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BS AU 145e 

What is it? When did it come into effect and how does it affect you?

THE NEW E STANDARD FOR NUMBER PLATES, WHAT IS IT?

 

The new British Standard BS AU 145e came into effect from September 1st 2021, all number plates manufactured for the UK must meet the new British Standard requirements. The goal of this legislation is to provide clearer and more durable number plates that will be readable for longer.

Click below to watch our brief video explaining the upcoming changes

WHAT HAS CHANGED FROM SEPTEMBER 1ST 2021?

 

  • Only solid black characters are permitted.

  • Fonts, commonly known as Carbon, Hi-line, and 3D are no longer permitted.

  • All printed materials manufactured by number plate suppliers must have the new British Standard mark, BS AU 145e.

  • All flags must be part of the reflective material, they must not be overprinted or stuck on.

  • The reflective materials used have to be plain with no watermarks and must meet photometric requirements.

  • Nothing can be printed within 10mm of the characters other than the registered company name and postcode.

  • The customers’ registered company name and postcode must be printed a minimum of 7mm away from the characters.

  • The maximum height for the customers’ registered name and postcode is 10mm and the minimum is 3mm.

  • A printed border is optional, and can be up to 5mm wide, but must be at least 10mm away from the nearest character.

  • The lip area can still be used to advertise and personalise.

NOT RECOMMENDED

 

Although screws that pierce the plate continue to be permitted, they’re not recommended as they can compromise the durability of the plate. Sandhurst Autoprint recommends that secure sticky pads are used to prevent any compromise of the durability of the plate.

Permitted
Not Permitted
Not Recommended 
Recommended 

How we are supporting you with the change

 

  • Your Sales & Support Manager will be in touch with you in the coming months to help you transition.

  • Our PrintPlate® software is 'e' ready .

  • Our acrylic plate construction has been independently certified as BS AU 145e compliant, well in advance of September's deadline.

WHY IS THE STANDARD CHANGING?

 

The Government want to ensure that number plates are manufactured to the latest technical standards which provide for better durability and compatibility with Automatic Number Plate Recognition or ANPR cameras, meaning number plates must be readable for longer.

The Government and the police depend on ANPR cameras to monitor road and motorist’s safety. They also help to detect, deter and disrupt criminality. This has put pressure on number plates being manufactured to the highest quality so that they’re readable and remain readable for longer.

The new standard introduces two new additional tests. The first requires manufacturers to test their plates with ANPR technology, and the second tests the plates for resistance to abrasion. We have completed these tests and are certified with the new British Standard, BS AU 145e.

 

We are here to help with any queries regarding the new standard, please contact our sales team at sales@sandhurstautoprint.co.uk or via phone on 01252 749808

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