number plate mounting

Busted the front number plate. What are the legal restraints on its mounting position? Seems little point putting it back on the front bumper as its wider than the bumper itself. Can it go up on the front edge of the roof rack?

yes

No

Or maybe

So what your saying is I could do if I wanted to or not if I didn't want to?

livers said:

No

Click to expand...

Care to explain why?

As far as I can see the only requirement is for the plate to be vertical (or as close as possible) and visible from in front of the vehicle.

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 applies.

I couldn't see much in the way of prohibitive legislation myself. Also the only reference I saw was to use a dedicated space if there is one.

DiscoJoe said:

Care to explain why?

As far as I can see the only requirement is for the plate to be vertical (or as close as possible) and visible from in front of the vehicle.

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 applies.

Click to expand...

Yep. and those very same regs. say:-


PART II
REGISTRATION PLATES
Interpretation of Part II
4.
In this Part the following expressions shall have the following meanings—
“diagonal length”, in relation to a relevant area, means the length of a line drawn
diagonally across the square enclosing the area (so that the extent of the relevant area is
thereby delimited);
“relevant area”, in relation to a registration plate, means the area contained in a square
described on the ground—
(a) in front of the vehicle in the case of a plate fixed on the front of the vehicle, and
(b) behind the vehicle in the case of a plate fixed on the rear of the vehicle



Fixing of front registration plates: vehicles registered on or after the relevant date
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)


So unless you roof rack extends over the bonnet then NO.

Just get a square one for the front.

I fitted a square one on the side of my commercial winch bumper, its not a standard size though it was what they called a Jap import size which is smaller than a UK square plate, I'm going to see how it goes and if it breaks I will order a metal square motorbike one off eBay.

Mines on the roof rack, I've not had any grief.

Mine's mounted on the light bar on the cage and I've never had any grief about it either. Until a particularly clued up PC tells me to move it that's where it'll stay.

By the way, my avatar pic is out of date. The plate is fixed to the light bar where the two middle spots were.

DefenderPilot said:

Until a particularly clued up PC tells me to move it that's where it'll stay.

Click to expand...

Aren't they mythical beasts? Like unicorns and sun roof seals?

Mines wedged on the dash has been for at least 12 months

I've not got a mounted front plate, haven't for the past two years never had any grief. Have had a copper comment on how nice my Defender was though

I do keep it in the boot, if anyone asks it was fitted but fell off and im heading home to fit it back on right away

and following on the part of that legislation you omit..

"in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable, in the case of a plate fixed on the front of the vehicle, from in front of the vehicle"

being pedantic the last time i checked the front of the roof rack was at the front of the car facing forwards and not the back and so perfectly legible in day light conditions from the front of the vehicle.

Ive gone through mots with the plate in the window and on the bulkhead flap.

Cant beat a bit of British bureaucracy regarding petty things.

Legally it must be mounted at the most frontal point on the vehicle. (There are exceptions for kits cars & foreign imports etc) and it must form the center of the rectangle described in a previous post. This in t petty redtape or anything like that. IT's purely so that the speed cameras/ANPR Camera's can take a clear pic of ya plate.

All the more reason to stick it somewhere else till someone stops you and tells you other wise

My old frontera had the plate mounted in a recess on the soft bullbar.

The anpr at a local carpark couldnt detect it....twas great when i needed to leave the car in town on occasion

MrNasty said:

I fitted a square one on the side of my commercial winch bumper, its not a standard size though it was what they called a Jap import size which is smaller than a UK square plate, I'm going to see how it goes and if it breaks I will order a metal square motorbike one off eBay.

Click to expand...

These would be technically illegal as they use the wrong size digits. Car plates have a bigger digit than imports which use motorcycle digits.
Some import plates are not much smaller than a proper 4x4 square plate anyway.

And I think you may struggle to get a steel motorcycle made with in white.