22
  • Posts: 902
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2013, 02:09:00 pm »
Im pretty sure the law states the number plate has to be forward of the front axle.

Being in the window is defiantly illegal. i got pulled for mine but luckily got away with it other wise as stated is £100 fine.

That letter is all well and good but only really talks about the exceptions of fitting a import size plate.

Few of my friends run them in window, and i ran it like that for 2 months without any hassle depends if you think its worth it.



Im pretty sure the law states the number plate has to be forward of the front axle.

Being in the window is defiantly illegal. i got pulled for mine but luckily got away with it other wise as stated is £100 fine.

That letter is all well and good but only really talks about the exceptions of fitting a import size plate.

Few of my friends run them in window, and i ran it like that for 2 months without any hassle depends if you think its worth it.



As I mentioned key point at the bottom. If you fit an aftermarket front bumper, and therefore cannot display the UK plate as a result, doesn't mean you get away with not having it there, if that's an argument you run with (ie: no plinth).

I'd argue it isn't until the courts decide. What parliament intended when they set the legislation is also key, but again we can't judge it until someone goes to court for it instead of pays up.

This is what the legislation says for Mk5 GTIs:

6.
—(1) This regulation applies to vehicles, other than works trucks, road rollers and
agricultural machines, first registered on or after the relevant date.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (5), a registration plate must be fixed on the front of the
vehicle in the manner required by paragraph (3).
(3) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed—
(a) vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the
vertical as is reasonably practicable,
(b) in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are
easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having the diagonal length
specified in paragraph (4).
(4) The diagonal length of the relevant area is—
(a) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is at least 57 millimetres,
22 metres,
(b) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 50 millimetres, 21.5
metres,
(c) in the case of a mark having characters the width of which is 44 millimetres, 18 metres.

So it needs to be fixed vertically or if not possible in a position as close to vertical as possible and in a positon so in normal daylight it can be seen easily.
@PSW - "Candy white ones are the nicest and fastest"

Offline RetroRaz

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 32
  • -Receive: 194
  • Posts: 2820
    • Email
Re: Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2013, 02:54:33 pm »
@jonnym

I read it on a forum a while ago.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Offline aarondsg

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 16
  • -Receive: 3
  • Posts: 353
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2013, 03:00:19 pm »
I meant a £100 Fine
But sure you already new that wise guy  :booty:
R-Tech Power Stage 2+ Edition 30 (LC9Z)

Offline woahnowboys

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 4
  • -Receive: 6
  • Posts: 308
    • Email
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2013, 03:37:09 pm »
The police around here told me it's unlikely you'll get pulled as long as you have it in the front window.
I guess it depends on the area, but I had no plate on my MK1 for about 6 months with no problems :)

'87 MK1 Cabby - To be 20vT'd.
MK5 Daily.

Instagram - woahnowboys

Offline homesqueeze

  • Won't Shut up.
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 32
  • -Receive: 42
  • Posts: 981
  • Got another Golf!
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2013, 04:43:33 pm »
 To be honest I've always thought how naff it looks whenever I see a car with the plate on the dash! Also when it's up there I can rarely see it well enough to read it properly. Not that my opinion is gonna stop anyone doing it though  :laugh:
'16 MK7 Golf 1.4TSI Match Edition

Offline G40will

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 10
  • -Receive: 8
  • Posts: 405
    • Email
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2013, 06:17:27 pm »
I'm currently running no plate at the front and have had a few police cars go by with funny looks but no one has stopped me yet!

I think it's better to not try and make it look like your trying to run a number plate than not having one at all.

I did have a small front plate for a while but it was not the legal size so surely I could get in more trouble for not having the correct size plate rather than maybe saying that the full size one I had must have fallen off.

No matter which way you spin it, it's illegal to not have one!

Offline joelee

  • Always Involved
  • ****
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 1
  • -Receive: 0
  • Posts: 57
    • Email
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2013, 07:56:38 pm »
Ita a bit of a funny one as motorbikes dont need a front plate

Offline George10

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 1
  • -Receive: 18
  • Posts: 1162
Re: Is it illegal to remove your front plate?
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2013, 08:46:28 pm »
I've had my plate in my window for months and haven't been stopped once. You get the occasional funny look but you should be alright