Warning from taxi association over potential 3D and 4D number plates ban as MPs push tougher penalties
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Plans to ban 3D and 4D vehicle number plates are moving closer to policy reality after MPs from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety recommended a nationwide prohibition, alongside tougher penalties for drivers using non-compliant plates.
The proposals follow growing concern that raised and stylised number plates are contributing to enforcement failures, particularly where Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems are used by police, local authorities and transport bodies. While the recommendations do not yet carry the force of law, industry figures say drivers should not assume the status quo will remain.
Paul Kirby, Executive Senior Officer at the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), said the proposals were already having practical consequences for drivers. Writing in TAXI Magazine, Kirby warned that enforcement action is already being taken against plates deemed unreadable, even if they are not explicitly illegal under current regulations.
“There are changes planned for this kind of registration number plate,” Kirby said. “A Government Transport Safety group called an APPG are recommending that both 3D and 4D plates are banned, seeking bigger fines and even points on your licence.”
Taxi industry warns drivers over enforcement risks as Transport Safety MPs call for crackdown on non-compliant registration plates
Kirby said that although the recommendations from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety have not yet been enacted, similar proposals have historically been adopted into legislation following consultation. In the interim, police are relying on existing offences linked to plate legibility rather than outright illegality.
“At the moment, drivers can be prosecuted under the law of the plate being not illegal but ‘unreadable’ by the police ANPR cameras,” Kirby said, adding that fines typically start at £100 and can rise for repeat offences. He warned that police ANPR systems, rather than roadside speed or traffic cameras, were the primary trigger for stops and reports.
The issue has gained momentum following the publication of a December 2025 report by the APPG for Transport Safety, which examined the rise of so-called ghost and stealth plates. The report concluded that raised characters, reflective films and other plate modifications were increasingly being used to defeat ANPR systems, undermining road safety enforcement and facilitating wider criminal activity.
According to the APPG inquiry, up to one in 15 vehicles on UK roads may now be fitted with modified or non-compliant plates, with professional drivers identified as a particular area of concern. Evidence submitted to the group suggested that taxi and private hire vehicles were among those using altered plates to avoid congestion charges, parking enforcement and airport drop-off fees.
The report recommended a ban on 3D and 4D plates, increased fines, licence penalty points and the seizure of vehicles belonging to repeat offenders. It also called for tighter controls on plate manufacturers and mandatory compliance checks as part of the MOT testing regime.
Kirby urged drivers to take the issue seriously, even before any formal ban is introduced. “Hopefully no one got a plate like this in their Christmas stocking,” he said, warning that aesthetic choices could soon carry financial and licensing consequences.
While the Department for Transport has not yet confirmed whether it will legislate on the APPG’s recommendations, the issue is expected to feed into forthcoming road safety and enforcement policy discussions. For now, industry bodies are advising drivers to revert to fully standard plates to minimise risk.
