it depends how anal they want o be but
For cars registered after Sept 1st 2001 Your plate must have
* The new font (79mm high) there are a few excepions motorbikes and some imported cars.
* The name and postcode of the plate supplier
* It must say "BS AU 145d" on it bottom right corner (not neccessarily bottom right but that's where it usually is) - It must also have next to this a small company name or logo (it is the name of the manufacturer of the plate) There are many different types,
mine say HHSP BS AU 145d. The HHSP bit is the manufacturer.
Other examples
"Gould BS AU 145d"
"UP BS AU 145d" etc etc etc
* For the new longer plates with a space on the left for the EU flag symbol, the space can be blank but it must not have anything else there except 1 of the following:
Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack)
Scottish flag (saltaire)
English flag (george cross)
Welsh flag (dragon)
Euro union flag and "GB" symbol
Any other symbol in that space will fail the MOT, the letters must be black on a yellow (reflective) background for the rear...some plates have a large ford logo on the background (for show use only) this will fail MOT.
Some Halfords plates have the halfords details and BSAU145d written in white text on the front white plates, as long as it can be seen and read it should pass.
Cars registered from 1973 - 2001 can have either old style plates with no BSAU 145d mark & 89mm high font, or newly issued plates which must be as described above with new font.
Cars before 1973 can have those very old style plates or new style i.e a choice of 3 styles.
Characters
Height
79mm
Width (except the figure 1 or letter l)
50mm
Stroke
14mm
Space between characters
11mm
Space between groups
33mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum)
11mm
Space between vertical lines
19mm The character width has been slightly reduced from 57mm to 50mm to accommodate the Euro-symbol on the number plate.
hope thats interesting reading
