UK Number Plate Font and Spacing Rules — Getting It Right

A road-legal number plate isn't just about the right registration — the way the characters are drawn and spaced matters too. Get it right and your plates look sharp and pass without question. Here's what you need to know.

The mandatory typeface

Road-legal plates must use the standard prescribed typeface. Stylised, italic, 3D-shaded or decorative fonts are not permitted on the road — they're reserved for show plates. The good news: the regulation font still looks clean and modern in a quality 3D gel or 4D finish.

Character size and spacing

Characters must be a set height and width, with defined gaps between individual characters and a wider gap between the two groups of the registration. These measurements aren't a suggestion — they're part of what makes a plate legal and readable, including by cameras.

Spacing your registration correctly

When you order, enter your registration exactly as the DVLA issued it, with the correct space. Don't add extra spaces, remove the gap, or rearrange characters to "read" as a word — misrepresenting a registration is an offence on the road.

Let your supplier handle the technical part

You don't need to measure anything yourself. When you build a road-legal plate with RegXperts, we apply the correct font, sizing and spacing automatically — you just enter your registration carefully and choose your style. For show plates, custom spacing is available because they're for display use only.