Petitions/Relax the spacing requirements on UK personalised vehicle registration plates
StatusClosed
Opened4 Dec 2025
Closes4 Jun 2026
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

In 2012 it was reported that the Government was planning to relax spacing requirements for personalised numberplates, to allow for letters and numbers to be moved closer together to more easily spell words. This planned change has not been implemented.

It would allow more single words to be created, potentially boosting Government revenue. For example, in TA11 EST the space could be removed to read TA11EST. The DfT stated in 2012 that the number plates would still remain readable by numberplate recognition cameras. The DVLA currently sell number plates that if the characters were to be pushed together would constitute a word; but they also prosecute owners for pushing those words together. Acting on this petition would eliminate this unfair situation.

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Constituency engagement ranking

Alex Brewer
1Alex Brewer MP
North East Hampshire
10
Alex Baker
2Alex Baker MP
Aldershot
8
Baggy Shanker
3Baggy Shanker MP
Derby South
4
Charlotte Cane
4Charlotte Cane MP
Ely and East Cambridgeshire
4
Jen Craft
5Jen Craft MP
Thurrock
4
Mr Richard Holden
6Mr Richard Holden MP
Basildon and Billericay
3
Sarah Smith
7Sarah Smith MP
Hyndburn
3
Victoria Atkins
8Victoria Atkins MP
Louth and Horncastle
3
Andy Burnham
9Andy Burnham MP
Makerfield
3
Sadik Al-Hassan
10Sadik Al-Hassan MP
North Somerset
3