Illegal Numberplate

[AlexL94]

I’ve just received a Traffic Offence Report for a non conforming number plate, which when questioned the officer informed me my number plate doesn’t have the suppliers name or postcode on the plate which is a legal requirement.

Although I’ve just looked at my number plate and it does actually say ‘PFC Dublin 22’ with PFC being the supplier and Dublin 22 being the postcode area, although this doesn’t seem to be the suppliers full postcode, could this be the potential issue? It does also have the correct BSAU 145d text.

I ordered them from a fairly well established online supplier, having to provide v5 etc and selected all the legal markings to be included.

Just wondering whether the plate is actually legal or not. Cheers

Edited by AlexL94 on Friday 25th September 20:09

[NGee]

No police has ever, ever stopped anyone for having the wrong postcode on their number plate, NEVER.

So there's either a lot more to the story than you're letting on, what did they really stop you for, or you've made the whole thing up.

Which is it?

[Gareth79]

Their website just has Dublin 22, do they even have a newer more detailed postcode for that location?

Here's the part of BSAU145d about the supplier's details:



edit: Looking at the PFC website, they don't print the details in the middle, where most plates have them:
"The legal details are printed in small text at the bottom right hand corner in a light grey."

edit 2: Actually the standard shows a sample with the details in the middle, but it doesn't state that it *must* be there, in fact the text above says it "should" be displayed as below not "shall" which implies a mandatory requirement:

Edited by Gareth79 on Friday 25th September 21:22

[AlexL94]

NGee said:

No police has ever, ever stopped anyone for having the wrong postcode on their number plate, NEVER.

So there's either a lot more to the story than you're letting on, what did they really stop you for, or you've made the whole thing up.

Which is it?

I didn't say the police stopped me for having the wrong postcode on my number plate. It was a police checkpoint stopping cars at random of which I was one, they carried out various vehicle checks.

Gareth79 said:

Their website just has Dublin 22, do they even have a newer more detailed postcode for that location?

Here's the part of BSAU145d about the supplier's details:



edit: Looking at the PFC website, they don't print the details in the middle, where most plates have them:
"The legal details are printed in small text at the bottom right hand corner in a light grey."

edit 2: Actually the standard shows a sample with the details in the middle, but it doesn't state that it *must* be there, in fact the text above says it "should" be displayed as below not "shall" which implies a mandatory requirement:

Edited by Gareth79 on Friday 25th September 21:22

Thanks for this information Gareth, based on this do you think it's worth arguing that my plates are in fact actually legal and contesting the ticket? Cheers

[Gareth79]

AlexL94 said:

Thanks for this information Gareth, based on this do you think it's worth arguing that my plates are in fact actually legal and contesting the ticket? Cheers

Have you received anything other than the TOR yet? Apparently it gets passed to another unit who decides what to do. I can't see that an offence has been committed, but if you get a fixed penalty or whatever then it's up to you to decide how to proceed. You may be able to shortcut going to court by sending a quick email with a photo of the corner of the plate and a copy of the BS to whoever is dealing with it, suggesting that the officer didn't look at the plate properly.

[anonymous-user]

To be legal the name of the supplier and their postcode needs to be on your number plates.

The supplier of your plates was Plates For Cars Ltd. Is their name on your number plates? No

Is Dublin 22 a postcode? No, it's a postal district. In Dublin a full street address contains BOTH the postal district and a detailed postcode, along the lines,
15 Rutland Place
Dublin 1
D01WC56

[freddytin]

NGee said:

No police has ever, ever stopped anyone for having the wrong postcode on their number plate, NEVER.

So there's either a lot more to the story than you're letting on, what did they really stop you for, or you've made the whole thing up.

Which is it?

Had a bad week at work ? Or is your partner giving you grief ?

Which is it?

[Pica-Pica]

Does the number plate supplier need to be registered with the DVLA?
Are they?

[Sir Bagalot]

rockin said:

To be legal the name of the supplier and their postcode needs to be on your number plates.

The supplier of your plates was Plates For Cars Ltd. Is their name on your number plates? No

Is Dublin 22 a postcode? No, it's a postal district. In Dublin a full street address contains BOTH the postal district and a detailed postcode, along the lines,
15 Rutland Place
Dublin 1
D01WC56

Irish postcodes are only a recent thing. Perhaps OP had them printed prior to postcode introduction

[Sebring440]

Pica-Pica said:

Does the number plate supplier need to be registered with the DVLA?
Are they?

What?

Why would a Dublin supplier be registered with the DVLA?

[AlexL94]

The number plate was supplied in 2018 so this would be after the Eircode system was introduced to Ireland, although a quick Google suggests using this system isn't compulsory. Which could explain why the number plate was supplied with just Dublin 22 on it.

Regardless, as someone mentioned above 'PFC' still isn't the actual Ltd company name, unfortunately. Might have to just take this one as a learning curve!

[Red Devil]

Gareth79 said:

Their website just has Dublin 22, do they even have a newer more detailed postcode for that location?

Here's the part of BSAU145d about the supplier's details:



edit: Looking at the PFC website, they don't print the details in the middle, where most plates have them:
"The legal details are printed in small text at the bottom right hand corner in a light grey."

edit 2: Actually the standard shows a sample with the details in the middle, but it doesn't state that it *must* be there.

Dublin 22 is a postal district but it's only a partial code. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_addresses_in_...
The equivalent of a UK post code is an Eircode. If you enter Trinity Court in to the Eircode Finder and drill down, PFC's is D22 WK58.
Another issue is that, being in the RoI, PFC is highly unlikely to be on on the DVLA's RNPS database. However that is the supplier's obligation, not yours.

Did the officer fail to notice the supplier details that are on the plate, or did he take issue with them?
If the incomplete post code is the only problem,, a TOR seems a tad OTT.
Why not issue a VDRS? - https://police.community/topic/113179-vdrs-v-tor/
Or is it policy in that constabulary not to use that disposal method any more?

If nothing else, this thread shows the risk of dealing with an (iffy*) out-of-jurisdiction supplier.

 * Reviews are not exactly stellar. - https://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews261069.html

[AlexL94]

Based on the conversation I had with the officer, she gave me the impression that she didn’t acknowledge there to be any supplier information on the plate at all.

Best get some proper plates made up from a more reputable supplier I guess. What’s the likely outcome of this TOR, just a £100 fine?

[Red Devil]

AlexL94 said:

Based on the conversation I had with the officer, she gave me the impression that she didn’t acknowledge there to be any supplier information on the plate at all.

See below.*

AlexL94 said:

Best get some proper plates made up from a more reputable supplier I guess.

The last time I needed some plates, the local motor factors were the cheapest. Took in my docs and they did them while I went and did some shopping.
Easy peasy and no faffing around waiting for a courier to knock on my door.

AlexL94 said:

What’s the likely outcome of this TOR, just a £100 fine?

I don't know the answer tbh as the only time I've ever had an issue the officer was talking through his hat.
My car was a JDM import which is covered by this amendment - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2687/regu...
He was totally ignorant of it and his whole attitude and demeanour from the outset stank.
He was a bit taken aback when I told him (politely) that I would happily see him in court and he would end up embarassed.
The copy of the Regs I then fished out of my glove box deflated him like a punctured balloon.

If it's a FPN then check the wording to see whether she claims the info was absent or defective in some other way.
Only then can you decide whether its worth contesting. That's going to be a gamble imo. Looks to me like you've been shafted by the supplier.

 * In which case, the other alternative would be to try to head it off at the pass. Find out the contact info for the relevant CTO (Central Ticket Office).
    See if you can get it NFA'd. And get some new plates that can't be misconstrued!

[S100HP]

Any pictures of the plate?...

[omniflow]

Try this website for a more readable view of what's needed:

https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/number-plate-de...

[markymarkthree]

omniflow said:

Try this website for a more readable view of what's needed:

https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/number-plate-de...

I guess all that info only applies to cars with reflective plates and not black and white plates on historic vehicles.

[omniflow]

Just looked at the website for "Plates for Cars" - they are dodgy AF.

Lots of wording on there saying their plates are legal, but lots of options available to the user to make their plates not legal - adjusting spacing, not displaying the BS mark etc. I haven't gone through their designer process to see if it warns you though.

I would suggest you use a more reputable supplier.

[the tribester]

To be legal, from 2003, the number plate must be made by a company that has registered with the UKs Register of Number Plate Suppliers https://www.bnma.org/advice-centre/key-pieces-of-l...

That's probably the clue, the UK register. You probably won't find your Dublin based company listed.

Any numberplate supplier offering different spacing or allowing ommision of suppliers details, won't be on the register.

Also



any company saying No Documents Required, won't be on the register.

OP, is your supplier on the register?

[anonymous-user]

Photo of the plate in question please