Motorists have been warned they could be slapped with £1,000 penalties for automatic MOT failures, and the potential voiding of their car insurance if their registration plates fail to meet official standards, experts have cautioned.
The warning comes just days before the DVLA unveils thousands of new "26" registration plates, which become available on Sunday, March 1.
Registration plates are released biannually in the UK, typically prompting increased interest from buyers seeking the latest combination for personalisation purposes or as a potential investment to boost their vehicle's resale value.
However, insurance specialists have urged drivers to ensure their plates remain fully compliant with DVLA rules, as violations could leave them without cover and facing significant financial consequences.
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Drivers wishing to customise their registration plates must navigate numerous restrictions set by the DVLA. All plates are required to be constructed from reflective material and cannot feature any background patterns.
The characters themselves must appear in solid black, remain non-reflective, and be permanently fixed rather than removable.
Strict specifications also govern the height and dimensions of letters and numbers, which must use a standardised typeface with correct spacing and no italic styling.
These requirements exist to ensure plates remain easily readable by police and automatic number plate recognition systems.
New number plates will be rolled out on March 1, with drivers urged to ensure they meet regulations
| PAGreg Wilson, car insurance expert and CEO at Quotezone.co.uk, said: "With the new 2026 plates launching in March, we're issuing drivers a timely reminder to check their number plates are clean and comply with all DVLA regulations, especially those who have reprinted their plates in a bid to personalise the vehicle.
"The police are clamping down on offenders who are actively trying to evade ANPR cameras, so it is worth double-checking plates if drivers have recently bought a new car, and speak to a professional if anything seems suspicious."
However, the DVLA does permit certain modifications, including three-dimensional characters and the display of specific flags, symbols, and identifiers.
Insurance providers mandate that vehicles remain road legal at all times, meaning plates that breach regulations could result in policies being rendered invalid.
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Police warned drivers to ensure they have the correct number plates on their vehicles
| GETTYExperts warned that if a driver is involved in a collision while displaying a non-compliant plate, their insurer may have grounds to refuse the claim entirely or terminate the policy altogether.
Even something as simple as a dirty or mud-covered registration plate could trigger fines of up to £1,000, experts have warned.
The consequences extend beyond immediate financial penalties, as drivers may struggle to obtain affordable cover in future if their policy has been cancelled due to plate-related violations.
Recent analysis has uncovered more than 20,000 incidents involving illegal registration plates throughout the UK.
What a 'ghost' number plate looks like to an ANPR camera | WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCILThe dramatic increase in violations has prompted fresh demands for tougher rules and more rigorous enforcement measures.
Among the thousands of reported cases are so-called "ghost plates", which employ special reflective coatings designed to avoid detection by speed cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.
These invisible plates allow offenders to evade monitoring systems entirely, undermining efforts to improve road safety and catch dangerous drivers.
The surge in offences has become a growing concern for police forces nationwide, with Labour now introducing new rules as part of its Road Safety Strategy.