48 replies to this topic

[BGB]

To try and get to the bottom of the "door numbers" mystery that no one seemed to have a clue whether they were legal or not I contacted the Police Legal National Database for clarification.

I asked

A question that arises alot on the on-line forums is the legality of Having
your road car painted up to look like a rally car with door or Window
numbers?

Is it illegal to have door numbers on the road if your car is not a
competition car?

I received a reply today from West Yorkshire Police (see Below)

Chris,

There is no law which prohibits rally car style numbers being on a car.
However, although numbers on doors would be perfectly fine, there may be
problems with having numbers on windows as this could possibly restrict
your vision. If you are to have decals attaced to your windows then you
should ensure that they do not hazard your view of the road and road users.

Hopefully this will clarify the position for England and Wales at least.

Im still waiting a reply from Scottish Police.



Chris

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

i always thought they had to be crossed out

[garrett3]

i always thought they had to be crossed out

Me too, Thats odd

[analogue_radio]

Cheers for looking into that BGB!

Sticky might be a good idea? combining the notion of this thread with the black & white numberplate ordeal that always crops up.

[Jammy]

The crossed out thing has always been a myth that some of us on TMF have tried to dispell with limited success! It's never been illegal to display numbers or characters on your car. Think about work vans displaying company phone numbers, etc.

It originates from the FIA which says if an race/rally participants need to travel on public highways in between stages then they should cross out their race numbers to show that they aren't racing.

There was also rumours that certain insurance companies may wish for you to do the same, but I've never come across this.

[andystevens5]

Well im pleased to hear this !!! and mine went through its MOT just fine ....... but then so did the number plates...."i assume you have the yellow ones in the boot sir" "er..........yes" "good answer sir"

Cheers for the info

[garrett3]

Great thread and great info... Props to BGB

[BGB]

found this on number plates on Lothian & Borders site

Can I have an italic number plate displayed on my vehicle?

No, this is an offence. The law requires standard lettering with the correct spacing between each letter or digit. Letters and digits must be black and displayed on a reflective white background on the front of the vehicle and a yellow reflective background on the rear of the vehicle. If the vehicle was first registered before 1 January 1973, white, silver or grey lettering on a black background is permitted.

[mini93]

been saying this for ages

[glyn]

i think its your insurance company that has the problem with displaying numbers on the door. if you have a number you can enter a race/rally and unless you have insurance that covers you for racing/rallying then the insurance company could say you were in a race/rally when you had your accident and it would be up to you to prove you were just on your way to work or wherever. so if you have no insurance cover technically it is illegal i think this is where the myth stems from.

[mini93]

i think its your insurance company that has the problem with displaying numbers on the door. if you have a number you can enter a race/rally and unless you have insurance that covers you for racing/rallying then the insurance company could say you were in a race/rally when you had your accident and it would be up to you to prove you were just on your way to work or wherever. so if you have no insurance cover technically it is illegal i think this is where the myth stems from.

so let me get this right....any car that has numbers on the side is ready for motorsport?

deary me, i shoudlnt have spent all that money...oh better yet, best tell my friends who build rally cars to not bother passing an MSA log book...just throw numbers on the side

[BGB]

I got a reply today from Lothian and Borders Police in Scotland

Their view is exactly the same

Dear Chris,

Thank you for your email, which has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

I forwarded your question to our Road Policing department, which has confirmed that door numbers are not illegal. Window numbers would only be illegal if the driver's forward or side vision was impaired.

I trust this will be of some assistance to you. If you have any questions about the above or I can help in any other way, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me again.

Kind regards,

Gabriella Trybalska
Force Information Unit
Lothian and Borders Police

[leaky]

been saying this for ages

Yea but some people dont like to listen.

[GraemeC]

i think its your insurance company that has the problem with displaying numbers on the door. if you have a number you can enter a race/rally and unless you have insurance that covers you for racing/rallying then the insurance company could say you were in a race/rally when you had your accident and it would be up to you to prove you were just on your way to work or wherever. so if you have no insurance cover technically it is illegal i think this is where the myth stems from.

so let me get this right....any car that has numbers on the side is ready for motorsport?

deary me, i shoudlnt have spent all that money...oh better yet, best tell my friends who build rally cars to not bother passing an MSA log book...just throw numbers on the side

You don't need and MSA log book, or any other modification, to do most road based rallying, especially 12 cars. However you will be given an identifying rally plaque and number and must have relevant insurance cover. The regs will state you should remove the number as soon as you complete (or retire from ) the event so your normal road insurance is in force.

[andrewstrachan]

so.....the question now is....
Do I 'uncross' the numbers I have on my doors? (only crossed out with electricians tape)
or Do I leave the 'crossing out' on, because it actually looks quite cool?

hmmmmm.......a beer may be needed before I decide!