⚡ Fast UK Dispatch  |  Legal Road Use  |  BS AU 145e Compliant

2D NUMBER
PLATES

Replacement car plates with flat printed characters, made to BS AU 145e in the correct Charles Wright font by a DVLA registered number plate maker. Pick the size that fits your car, then choose front, rear or a matching pair.

SIZING OPTIONS

Pick the size that fits your car, then choose front, rear or a pair on the product page. Road-legal sizes need proof of entitlement; show plates don't.

Most popular Yellow 2D rear number plate showing the flat printed characters
Road legal

Standard Oblong

520 × 111mm — the size fitted to almost every UK car and van. Choose front, rear or a matching pair.

£14.99shipped View
Yellow and white 2D show plates with flat lettering
Show only

Oblong Show Plate

Same size and build as our road-legal oblong, but it can say whatever you like. No V5C, no entitlement check.

£14.99shipped View
Coming soon
AB12
CDE
279 × 203mm
Road legal

Square / 4x4

279 × 203mm. The tall two-line plate fitted to imports, 4x4s and vehicles without room for a full-length plate.

Coming soon View
Coming soon
AB12
CDE
229 × 178mm
Road legal

Motorcycle

229 × 178mm. Two-line yellow rear plate for bikes. Motorcycles registered since 2001 don't need a front plate.

Coming soon View
Coming soon
AB12 CDE
520 × 111mm
Road legal

Trailer & Caravan

520 × 111mm. Yellow rear plate matching the towing vehicle's registration. Required on any trailer towed on UK roads.

Coming soon View
Coming soon
ANY TEXT
Show use only
Show only

Hex Show Plate

Angled hexagonal edges instead of square corners. A show-only shape — it can't be used on the road in any form.

Coming soon View

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Plain English

WHAT 2D
ACTUALLY MEANS

2D means the characters are printed flat onto the face of the plate. Run your finger across one and it's smooth. It's the finish every UK car leaves the factory with, and it's what most people picture when they think of a number plate.

The name only exists because raised finishes came along. Once sellers started offering domed and laser-cut characters, the ordinary flat plate needed a label — so it became "2D". If you see a plate described as standard, flat or 2D, they all mean the same thing.

The practical advantage is that there's no grey area over legality. BS AU 145e requires characters to be a single solid shade of black, and a flat printed character is exactly that. Raised finishes can meet the standard too, but only if they avoid shading and highlights — which is where a lot of buyers get caught out. With 2D there's nothing to argue about at an MOT or a roadside stop.

Built To Last

WHAT GOES INTO
EVERY PLATE

🏆
Premium Acrylic Rigid, crack-resistant 3mm acrylic — not thin flexible plastic
✨
Reflective Backing BS AU 145e compliant retroreflective film — fully road legal
🖨️
Laser Printed Characters Crisp, clean Charles Wright font — no peeling, no fading
📐
Exact UK Legal Size 520 × 111mm standard — correct margins and stroke widths
Choose your plates

From £14.99  ·  Fast UK dispatch

2D Questions

WORTH
KNOWING

What does 2D actually mean on a number plate?
The characters are printed flat onto the plate face, with no raised or domed effect. It's the standard finish every UK car leaves the factory with, and the one that meets BS AU 145e without any question over interpretation.
Will a 2D plate pass an MOT?
Yes, as long as it's undamaged, clean and correctly spaced. A flat printed plate made to BS AU 145e is the finish testers see most often and the one least likely to get questioned.
Is a 2D plate the same as a standard plate?
Yes. Standard, flat and 2D all describe the same thing. The term only came into use once raised 3D and 4D finishes appeared and sellers needed a way to tell them apart. It describes the finish, not the shape — a square or motorcycle plate can be 2D too.
Which size do I need?
Measure your existing plate, or the recess it sits in. Almost every UK car and van takes the standard 520 × 111mm oblong. If your current plate is short and tall rather than long and thin, you need the square size instead. If you're unsure, send us a photo before ordering rather than guessing.
Will your details be printed on my plate?
Yes, and they have to be. UK law requires every road-legal plate to carry our name and postcode along with the British Standard number, in small text along the bottom edge. It's a legal requirement, not branding.

View all FAQs