Borders are one of the genuinely legal ways to personalise a number plate, which makes them unusually useful. They are also easy to get wrong. Here is what the rules permit and where the line sits.
The basic position
Borders are optional and permitted. Nothing in the regulations requires a plate to have one, and nothing prohibits it outright. What matters is that the border does not interfere with the two things the plate exists to do: display the registration clearly, and display the mandatory markings.
What a border must not do
- Obscure any character. The registration must be fully visible, with the prescribed margin preserved.
- Cover the mandatory markings. The BS AU 145e number, manufacturer identifier and supplier name and postcode must remain readable. Where a border runs level with these details, it should break so they are not hidden.
- Reduce the reflective area in a way that affects legibility. A very thick border eats into the background the cameras rely on.
- Read as a character or symbol. Anything that could be mistaken for part of the registration is a problem.
- Create a background pattern. The background behind the characters must stay plain.
Flags and national identifiers
A plate may carry a national flag with identifying letters in a panel on the left hand side. This is optional, not required. Permitted combinations include:
- The Union flag, with UK, United Kingdom, GB or Great Britain
- The Cross of St George, with ENG or England
- The Cross of St Andrew, the Saltire, with SCO or Scotland
- The Red Dragon of Wales, with CYM, Cymru, WALES or Wales
The flag sits above the letters, within the designated band, and must not intrude on the registration characters or their margin. Unofficial flags, club badges, football crests and regional emblems are not permitted on road plates.
The green flash for electric vehicles
Zero emission vehicles may display a green flash panel at the left hand end of the plate. It is optional and it does not change any other rule. It is designed to make it easier for local authorities to identify eligible vehicles for incentives such as parking and access schemes.
Popular border styles that stay legal
- Slim printed borders in a single colour, black, blue, red or green
- Carbon effect borders, since the restriction on carbon applies to the background and characters
- Borders combined with a national flag panel
- Colour matched borders chosen to suit the vehicle paintwork
You can add a border to any of our road legal ranges, including 3D gel, 4D and 5D plates.
Styles to avoid on the road
- Thick borders that push into the 11mm margin
- Borders with text, logos or repeating patterns
- Raised borders that cast shadows across characters
- Anything that runs across the bottom markings without breaking
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a dealer name printed on my plate?
Supplier details are required, but additional advertising text is not permitted within the plate area on a road legal plate. Use a surround if you want branding.
Are 3D or raised borders legal?
The safest route is a printed border. Raised borders risk casting shadows and encroaching on the margin.
Do borders affect ANPR?
A slim printed border does not. A thick one that reduces the reflective area around the characters can.
Can I have a flag of another country?
No. Only the permitted UK flags and identifiers are allowed on road legal plates.
Add a border to your plates
Choose your border and flag when you configure your plate from our standard, 3D gel or 4D ranges, and we will keep every measurement within the rules.