Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 section 43

Obscured registration mark

Section 43 makes it a criminal offence if a vehicle's registration mark (number plate) is obscured or not easily readable, and sets out who is responsible and what defence is available.

• It is an offence for a vehicle's registration mark to be obscured or rendered not easily distinguishable in any way.
• The person responsible is the driver of the vehicle, or if the vehicle is not being driven, the person who keeps it.
• The maximum penalty on summary conviction is a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
• It is a valid defence to prove that all reasonably practicable steps were taken to prevent the registration mark from becoming obscured or unreadable.