Will 4D plates still be legal?

Recently, several blogs on various automotive media websites have been reporting interviews with police about their stance on 3D and 4D number plates.

Understandably, for owners of this style of replacement number plates, this news is a little concerning. It appears that yet more rules are coming out regarding how we can modify our cars.

The good news is that 3D and 4D numberplates will remain legal from September 2021. However, there are some things that you need to bear in mind.

Up until September 2021, all new quick plates - including 3D and 4D - followed the BS AU 145d standard. However, after September 2021, the DVLA wants new number plates to switch over to the BS AU 145e standard. The hope is that the new approach will improve the robustness of number plates and make it easier to catch you if you break the law.

Under the old rules, number plates had to be able to withstand severe weathering for 2,275 hours and be made of robust plastic - better than PET. They also had to withstand impact and bend tests, and adhere to certain border sizes.

The new rules are largely the same. Changes mainly affect the reflectivity of the plates, and their ability to deal with the UK’s "highly variable weather."

The good news is that the DVLA will continue to recognize what it calls “the old laws.” So even if your 3D or 4D number plate wouldn’t be legal under the new scheme, you’re still allowed to drive with it, so long as you purchased it before September 2021. If you buy a new 3D or 4D number plate after this date, however, it will need to adhere to the BSAU 145e standard.

The purpose of the new rules is to ensure that number plates remain highly visible. The authorities are doing this to make it easier to catch you in speed traps and on ANPR cameras.

As many of you already know, roadside cameras and the apparatus of state can still catch you if you’re using 3D or 4D plates. And so the DVLA is not concerned with banning these, as yet.

You should be aware, however, that 2D plates printed in such a way to make them look 3D are illegal. In the past, the rules allowed for 3D effects, so long as they did not obscure the main lettering in any way. But, according to the new BSAU 145e, two-tone/3D effects are no longer allowed. The purpose of this is to make it easier to track you with ANPR.

Other changes include reductions in the size of advertising allowed on the plate, the demand that the plate includes the supplier’s business name and postcode, and the requirement that all plates feature the writing, "BS AU 145e" in the bottom right corner.

We understand that the ever-changing number plate game can be a little frustrating. However, the good news is that 3D and 4D plates remain legal in the most recent round of changes.