What Are Show Number Plates?

Show plates, also known as promotional plates or show number plates, are number plates that are designed only for off road use, typically for car shows, or music videos, but the uses are endless! A show plate, or promotional plate, is a number plate which is for show use only, rather than for use on the road. DWDPLATES specialise in Custom Show Plates and we have sold hundreds, if not thousands of these! We are here to answer all of your questions in this blog!

In this blog, we will answer the question, “what are show plates?”

DWDPLATES are also DVLA registered and we typically specialise in 3D No Plates, 4D Custom Plates and just about any number plate you can think of. Being registered, means that we can manufacture road legal & MOT compliant plates in addition to the above!

Why Are Show Plates Illegal?

A show plate is a term commonly used for any Number Plate which does not conform to DVLA rules, Show plates cannot be used as a substitute for a legitimate number plate, because they do not conform to BNMA guidelines. There may be many reasons why a plate may not conform to these guidelines, it can come down to sizing, the characters or even the company manufacturing them. Typically, you may find features on show plates that are not legal for actual number plates used on the road, such as personalised text at the bottom, tinted acrylic, or different fonts and spacing of letters and numbers. You may have come across Number Plates on off road vehicles with random text which may have caught your eye, these are show plates!

Show plates, which may feature custom characters, such as carbon, or coloured characters, are famous in the motor and car enthusiast industry. Enthusiasts have turned to show number plates as they offer a level of personalization, that cannot be achieved through a standard number plate!

Where To Buy Show Plates?

Here at DWDPLATES, our customers are at the heart of our operations. We are proud to offer a wide variety of custom plates, whether this is a 3D 16 Inch Short Plate, or even a 4D 20.5 Inch Plate, we have it all. All of our plates are available via our website, we offer Road Legal and Show Plate variants for all of our options! Our show plates give you freedom, allowing to you to kit out these plates to your needs.

We offer short plates, tinted number plates, unique coloured letters, and much more! We take pride in our products, and no request is too much for us. Whether you want a legal plate with a special finish, or an extreme show plate, as a number plate maker with creativity flowing through our business, we can fulfil any order, no matter how unique.

Can You Use Show Plates On The Road?

Under no circumstance can show plates be used on public roads. Show Number Plates often feature extravagant styles, flashy color’s and custom spacing, due to these reasons, there is a high chance you may get pulled over or issued a fine by the DVLA. If you display a show plate on your vehicle, you may be liable to receive a fine of up to £1000. Show plates can interfere with ANPR cameras, speed cameras, and even petrol station cameras. With this in mind, it’s clear to see why the DVLA issue regular fines for illegally spaced number plates. It is a drivers sole responsibility to ensure their number plates, whether they are 2D standard plates, or 4D Number Plates, are fully road legal & MOT compliant.

What Makes A Number Plate Illegal?

In simple and short terms, illegal number plates are plates that do not conform to the BNMA & DVLA guidelines. Motor enthusiasts have been known to modify their vehicles heavily, especially when it comes to Number Plates. In recent years, drivers have been known to place coloured screw caps on number plates or reduce spacing so characters read differently. The motive behind these offences vary, some motorists want to stand out, whilst others are trying to make the most of their private registrations purchased from the DVLA

Whatever the reason may be, custom or replacement number plates should always be purchased from approved, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) registered vendors such as DWDPLATES. When buying legal number plates, you will be asked to produce the V5C logbook of your vehicle to make sure you have the correct rights to buy that registration.