Custom Show Plates
Custom show plates or show plates as they are sometimes referred to became popular after the regulations controlling the display of vehicle registration numbers came in to force in 2002.
The show plate was supplied on the basis it was for off road or showroom us only. Other popular names for the custom show plate were: custom license plates, vanity license plates, custom plates, vanity plates, custom euro plates or vanity license plates. The reality of what was happening at this time was some number plate makers suppling show plates would manufacturer the
number plates to suit the buyers requirements and therefore not in accordance with The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.
Number plates suppliers also used the fact they were suppling custom show plates as a get out for carrying out the checks of eligibility to the vehicle registration number and the identity checks of the purchaser. The custom show plate activity was from the DVLA's perspective making a mockery of the regulations. It could be argued that as all number plates are unique due to the registration number numbers that in fact all are custom made number plates or custom made license plates.
Show Plates Obsolete
The original rules for supplying number plates effected England and Wales and did not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland. The later amendment to the law covered Scotland and Northern Ireland and also stated that a combination of characters that was or could be used as a vehicle registration number had to conform to the display of vehicle registration numbers, rendering the custom show plate obsolete.
