Black and White Number Plate

[florence]

I think this has been discussed before and I hope I am not telling people what they already know but I cannot remember what the consensus was.  I found this:

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/17/whats-the-story-with-black-and-silver-number-plates/

So it seems since April 2015, any historic vehicle can display traditional number plates.

[mike the bike]

Dunno the exact date involved but 1972 springs to mind

[Johnwebley]

I think this has been discussed before and I hope I am not telling people what they already know but I cannot remember what the consensus was.  I found this:

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/17/whats-the-story-with-black-and-silver-number-plates/

So it seems since April 2015, any historic vehicle can display traditional number plates.

thanks for that link,I now have to decide if I want black/silver plate

[Alex jb]

I don't think the assumption is correct.
It states:
Since April 2015 vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 can display the older style plates.
You must:
. have applied to DVLA, and
. be registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.


The road tax exemption is rolling 40 years, but not the black/silver plate.

[Chris400F]

It also says "If you’re not registered within the historic class you can’t display the black and silver number plates."
As I read it the implication is that if you are registered within the historic class then you can display the black and silver number plates.
This is a rolling exemption; I'm not sure there is one rule for road tax and another for number plates, but we are talking DVLA here ....

[mike the bike]

As I understand it, the vehicle needs to be taxed as Historic AND  it must be manufactured before 1972.  There is no rolling entitlement to a black number plate.   Surely,  if it's entitled to a black number plate bacause of it's age, then it will (or should be) historic anyway.   DVLA can't do logic.

[Alex jb]

How old is your bike John?
My CD was registered in Aug 1977 so will become tax exempt in Apr 2018.
I have a black/silver plate 'for show purpose only' of course.

[Johnwebley]

My Honda is 1973 manufactured,reg'd march 74

it is on Historic tax

[wolfheze]

Problem is even if you could fit a black and silver plate to anything over 40 years old it won't look as it would of if it's post 72. I think I'll stick with my pressed metal yellow plate

[Chris400F]

As I understand it, the vehicle needs to be taxed as Historic AND  it must be manufactured before 1972.  There is no rolling entitlement to a black number plate.   Surely,  if it's entitled to a black number plate bacause of it's age, then it will (or should be) historic anyway.   DVLA can't do logic.

The linked DVLA document says:

Vehicles that can display black and silver plates

Since April 2015 vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 can display the older style plates. You must:

 - have applied to DVLA, and
 - ne registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class.

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


Personally I'm happy with reflective plates on my standard and original bike but I can see that for those that have rebuilt their bikes in, say, café racer style the black and silver plates may be in keeping with the style of the bike so it would be nice to be clear what the rules actually are.

I went with pressed aluminium plates rather than the modern plastic type. There are separate rules covering the use of these but I don't think they affect SOHC bikes, only more modern stuff.

[BigAl (Alan)]

Interesting post, 'L' plate (Aug 72- July 73) was always deemed the last year before you had to utilise the reflective plates. Now it seems the 'M' plate (Aug 73 - July 74) and the
'N' plate (Aug 74 - last day Dec 74) can now utilise the Black/silver plate ?

Have I read this correctly, as the 'Historic' taxation rolls out over the years 'P' 'R' 'S'...reflective plates can be changed to black/silver ?