Can I display a black & silver number plate?

Key takeaways:

• Only vehicles registered before 1^st January 1980 can display black and silver number plates, following the DVLA’s correction in 2021.
• To avoid fines and MOT failures, number plates must not use decorative fonts, altered characters or unauthorised symbols.
• Eligible vehicles must obtain black and silver number plates from a registered supplier, following strict guidelines to ensure legality.

The historic black and silver number plate has been around since 1903, and was issued in the UK following the Motor Car Act 1903 as a means to ensure all vehicles could be legally recognised in the event of a road traffic collision, or could be recovered if stolen.

Although the modern white/yellow reflective plates have been available since 1968 on new cars, many continued to carry the traditional black and silver number plate into the early seventies. Today these traditional style plates are often sought-after by classic car owners seeking to augment or reinforce the classic look of their vehicle.

Who is allowed to display a black and silver number plate?

Due to a correction made by the DVLA on 1^st January 2021, vehicles constructed after 1^st January 1980 are not allowed to display a traditional number plate, i.e., with white, silver or grey characters on a black plate. This applies even if the vehicle is over 40 years old and recorded in the DVLA’s ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.

Only vehicles registered before the 1st of January 1980 are allowed to display a black and silver number plate, providing they have applied to the DVLA and are registered with the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.

What are the vehicle registration plate laws? 

Below is a list of points that are illegal when it comes to your registration plates:

• Decorative typeface (no italic lettering or hard to read font style)
• Altering characters (such a screws used to change a 0 to an 8)
• Using non-authorised symbols (such as sporting or religious emblems)
• Not supplying the British Standard symbol
• Altering configuration (putting gaps to separate characters)

The law states that a modern number plate has to be clear and reflective, displaying black characters in a standard size on a white background for the front and a yellow background for the rear.

If your vehicle does not display legal number plates you could be fined up to £1,000 and your car will automatically fail an MOT.