| More and more people are adding personal touches to | | | | prosecution and a fine of up to £1000. The |
| their cars. In the UK one of the most frequently seen | | | | offending car will also fail its MOT test and in extreme |
| acts of personalization is when the car owner alters | | | | cases the registration may even be withdrawn. For |
| the cars numberplate. These alteration range from | | | | number plates that came into existence before 2001 |
| using fancy character fonts to changing the actual | | | | the sizing requirements are slightly different and they |
| colour and size of the plates. Such alteration can, | | | | will only have to be changed if they have been |
| however mean that the owner is breaking the law an | | | | customized with stylized letters or figures such as |
| is potentially facing a fine of up to £1000. | | | | italics or fixing screws to alter the appearance. |
| The UK law that governs car numberplates is fairly | | | | The second most frequently seen customization on |
| simple. From September 2001 the law stated that a | | | | UK cars is tinted windows. This can easily be done |
| numberplate must be displayed front and rear (they | | | | with the use of a tinted film. However, once again |
| are a few exceptions). The numberplate characters | | | | anyone who fails to conform to the current law and |
| must be coloured black and the front plate be white | | | | regulation faces conflict with the law. Dark heavy |
| and the rear plate be yellow. The background of both | | | | tinting of the windscreen and front windows is unlawful. |
| plates must be reflex reflecting but not the numbers | | | | Regulations state that the front side windows must |
| and must also comply with sizing and layout | | | | allow through 70% of the available light and the |
| regulations. These state that number plates must use | | | | windscreen must allow in 75% of the available light. So, |
| a common font and be spaced as follows: A two | | | | if through tinting such windows allow less than the |
| letter regional identifier followed by a two figure age | | | | permitted light in they will be deemed unlawful. |
| identifier and three random letters. The space between | | | | If a car is deemed to have tints that are too dark then |
| each character must be 11mm and the space | | | | the owner will be handed a penalty notice demanding |
| between groups must be 33mm. The height of each | | | | the immediate removal of the tint. Failure to do so |
| character must be 79mm and the width 50mm | | | | could result in a fine and even points added to the |
| (except for the number 1 or letter I). | | | | driving licence. Take a car with illegal tints for an MOT |
| To ignore these format regulations could lead to | | | | test and the car will automatically fail. |