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• Searches for 'dirty number plate fine' have risen by 200% in the past three months

• Vertu’s motoring experts have provided checks to ensure your number plate is road legal 

With over 18,000 ANPR cameras now capturing around 90 million reads per day, the chances of a non-compliant plate going unnoticed are shrinking fast.

And the consequences of an illegal plate could soon get steeper. The UK Government’s 2025 consultation on Road Traffic Offences, which runs until 31st March 2026, proposes introducing penalty points and granting vehicle seizure powers for number plate offences.

This crackdown is prompting drivers to research the rules, with Vertu noting searches for ‘dirty number plate fine’ increasing by 200% over the past three months, and ‘ai traffic cameras uk’ also rising by 125% over the same period.

Rachel Bowen, Aftersales Manager at Vertu Hyundai Silverlink, comments on the importance of road legal plates:

“A landmark road report revealed that as many as one in 15 drivers may be using ‘ghost plates’ to avoid detection. Ghost plates are modified number plates that appear normal to the human eye but are designed to be unreadable by ANPR cameras.

“However, it’s important that drivers who are not deliberately using ghost plates still regularly check that their number plates comply with the law, as normal wear and tear can make them non-compliant over time.

“This can happen gradually without drivers noticing. Years of UV exposure, road salt and jet washing can dull the reflective coating and reduce the clarity of the characters, meaning a plate that was perfectly legal five years ago can slowly drift into non-compliance.”

Vertu’s motor experts have provided a checklist for drivers to ensure their plate is legal: 

1) Check your plate fixings are not obscuring your characters

Screws and bolt caps are a common reason that plates become non-compliant.  

If fixings sit in the wrong place, they can make letters look like different characters, such as turning an 8 into a B or a 0 into a C. Importantly, these changes can affect how it reads to ANPR software.

Make sure your fixings are placed correctly to avoid any issues. Consider using strong adhesive pads instead of screws so that the characters aren’t obscured.

2) Test your plate’s reflectivity after dark

Number plates are retro-reflective, which is how ANPR cameras can read them at night. 

However, over time, this reflectiveness can degrade because of UV exposure, road salt, or just general weathering.

While your plate may still be readable in the daylight, the degradation of its reflectivity makes it harder for cameras to detect at night.

To test the reflectivity of your plate, stand 20 metres behind and in front of your car in the dark and shine a torch at the plate. For a compliant plate, the background should reflect brightly, and the characters should stand out in contrast. 

If either plate appears patchy or the characters blend into the plate, then the coating has degraded, and the plate needs to be changed.

3) Never alter the spacing on a personalised plate

UK plates must follow strict rules on character height, stroke width, spacing, and margins using the mandatory Charles Wright font, which can be found on the government website.

Even small changes to spacing can make the plate non-compliant and result in fines or the loss of the registration.

If your number plate does not comply with spacing or character rules, then you will need to have a new plate created. 

4) Clean your number plates regularly 

Dirt, mud, and road salt can quickly build up and reduce visibility, especially in bad weather. 

If you have 3D or 4D plates, take extra care, as their raised characters can trap grime more easily. While 3D styles can be legal, they must be instantly legible from the roadside, so keeping them clean and well-maintained is essential.

If your plate has become so dirty that it cannot be read from 20 metres away, you could face a fine of up to £1,000.