Are 4D Number Plates Legal?

The short answer is yes, but only if they follow DVLA guidelines and are made by a DVLA registered supplier.

4D Number Plates are the latest trend for those looking to add more spice to their ride. They feature individual, laser-cut blocks made of acrylic, stuck with adhesive to create a 3D look.

For more information on this, visit our article on what 4D Number Plates are.

With their increasing popularity, a question comes to mind: Are 3D Gel/4D Number Plates road legal?

The DVLA website mentions a fine of up to £1,000 issued to anyone that is stopped with number plates that do not follow proper DVLA guidelines. So what are those guidelines exactly?

DVLA Number Plate Guidelines

All DVLA Number Plate guidelines can be found on their website. To summarise:

Number Plates for road use are only to be made by DVLA registered suppliers.

Suppliers need to see documents proving ownership, name and address before number plates can be made.

The specific production guidelines are as follows:

• Number plates must be made from a reflective material
• Number plates must display black characters on a white background (front plate)
• Number plates must display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
• Number plates must not have a background pattern
• Characters on a number plate can be 3D

In addition to this, the characters on a number plate need to follow sizing guidelines according to leaflet INF104.

So are 3D/4D Number Plates legal according to DVLA guidelines?

From a quick glance, so long as the plates are made from a DVLA registered supplier, it is possible to make 4D Number Plates that are legal.

The DVLA makes it clear that characters can be in 3D. The acrylic blocks used in 4D Number Plates are technically 3D (4D is only an industry standard name, find out more here).

The acrylic blocks used in road legal 4D Number Plates are black and laser-cut according to DVLA sizing guidelines. They are then stuck on a white reflective background (for the front plate) and on a yellow reflective background (for the rear plate). Once the details of the supplier have been printed on the bottom of both plates, they are good to go.

So there you have it. Are 4D Number Plates Legal? Yes, but it depends on how they are made and who they are made by. At South West Number Plates, we are DVLA registered and ensure that all our 3D Gel/4D Number Plates are made according to DVLA guidelines and British standards.