4.9
Out of
5 Stars
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Great service and plates arrived on time. Plates exactly as advertised. Would highly recommend.
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Absolutely brilliant! Colourful, different, stands out with my personal plate & legal. The ordering service couldn’t have been easier.
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I’ve ordered at least 4 times over the years from Car Plates Direct. I can not fault the easy of ordering, quality and turnaround time. Will always order only through them. Highly recommended company
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Ordered a set of plates, came exactly how I ordered in good clean condition with the personalisation I ordered. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Car Plates Direct for a fast friendly service. Thank you
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Exactly what I ordered. Good quality product, very professional and courteous service and a quick delivery. Highly recommended company.
HIGH QUALITY PLATES
4D Plates
3D Gel Plates
Standard Plates
Make Your Number Plates Online
Design road-legal or display number plates in minutes. Choose from Regular, 3D Gel, 4D laser-cut and more - manufactured in the UK and delivered to your door.
Choose Your Plate Style
We offer four main plate styles - all manufactured in-house using premium materials.
Standard Flat Plates
Printed on high-quality reflective acrylic using UV-stable inks. Crisp, clean characters in the legal Charles Wright typeface. The classic choice for a replacement plate.
Road Legal
3D Gel Plates
A domed polyurethane gel resin is applied over each character, creating a rounded, high-gloss raised effect approximately 1.7-2mm deep. Hugely popular with car enthusiasts.
Road Legal
4D Laser-Cut Plates
Individual acrylic letters are precision-cut by laser and bonded to the plate face with 3M adhesive. The sharpest, most distinctive look available - typically 3mm deep.
Road Legal
Show Plates
Not road legal - but fully customisable. Any text, any style, any size. Perfect for displays, gifts, photography and garage décor.
Display Only
Built to the Highest Standard
BS AU 145e Compliant
When you choose legal plates on the builder they conform to Current British Standard for vehicle number plates. Correct font, reflectivity, sizing and spacing, meeting the requirements checked at MOT.
Quality Assured
Every plate is manufactured in our UK production facility. We control quality at every stage of production.
Fast Delivery
Tracked delivery on all orders. Most orders dispatched same day, with delivery in 1-2 working days on priority or 2-4 working days standard.
Everything You Need to Know About Making Number Plates
Making a new number plate for your vehicle in the UK is straightforward, but there are important legal requirements to understand before you order. The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, updated in line with British Standard BS AU 145e, govern every aspect of how a legal plate must be produced - from the typeface used to the reflectivity of the backing material. At Car Plates Direct, every road-legal plate we produce is built to meet these standards, so you can order with confidence.
When you use our plate builder, you’ll first choose whether you need a road-legal plate (for a vehicle used on public roads) or a show plate (for display purposes only). Road-legal plates require us to verify your entitlement - you’ll need a V5C logbook, new keeper supplement (V5C/2), or a certificate of entitlement for a personalised registration. This is a legal requirement for number plate suppliers and is designed to prevent number plate fraud. The process takes less than two minutes and can be completed entirely online by uploading a photo of your document.
UK Number Plate Legal Requirements at a Glance
The table below summarises the key specifications for a standard road-legal car number plate fitted after 1 September 2021:
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Typeface | Charles Wright only - no custom fonts |
| Character height | 79mm |
| Character width | 50mm (except I and 1) |
| Stroke width | 14mm |
| Space between characters | 11mm |
| Space between groups | 33mm |
| Top, bottom & side margins | 11mm minimum |
| Front plate colour | White reflective background, black characters |
| Rear plate colour | Yellow reflective background, black characters |
| Character colour | Single shade of black (post September 2021) |
| Standard plate size (car) | 520mm × 111mm (oblong) |
Plates made before September 2021 may still legally carry the old-style GB identifier, but any new plate made today must follow the current regulations. Green-background plates are only permitted for zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) as a voluntary identifier introduced in 2021.
How to Order Your Number Plates
Design in the Plate Builder
Enter your registration number, Choose your plates layout - Legal / Show, choose your plate type (Regular, 3D Gel, 4D 3mm), select your size, and optionally add a national flag, border or badge. You’ll see a live preview as you design.
Add to Basket
Once you are happy with your design and choices, hit add to basket, then once in basket you can add more plates to your order or click to checkout and pay.
Dispatch & Delivery
We manufacture your order and dispatch via courier. Delivery is 1-2 working days with priority, or 2-4 working days standard. Fitting is simple - plates come ready to fix with the standard screws and adhesive pads (Available to purchase at checkout).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a number plate online without visiting a shop?
Are 3D gel and 4D laser-cut plates road legal?
Can I choose a different font for my number plate?
What size number plate do I need for my car?
How long does it take to get number plates delivered?
We deliver across the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. We do not currently ship outside the UK. Once your order is dispatched you’ll receive an email with your tracking details so you can follow your delivery.
Can I add a national flag or badge to my number plate?