Are 4D Coloured Gel Plates Legal?

4D gel plates are an increasingly popular and distinctive option to add an extra level of character to your vehicle. At Bespoke Plates, we understand the love and passion our customers have for making their vehicles an expression of them, and we are here to help every step of the way.

As a leading number plate maker in the UK, from 3D gel number plates to 4D number plates, to regular number plates and electric vehicle number plates, we understand that you may have some questions, one of them being ‘are 4D coloured gel plates legal?’

Personalised number plates are becoming increasingly popular, so we want to make sure that you have all of the information you need about gel number plates and if they are right for you.

Explaining a 4D plate

4D gel plates come under the distinction of a gel number plate.

A gel number plate refers to a number plate which has its characters altered to achieve a distinct 3-dimensional raised appearance on the words and numbers on the registration plate. This is achieved by applying industrial-strength long-lasting resin on top of the 3D characters.

The unique aspect of our 4D plates is that:

• Characters placed by hand
• Acrylic plate – acrylic letters (laser cut)
• Rectangular and deep-raised characters

4D plates are also made from acrylic but instead of polyurethane characters, they use professionally laser-cut characters made from acrylic sheeting. This allows the characters to be thicker and more rectangular for a more eye-catching look.

4D plates, in comparison to their 3D counterpart, carry a premium of up to 20%. This is due to  the individual characters being laser cut by us. The characters are also made to order in-house.

The 4D plates we offer are available in several styles:

• 4D 3mm
• 4D 5mm
• 4D Gel
• 4D Glitter Gel
• Carbon 4D Gel
• Krystal 4D
• Krystal Gel

Gel number plates are also known to last longer as a result of the industrial strength, and long-lasting resin we apply. Read more about the superior resilience of gel plates here.

We also offer 3D plates alongside 4D plates. Our blog has a deeper delve into the distinctions between the two plates if you want insight into that.

Want to see how a 4D plate could look on your vehicle? head over to our website so you can visualise what your plate could look like. Still not convinced? Check out our blog on why you should choose a 4D plate.

Now, we are going to answer the question, are 4D coloured gel plates legal?

Are 4D-coloured gel plates legal?

In relation to the new ruling around number plating in the UK, you may have read it and wondered  ‘are 4D coloured gel plates legal?’ And the answer is, not entirely.

As of 2022, as long as your number plate follows the guidelines highlighted by the DVLA, it is 100% legal for 4D gel plates to be used on your vehicle.

The reason it isn’t a straightforward yes is because of show plates. Show plates (due to their high level of customisable features) are illegal to drive with on public roads. Even if they have 4D characters on them, it does not make them legal.

The new rulings highlighted by the DVLA are as follows:

• The plate must be made from a reflective material. This is for road safety, to ensure other road users and authorities such as the police can see your license plate.
• Black display characters on a white background (front plate)
• Black display characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
• No background pattern on the plate, to avoid any distortion in the readability of the plate.
• Having markings that indicate the number plate supplier. To assist with any sourcing queries or incidents of theft.
• Be marked with a British Standard number – for plates fitted after September 1st 2021, the British Standard number is ‘BS AU 145e’.
• Numbers and letters on the plate must not be removable or reflective. From September 1st 2021 all fitted plates must have a single shade of black within the numbering and lettering.

Additionally, custom plates can also display the following:

• 3D raised characters
• Display of certain flags, symbols and identifiers
• If your vehicle is a zero-emission vehicle, it must display a green flash on the side of the plate.

As of March 2022, further changes have been made to the law regarding number plating (including 4D gel plates) and are as follows:

• Additionally toughened to ensure they can withstand hits and destructive materials that can be found on UK roads.
• Only single in colour as two tones are deemed to cause issues when dealing with different light sources and bad weather. Acrylic and gel lettering is still approved, it just needs to be a single tone to be a legal plate. Show plates can, of course, still have more creative designs.
• Location identifiers, including the address and postcode of the supplier, also need to be included.

As a legally certified license plate vendor, we can guarantee that the options you choose for your plate will be within all of the legal parameters outlined by the DVLA, as a result, you will receive official paperwork to show any time it is requested.

For information by the DVLA on private (personalised) number plate registering, buying and selling and other processes, click here.

4D plates and MOT

4D plates are legal as long as they follow the previously highlighted stipulations, however, does this mean they will pass an MOT? It is not as simple as a yes or no.

We already know registration plates will be checked during an MOT, so what aspects of the plate are they actually checking?

• condition
• secure attachment
• colour
• characters correctly formed and spaced

As long as all of these conditions are met, you will pass an MOT.

At Bespoke Plates, we offer installation on all of our plates, guaranteeing you will pass your MOT. Self-installation may result in you damaging the plate, or not securing correctly, which is why we offer this service to you.

Show plates

Whilst we provide show plates we must disclose clearly that show plates are illegal to use on public roads. Using a show plate on any public road could lead to a fine of £1000 and can also get points added to your license, however, using a show plate on private property is perfectly legal. We make mention of this with every purchase and/or installation of show plates.

With show plates, you have more freedom in personalising your plate, the reason it is illegal to use whilst driving on a public road is due to some designs being harder to read for other road users, whilst alternative backgrounds, spacings and character raising can make technologies such as speed cameras and ANPR’s struggle to recognise the plate. Driving a vehicle from public to private land with show plates on is also illegal.

Due to the level of customisation offered for a show plate, the colour, or character spacing and formation (and non-compliance of plate coding) will likely be the factors that contribute to it failing an MOT as well as it being illegal to use on a public road.

We can provide 4D coloured show plates, with whatever colour or design you decide to choose, but this is at your discretion, the legalities we have previously mentioned will be reiterated when you receive your plate.

Contact Bespoke Plates

We at Bespoke Plates have all the options you can ask for, as an approved license vendor we can guarantee your modification abides by the DVLA rules whilst offering same-day collections and full fitting service.

We hope for anyone still wondering ‘Are 4D coloured gel plates legal?’ that we provided all the right answers and options for all of your plate modification needs. If you choose to purchase and install your 4D plates through Bespoke Plates, we can guarantee your registration plate will be legal, as long as you follow our guidance.

To get in touch and discuss the full fitting service we offer with our plates you can talk to one of the members of our team by:

• Email – info@bespoke-plates.co.uk
• Phone – 0333 006 7878
• Visit in-store –

36A Broughton Street,

Manchester,

England,

M8 8NN