Buying a Black Plate

Buying your black number plate is quick and easy at Plate Mate.

Simply use our black number plate builder to get started, and once you’ve finished, hit ‘add to cart’ and select your delivery speed and address.

We offer:

• Road-compliant black and silver plates for eligible historic vehicles
• Customisable font styles to match the style of your vehicle
• Flexible sizing options to suit vintage cars, bikes, and imports

And unlike most suppliers, our plates remain readable and compliant even if vandalised, thanks to our layered print-under-character design.

Need help checking if your vehicle qualifies? Drop us a message or check with the DVLA’s historic vehicle rules.

Are Black Number Plates Legal?

No, black number plates are not road legal. This means you cannot drive a car or motorbike on UK roads with a black number plate. 

Black number plates are road compliant only for vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 and registered as historic with the DVLA. If your vehicle qualifies, you’re legally permitted to display black and silver plates instead of the standard yellow and white.

If your vehicle doesn’t meet these criteria, black plates are still a popular option for show plates, which are great for events, exhibitions, or off-road display.

Who Can Use Black Number Plates?

Vehicles that have applied to DVLA and have been legally registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class. You can also use them if your vehicle was built 40 or more years ago (as it will be exempt from vehicle tax).

This allows your vehicle to retain its authenticity and be in keeping with its age.

Note: The 40 year exemption date rolls forward automatically each year on 1 April.

What happens if you drive with a black plate?

If you drive a vehicle that isn’t eligible for black number plates, you could face fines, MOT failures, or even issues with your insurance.

Here’s what can happen:

• £100 on-the-spot fine: Police can issue a fixed penalty if your plate doesn’t meet road compliance standards.
• MOT failure: Black plates on a modern vehicle will fail MOT tests, as they don’t meet current DVLA visibility and design regulations.
• Insurance complications: Driving with incorrect plates could invalidate your cover, especially in the event of an accident.
• Vehicle seizure: In rare cases, repeated offences can lead to enforcement action.

In short, unless your vehicle was manufactured before 1980 and is registered as a historic vehicle, black number plates must not be used on the road.

For everyone else, black plates are fine for off-road use, photo shoots, or car shows, just not for daily driving.

The Difference Between Black Number Plates and Pressed Number Plates

It’s easy to confuse black number plates with pressed metal number plates — but they’re not the same thing.

Black Number Plates

• These are specific to vehicles registered before 1 January 1980
• They feature silver or white characters on a black background
• They can be acrylic or metal
• Only eligible vehicles can legally display black plates

Pressed Metal Number Plates

• Refers to the manufacturing style, the characters are physically pressed or embossed into a metal plate
• Can be used for both modern or classic vehicles (as long as the design complies with current regulations)
• Available in legal white/yellow reflective versions or black plates for classic cars

So, what’s the overlap?

Pressed plates can be black plates if used on classic cars, but pressed plates also exist in legal white/yellow formats for modern vehicles.

In short:

• “Black plate” = colour and eligibility
• “Pressed plate” = how it’s made