What are the rules for using L-Plates and P-Plates?

If you are on a provisional licence then you must display a red L-Plate of the correct dimensions (see below) in a conspicuous position on both the front and back of your vehicle. These should be removed when the vehicle is not being used by a learner. In Wales a D-Plate may be used in place of, or as well as, the L-Plate. You are allowed to display more than one L-Plate on the front or rear if you feel that it makes them more conspicuous and improves safety.

You can get up to 6 penalty points on your licence and a fine if you are not displaying L-plates or if they are the wrong size. Keeping them on when the Learner is not driving is not an offence, but will attract the attention of the police, who will remind you that they should be removed.

There is no legal requirement to display green P-plates (P stands for “probationary”) but some people choose to use them to show that they’ve recently passed their test and are not very experienced yet at driving alone. If you do choose to use them, you can do so for as long as you like until you feel ready to remove them.

Dimensions for the L-Plate:

The L-Plate should be a large red capital L on a white background.

The white plate should be a 178mm square. The red L should be placed centrally on the square. It is 102mm high, and 89mm wide, with the vertical part of the L 40mm wide and the horizontal part 38mm wide. There is a diagram showing these dimensions at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/l-plate-size-rules/l-plate-sizes

What type of L-Plate and where to put it?

There are two basic types of L-Plate available to buy. Magnetic ones or sticky ones.

Sticky ones have the advantage that they are less likely to fall off (though it still can happen). The glue used is not particularly strong to avoid damaging paintwork, but many people are reluctant to use them because they fear the damage to their paintwork. There is also the disadvantage that they cannot easily be removed when you are not driving, so if you are using somebody else’s car, they will need to devise some way of covering up the plate when they are driving.

Magnetic ones are notorious for coming flying off during high winds or when you are driving at higher speeds, so to ensure you remain legal you should always have some spares in the vehicle to replace them immediately if they fall off. You can get them either with a magnetic strip at top and bottom, or completely magnetic. The ones with magnetic strips are easier to use on a curved surface, but also more likely to fall off if the wind gets under the edge. The best thing to do is to get a fully magnetic one, dip it in warm water before attaching to make it more malleable and then mould it to the shape of the car as you attach it. Because it’s magnetic, you can easily remove it when you are not driving. Make sure that the surface of the magnet and the surface of the car is clean before attaching, this helps to ensure that the paintwork doesn’t get scratched by rogue bits of grit under the magnet, and also that the magnet adheres better to the car. Don’t leave them on for too long, particularly in hot weather, as there are stories about paintwork being affected in this way.

You can print your own L plates to display on your car as long as you use the correct colours and dimensions.

There aren’t any laws on where you should put your L-Plates as long as they are conspicuous on both front and back. They should be kept clean and highly visible. On the rear of the car a good rule of thumb is to put the L-Plate level with the brake lights, which are usually in a pretty visible part of the car. On the front, usually the front of the bonnet is the best place. Avoid: bumpers, which are too low to be visible; radiator grills, where the air intake would be compromised; and windows, where visibility would be impaired.

Contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213 to find out about learning to drive in Glasgow.