Number plates go on with either number plate screws or double sided sticky pads. A pair takes about ten minutes either way, and you need almost no tools.
Legally, only the result matters: the plate has to end up secure, legible and unobscured. How it got there is up to you.
What you need
- For screws: number plate screws and caps, a drill with a 5mm bit, a cross head screwdriver
- For pads: a roll or pack of number plate sticky pads
- Either way: a cloth, some degreaser or isopropyl alcohol, and masking tape
Fitting with sticky pads
- Clean the surface. Degreaser or isopropyl alcohol, then dry it completely. Pads will not hold on wax, polish or road film, and this is the step people skip.
- Dry fit first. Hold the plate in place, check it sits level and is not covering a sensor or a washer jet, then mark each end with masking tape.
- Apply the pads. One near each corner and one in the middle. More is not better, it just makes removal harder.
- Press and hold. Firm pressure across the whole plate for about 30 seconds. Adhesive needs pressure, not time.
Avoid doing this in the cold if you can. Most adhesives struggle below about 10°C, and a pad that does not bond properly will let go on the motorway in a few weeks.
Fitting with screws
- Dry fit and mark. Position the plate, then mark your two drill points between characters, never through one.
- Drill the plate off the car. Lay it face up on a flat surface, 5mm bit, steady pressure. Drilling it in place is how plates get cracked.
- Offer it up and start both screws by hand. Get both in loosely before tightening either, so you can still adjust.
- Tighten gently. Firm, not hard. Acrylic cracks around an overtightened screw, sometimes weeks later rather than on the day.
- Fit the caps. Check they sit flat and cover no part of any character.
Which should you use?
| Situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Leased or company car | Pads, no holes |
| Flat, clean mounting surface | Pads |
| Curved or flexing bumper | Screws |
| Existing holes already there | Screws |
| You swap plates often | Screws |
Plenty of people use both: pads to hold the plate in position while they drill, screws to do the actual work.
The mistakes that cost money
Screw caps over a character
A black cap sitting over part of a letter can change what the plate reads. That is a plate "showing an incorrect registration", which is a Major MOT defect and a fine of up to £1,000. Always drill between characters.
Overtightening
The single most common way a brand new plate gets cracked. The screw does not need to be tight, it needs to be firm.
Tinted or smoked covers
Not legal. Anything that makes the registration harder to read, including tinted covers, mesh and heavily smoked surrounds, risks a fine and an MOT failure.
Fitting over a dirty surface
Applies to pads specifically. If it is not clean and dry, it will not stay on.
Keeping it legal afterwards
A correctly fitted plate still has to stay readable. Keep both plates clean, make sure a tow bar, bike rack or cycle carrier does not obscure the rear one, and replace a plate as soon as it starts cracking or going cloudy rather than waiting for the next MOT.
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