The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001

Style of characters

15.—(1) In the case of a registration mark displayed—

(a) on a registration plate fixed to a vehicle first registered on or after 1st September 2001, or

(b) on a new registration plate fixed to a vehicle on or after 1st September 2001 to replace a plate previously fixed thereto (except where the vehicle was first registered before 1st January 1973),

each of the characters of the mark must be in the prescribed font.

(2) Except in a case to which paragraph (1) applies, each of the characters of the registration mark must either be in the prescribed font or in a style which is substantially similar to the prescribed font so that the character is easily distinguishable and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of those requirements, characters must not be formed in any way described in paragraph (4) or in a manner which is similar to any of those ways.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), a character shall not be treated as being in a style which is not substantially similar to the prescribed font merely by virtue of the fact that it has, or does not have, serifs.

(4) The ways of forming characters referred to in paragraph (2) are their formation—

(a) in italic script,

(b) using a font, other than italic script, in which the characters are not vertical,

(c) using a font in which the curvature or alignment of the lines of the stroke is substantially different from the prescribed font,

(d) using multiple strokes,

(e) using a broken stroke,

(f) in such a way as to make a character or more than one character appear like a different character or characters.