Display of Trade Plates is regulated by DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) ‘DVSA Enforcement Sanctions Policy’

a) vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable, If you display trade licence plates on any vehicle, your employees and customers can drive the vehicle for certain purposes without having to pay to register and tax it. If your application is approved, you’ll be sent your trade plates. You can apply for extra trade licences if you need more sets of plates.which allocates codes to offences and describes how UK and non UK operators or drivers are to be penalised and references relevant UK legislation by which the DVSA is empowered to impose each penalty. While the display of trade plates might seem like a trivial matter, it’s become a hotbed of contention between trade plate owners and the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). The DVLA specifies that trade plates must be clearly visible on both the front and rear ends of the vehicle, arranged vertically, and kept away from the vehicle’s interior. As a trade plate owner, it’s crucial to ensure that you don’t obscure the vehicle’s existing number plate with the trade plates, as this could result in a traffic violation. These rules might seem straightforward, but adhering to them can sometimes be challenging or even impractical for vehicle owners. Where can you procure trade plates? a friend of mine who has been in the game for 50 years remembers green trade plates, there used to be to sets of plates, red like we have now for limited use, business only and green set for what ever you like. Needles to say he never taxed a car. Sadly they changed the system in the 70's Trade licence plates are number plates you can use on vehicles your business has for things like selling, repairing or testing.

You can apply for trade licence plates if you’re a motor dealer, motor trader or vehicle tester. This means your business does one or more of the following: Trade plates, simply put, are temporary number plates designed to cater to the unique needs of motor traders and vehicle testers. They serve as a pragmatic alternative, sparing you from the cumbersome process of registering and taxing each vehicle temporarily under your possession. The visual evolution of trade platesWe stopped selling the magnetic type of trade plate holder many years ago, due to multiple issues of paint being scratched and plastic bumpers etc. We've also had problems with the plastic version as linked above, which we've also had scratch paintwork. You can buy protective pads, but they don't come with them, so you need to factor those into the price. For example, if you sell cars, you can use trade licence plates to allow your customers to test drive vehicles on a road. Who is eligible The rules explicitly state that the VRM of the vehicle must not be on display alongside the trade licenceVery true, the rules are that you must cover the plates on the vehicle. You can't display both a set of trade plates and the cars actual number plate. The old way, which we've all done at some point, of just throwing the plates on the dash board and the rear parcel shelf have gone I'm afraid. The new ANPR cameras which are now cropping up everywhere, and look very different to what they were only a few months ago, need to read the trade plate clearly displayed on (the outside of) the vehicle. The new ANPR vans are a lot smaller and discrete, they don't have those little camera tripods sat in front of the vans anymore, they're roof mounted now. And if you're not meant to display trade plates inside the vehicle and now not over the original vehicle number plates, how exactly are you meant to display them ? The prescribed manner of exhibiting a trade licence on a vehicle for the purposes of section 33(1)(b) of the 1994 Act is that specified in paragraph 42(4).