A customised number plate is a fun, unique way to personalise your car. One’s car is one’s pride and joy, which is why so many people enjoy getting a personalised number plate, to inject a bit of their personality into their vehicle.
So popular are custom number plates, that the private plate industry is currently worth a staggering £1.3 billion in the UK, an increase of 275% since 2018.
In this article, we will discuss the question, ‘are glitter gel plates legal?’, which we hope you will find useful.
Read more content about Gel Number Plates
To learn more about gel number plates, you may find it helpful to read our blog articles and help pages on:
- 4D Number Plates Made From Gel
- Is 4D Gel Number Plates Legal?
- How Long Does A Gel Number Plate Last?
- Are Gel Number Plates Legal?
- How To Stick Number Plates On
- Are 4D Gel Plates Legal Gel Number Plates
What is a glitter gel plate?
A glitter gel plate is a type of four-dimensional (4D) number plate. The characters on the plate are created using a 4D glitter gel. This achieves a distinct, raised, three-dimensional appearance on the letters and numbers on the registration plate. What makes this happen is the industrial-strength, long-lasting resin, which is applied on top of the 3D characters.
The 4D plate is more pronounced, in contrast to a 3D plate, which is softer.
Are glitter gel plates legal?
We would always recommend shopping with a trusted supplier of personalised number plates.
A business may claim that their number plates are legal for road use, but in actual fact, the plate may not contain the correct spacing, font, colours, or reflective background that that are required by UK law.
It is your responsibility to check that your custom number plate is legal for usage on UK roads.
So, are glitter gel plates legal?
Your glitter gel 4D plate is legal for use on the road, under one condition: 4D number plates have to be made to British Standard BS AU 145d, which is the standard that all new number plates on UK roads should be manufactured to by law. This standard has been effective since 2001.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stipulates that number plates must display writing in an untitled font called Charles Wright New or Mandatory. The letters and numbers must comply with specific spacing and alignment.
The current vehicle registration number format was introduced in 2001. It consists of:
- 2 letters (these refer to the region in the country where your vehicle was first registered)
- 2 numbers (these tell you when it was issued)
- 3 letters are chosen at random
By law, the DVLA requires the number plates on your vehicles to meet the following conditions:
- be made from a reflective material
- display black characters on a white background (for the front plate)
- display black characters on a yellow background (for the rear plate)
- not have a background pattern
- be marked to show who supplied the number plate
- be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
The characters on your number plate must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
On your number plate, the law allows you to have 3D (raised characters), certain flags, symbols and identifiers. If you have a zero-emission vehicle, your number plate is allowed to display a green flash.
Moreover, it is illegal to disfigure number plates in a way which makes them hard to read. For example, if your private plate has the number ‘1’, you cannot place a screw or bolt on top of it to make it look like the letter ‘I’.
Will police pull me over if I am driving with a glitter gel plate on my car?
Police will only pull you over if your glitter gel plate is illegal and doesn’t meet the requirements of the DVLA.
On your number plate, the acrylic characters must be displayed in black, on a white background for the front of the vehicle, and on a yellow background for the rear of the vehicle.
If your number plate is incorrectly displayed or dirty, you could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle may fail its MOT test.
Here at Bespoke Plates, our glitter gel plates are 100% road legal, so you won’t have to worry about running into legal trouble if you purchase a legal plate from us.
Where can I buy a glitter gel number plate?
Here at Bespoke Plates, we offer 3D and 4D Gel Number Plates in stunning designs.
Our plates are available in the following styles:
4D
- 4D 3mm
- 4D 5mm
- 4D Gel
- 4D Glitter Gel
- Carbon 4D Gel
- Krystal 4D
- Krystal Gel
3D
- Black
- Glitter Gel
- Carbon Brickwork
- Carbon Galaxy
Are glitter gel plates legal? Well, choose the ‘Legal’ option if you wish to use the plate on the road. This is legal, as we will design the plate with the legal markings and spacings at the bottom.
Alternatively, choose the ‘Show Plates’ option if you are not looking to use your number plate for the road, as this plate is designed for promotional or decorative purposes only. (It cannot be used on the road.)
We offer a wide range of customisation features, to make your number plate entirely unique to you!
Tinting of the number plate is available, as are slogans, borders, side badges, and different material types. If you require a number plate holder or a fixing kit to stick on your plate, then simply add these to your basket when shopping.
Happy shopping!
Click here to shop our 3D and 4D Gel Number Plates. If you have any questions about the kind of number plate you need, then contact us and we would be happy to help.
Buying your Glitter Gel Number Plate
At Bespoke Plates, our process is very straightforward:
- Head to our website, and choose between 3D or 4D plates under the ‘build your plate’ tab
- Enter your registration for a preview of the plate
- Specify whether this will be a legal plate or a show plate
- Choose your style
- Select whether your plate will be for the front and back of your car or just one of them
- Select your size
- Select additional customizable options
- Have it delivered to your home
If you have purchased a road-legal number plate, you can install your number plate yourself, using our fixing accessories.
Alternatively, we can also install your plates for you, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. Get in contact with us and see how we can help you today.
As a legally recognised supplier and installer of custom plates and private plates, we can guarantee your plates will abide by the specifications of the law, and will advise you if your design falls outside of the specifications.
What documents are needed to purchase a number plate?
When purchasing a 4D number plate, you must prove that you are the registered vehicle owner. Hence, you will have to provide either:
- the V5C logbook
- the V5CNI logbook
- V5C/2 or V5C/2NI new keeper slip
- the V778 certificate
You must also bring a document to confirm your name and identity. These could be:
- driving license
- current passport
- National identity card
- utility bill/Council Tax bill from the last 6 months
- bank statement from the last 6 months
- bank card/ credit card
- financial statement from the last 6 months
Can you drill through glitter gel plates?
It is not recommended that you drill through glitter gel plates yourself, as this could crack the letters and damage the plate.
At Bespoke Plates, our team of experts can support you with the full installation of your glitter gel plate onto your vehicle.
How do I keep my glitter gel number plate safe from thieves?
- Secure your number plate with tamper-resistant screws.
- Always lock your car doors, windows and sunroof.
- Never leave tools in your vehicle overnight- or keep them out of plain sight.
- Always park your vehicle in residential areas with plenty of street lighting, where suspicious activity can be noticed.
- Report any suspicious activity if you see it.
- Install CCTV cameras on your driveway or garden.
About Bespoke Plates
As one of the established number plate makers in the UK, we at Bespoke Plates have all the options you can ask for. From 3D plates, 4D plates, standard number plates, and gel plates, we offer outstanding craftsmanship with every plate we produce.
We are an approved license vendor, so we can guarantee that your modification abides by the DVLA rules, whilst offering same-day collections and a full fitting service.
So, what are you waiting for?
Browse our options today to get the plate that speaks to you, and speak for you, with Bespoke Plates.
We hope to have provided valuable information whilst also answering the question ‘are glitter gel plates legal?’
Want to read more about all things custom number plates? Check out our blog here.
To get in touch and discuss the full fitting service we offer with our plates, you can talk to one of our friendly team by:
- Email – info@bespoke-plates.co.uk
- Phone – 0333 006 7878
- Visit in-store –36A Broughton Street, Manchester, England,M8 8NN
