Trade plate holders

[Tom 164]

Now that DVLA have changed the rules again. How are we supposed to display them then? My mechanics have sold old magnetic ones with handles on them, one goes on the roof and the other on the bonnet and are really strong but are no longer made. I was covering the original number plates but not allowed to now. 

4. Display of trade plates

A trade plate:

• must be displayed on a vehicle as long as it is visible and vertical on both the front and rear (rear only for motorcycles)

• cannot be displayed inside a vehicle
• must not cover the vehicle’s existing number plates

(except motorcycles)
Please note: Motorcycles can continue to display a trade plate over the existing number plate. 

[Ocsltd 133]

Has anyone on here actually been pulled for displaying them correctly? Surely if your displaying them so their visible, you would have to come across someone having a bad day to pull you over and make an issue of it??

I used to use those rubbery holders with a strap, the type you could hang over the rear wiper arm. But over time, they've become less rigid, one day the whilst driving back from picking a car up, the rear trade plate fell out and landed on the road behind me. Thankfully, my Dad was following me and saw it so flashed me to stop. But ever since then, I've just displayed the front one inside and the dash so it's visible and the back on inside the rear window.

I've done that for the last 5 years or so, been past many a police car and never been pulled / had an issue.

As long as you're making them visible and not taking the p*ss, I can't reallty see the issue....? (That's not aimed at you Tom, just in general).

[grant8064 219]

31 minutes ago, Tom said:

4. Display of trade plates
• must not cover the vehicle’s existing number plates

I thought the whole deal was you were meant to cover the original plates?

I use some of those metal clips on my tradeys that clip over the original plates because I got fed up with the one on the dash sliding around or reflecting on the windscreen. So is that not the deal anymore?

 

[Tom 164]

2 hours ago, grant8064 said:

I thought the whole deal was you were meant to cover the original plates?

I use some of those metal clips on my tradeys that clip over the original plates because I got fed up with the one on the dash sliding around or reflecting on the windscreen. So is that not the deal anymore?

 

No not allowed to now! 

[SC Derby 259]

I'm just going to keep putting them in the window, 7 years driven all over the country with no issue.

[GreenGiant 287]

 

I think that was then and this is now.

The guidelines have obviously changed so:

Not inside the car and not covering the original number plates.

However, Who's actually going to be expected to enforce it? There will undoubtedly be some areas of the country where Plod is more vigilant than in others so there will be a lack of consistency.

Oh, and my OCD can't let this go........

2 hours ago, Ocsltd said:

Surely if your displaying them so their visible,

Aaaaaaggghhhhh

[Ocsltd 133]

24 minutes ago, GreenGiant said:

 

I think that was then and this is now.

The guidelines have obviously changed so:

Not inside the car and not covering the original number plates.

However, Who's actually going to be expected to enforce it? There will undoubtedly be some areas of the country where Plod is more vigilant than in others so there will be a lack of consistency.

Oh, and my OCD can't let this go........

Aaaaaaggghhhhh

You're. Sorry!!

Just now, Ocsltd said:

You're. Sorry!!

And they're! Jesus, I usually know better than that!

[grant8064 219]

50 minutes ago, Tom said:

No not allowed to now! 

Nice to get a letter or email through telling me 

[Tom 164]

1 hour ago, grant8064 said:

Nice to get a letter or email through telling me 

It's on the back of the trade plate licence renewal 

[metcars 394]

Interestingly, and not surprisingly, I've seen a 'lot' more trade plates being used in the last 12 months in my area (East London). Invariably they are used on vehicles with the existing plates either covered or removed. It's fair to say that 'plod' is pretty busy in my area and I've not heard any stories from the grapevine about trade platers being picked on, but we'll see.....?

[grant8064 219]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

It's on the back of the trade plate licence renewal 

Woops!

My bad 

Thanks for the heads up...this forum is so handy, especially when I haven't read something properly!

[It's me 611]

As far as im aware you never could put plates behind the glass

i got my renewal or was it receipt from dvla saying the above ie not to cover existing plates but having read where traders have been done on sorn rules via original plate i have for the past 2 years totally covered the original plates on the car and in some cases removed front plate to accommodate my front trade plate

ive never been pulled in 30 years with plates but then i always try to abide

on the rear i still use a rubber mount and half cover existing number plate

i take more faith in what the police do rather than what dvla say about this so my way stays

on another point ive only had a dvla staff member visit my premises once to check my number plate logging paperwork but all my local factors bar andrew pages still make plates without the dvla licence,this really annoys me

[SK Motors 4]

I can't understand this ! It wasn't long ago I contacted DVLA to question how trade plates should be displayed and they told me they MUST cover the original number plates on the car. 

They said if you didn't do this and the car you were driving wasn't taxed, the cameras would pick up the number plate and you would end up getting fined for driving an untaxed vehicle and also for failing to display trade plates correctly !

How can that have changed already ? Surely the cameras will still pick up the original number plates on the untaxed vehicle and automatically issue a fine ?

And if you're not meant to display trade plates inside the vehicle and now not over the original vehicle number plates, how exactly are you meant to display them ?

[russp 10]

42 minutes ago, SK Motors said:

And if you're not meant to display trade plates inside the vehicle and now not over the original vehicle number plates, how exactly are you meant to display them ?

Fair point!

They clearly cannot make their mind up.

I purchased a new set of trade plate holders about a month ago that cover the plate and work very well.

Now these are obsolete already.

[MrC 142]

Had mine 10+ years always displayed in the windows, never been pulled 

[Cornish Guy 45]

13 hours ago, russp said:

Fair point!

They clearly cannot make their mind up.

I purchased a new set of trade plate holders about a month ago that cover the plate and work very well.

Now these are obsolete already.

Not Fit for Purpose?

[betginge 73]

14 hours ago, SK Motors said:

I can't understand this ! It wasn't long ago I contacted DVLA to question how trade plates should be displayed and they told me they MUST cover the original number plates on the car. 

They said if you didn't do this and the car you were driving wasn't taxed, the cameras would pick up the number plate and you would end up getting fined for driving an untaxed vehicle and also for failing to display trade plates correctly !

How can that have changed already ? Surely the cameras will still pick up the original number plates on the untaxed vehicle and automatically issue a fine ?

And if you're not meant to display trade plates inside the vehicle and now not over the original vehicle number plates, how exactly are you meant to display them ?

This is why it will change again, the point you made is spot on, how do you stop ANPR picking up the original plate untaxed and issuing a auto fine. If you then ring up dvla and say i was on plates, if they turn around and say 'send us your number and that's fine they are then making a legal loophole for getting out of driving untaxed vehicles with no real way of them disputing it.

to be fair though I have never had any issues with police or dvla over trade plates and i have had a set for years. Im glad i no longer have to go into the local office anymore for the stupid review they used to do. anyone can get a set now which is a little silly in some cases.

a friend of mine who has been in the game for 50 years remembers green trade plates, there used to be to sets of plates, red like we have now for limited use, business only and green set for what ever you like. Needles to say he never taxed a car. Sadly they changed the system in the 70's

[metcars 394]

1 hour ago, betginge said:

This is why it will change again, the point you made is spot on, how do you stop ANPR picking up the original plate untaxed and issuing a auto fine. If you then ring up dvla and say i was on plates, if they turn around and say 'send us your number and that's fine they are then making a legal loophole for getting out of driving untaxed vehicles with no real way of them disputing it.

to be fair though I have never had any issues with police or dvla over trade plates and i have had a set for years. Im glad i no longer have to go into the local office anymore for the stupid review they used to do. anyone can get a set now which is a little silly in some cases.

a friend of mine who has been in the game for 50 years remembers green trade plates, there used to be to sets of plates, red like we have now for limited use, business only and green set for what ever you like. Needles to say he never taxed a car. Sadly they changed the system in the 70's

As I said earlier, every trade plate driver I see in my local area either covers or remove the original plates. But, in my local area there are cameras everywhere. You'd be spending half your life phoning up various agencies challenging various PCN's. God knows what happens if you drive over the Dartford crossing. You'd probably have to immigrate!

[SK Motors 4]

Thinking about this again this morning. 

Late last year, I heard the DVLA were looking at scrapping trade plates altogether.

Apparently the contract with the company who produce the trade plates was due to expire in April 2017 and the DVLA were not looking at renewing it.

Anyone know anything about this?

[metcars 394]

You hear so many stories/rumours anything is possible?

Our lords and masters are influenced by 'fact finding missions'. Up until recently they would have been influenced by our EU partners. I seem to remember rumours about a europe wide vehicle excise duty system, but good or bad right or wrong that has come to an end: they could be looking at how the US do things. With all dealers registered and plates applied to owners rather than cars? Who knows?

Edited March 6, 2017 by metcars

[justina3 518]

Has anyone got a link to the new "guidelines or rules" i cant seem to find them anywhere, coming from Swansea the home of the DVLA there vans are everywhere in my area so be nice to keep up to date.

 

 

[Tom 164]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/584865/vtl301g-guidance-notes-how-to-fill-in-a-VTL301-form.pdf

[It's me 611]

for the record

dvla took my trade plate monies out of my account on the 16th of february

what kind of business waits 5 weeks before cashing a cheque

[Wood235 36]

Dvla recently told me you must cover existing plates because of anpr systems. 

This is why we bought the holders with suckers to go over the top!

[Cornish Guy 45]

9 hours ago, Wood235 said:

Dvla recently told me you must cover existing plates because of anpr systems. 

This is why we bought the holders with suckers to go over the top!

Read the back of your renewal notice. That's what the fuss is about.