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Rules regarding GB stickers in the EU Rules regarding GB stickers in the EU
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  • 3 Post By Tim Cullis
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  #1  
Old 8 May 2021
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Rules regarding GB stickers in the EU
If your number plate includes the GB identifier with the Union flag, you do not need a GB sticker when travelling in the EU (unless you are in Spain in which case you do ).

However if it's one of the pre-Brexit plates with the EU symbol above the GB identifier (which most of us have), then when you are in Europe you MUST now display a GB sticker as the local plod are too thick to work out that the vehicle is from the UK. Outside of the EU I doubt people care much with this game playing.

More information: https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number...nd-identifiers

Whilst vehicles registered in England, Scotland and Wales may use Eng, Sco, Cym and Wales as country identifiers, Northern Ireland must use GB, as NI and IRL are unofficial, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl..._number_plates
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Last edited by Tim Cullis; 8 May 2021 at 16:46.
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Old 8 May 2021
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Picking up on the meme theme infecting everyone in the pub section at the moment, I think I remember reading somewhere that GB+ EU flag = 'remain' and GB + Union / England / Scotland / Wales flag = 'leave'.

Whether people actually go (went) to the trouble and expense of changing their number plates to make some kind of subtle point I've no idea (I certainly haven't) but the old adage of never let the truth get in the way of a good story would probably apply if a newspaper was involved.

Either way it seems ironic that it's the 'remainers' being forced to cover up their 'statement' when travelling in the EU. I presume a piece of suitably coloured tape over the EU flag (or a mini union jack stuck over it) would suffice rather than having to buy a complete new plate?
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Old 8 May 2021
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Stickers could in theory get you in trouble with an especially officious plod, they won't meet BS/EC standards. Think you'd be unlucky to get one that bad though. It would make sense on a bike with soft luggage.

I did put tape over the EU flag on the company car. Risk of some customer thinking it was a political statement, risk of some idiot deciding it was an excuse for vandalism. The new car has plain plates so could just have a GB sticker.

Andy
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Old 8 May 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis View Post
...Whilst vehicles registered in England, Scotland and Wales may use Eng, Sco, Cym and Wales as country identifiers...
Hi Tim:

Very strictly speaking, a vehicle registered in any one of the countries that comprise the United Kingdom must use a sticker with the letters 'GB'.

SCO, CYM, and Wales are not recognized as official country identifiers. See this list of identifiers at the United Nations website, it is definitive: DISTINGUISHING SIGNS USED ON VEHICLES IN INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC

But, having said that, I can't imagine any official anywhere giving a motorist a hard time about a white oval sticker with SCO or CYM on it, unless that official is pissed off at the motorist or is angling for a bribe.

Mchael
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Old 8 May 2021
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Pain
Its a pain. I have a a GB/Euro plate on my bike.
I am Scottish and my Driving Licence has a Union Flag on the corner.
I will use my Irish passport to get over the 90/180 day law...just keeping things simple..we'll be alright!
Regards
James
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Old 9 May 2021
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Officials, that are that way out will find an excuse. Why hand them one? I have a Yorkshire Rose sticker on my bike windscreen, I like the design, it introduces me, it adds white to a dark outline that Honda allowed a 13 year old wannabe cartoonist to "style". If required I'd add anything official be it a sticker with an silhouette of Boris, old style tax disk or whatever. If the Lancashire plod were that bad I might even remove the White Rose, but more likely I'd just stay out of Lancashire.

Andy
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Old 9 May 2021
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I used to have a "Europlate", and it was in a way an affirmation of European identity. Likewise I have seen people who obviously covered that up to show the Union flag, despite that not being an official number plate design.

My plate got melted unfortunately, so now I have a boring standard BSAU145d plate, though I do have a GB sticker on my top box on blue with a ring of stars
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Old 10 May 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post

I do have a GB sticker on my top box on blue with a ring of stars
I have one of those on a classic car that I take 'abroad' from time to time although the sticker dates from long before the referendum. On my ancient Suzuki I've been using a sticker on the numberplate for some time as well and now it seems I'll have to cover the EU part up - or cut it off - to make it slightly less illegal I presume it's illegal everywhere now - both in the UK as well as the EU. Ah, well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.





I'll probably stick something onto the top box before I (eventually) head off again on it but if you were to take the rear of the bike in at a glance you'd probably think I came from some place with an obscure identifier -




A friend in the US has the same sticker on the back of his Triumph and he's been asked several times what country that's from. We're far more 'cosmopolitan' over here so I've not had that.
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Old 10 May 2021
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I had the same question when I had an ADV sticker on the bike.
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Ah, well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Paved with rotting fish, I think
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Old 11 May 2021
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If they were really officious they would tell you that the letters on the GB sticker should be the same size as on your index plate ffs
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Old 11 May 2021
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[QUOTE=backofbeyond;620074]I have one of those on a classic car that I take 'abroad' from time to time although the sticker dates from long before the referendum. On my ancient Suzuki I've been using a sticker on the numberplate for some time as well and now it seems I'll have to cover the EU part up - or cut it off - to make it slightly less illegal I presume it's illegal everywhere now - both in the UK as well as the EU. Ah, well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I don't fancy taking my bike over to Northern Ireland and driving down the Falls Road with a Union flag identifier, ok in some parts of town but not others..
I used the same just put a sticker on the numberplate.
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Old 12 May 2021
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Originally Posted by chris gale View Post
If they were really officious they would tell you that the letters on the GB sticker should be the same size as on your index plate ffs
Is that true? I know it is (was anyway) true for cars but I thought bike ones were allowed to be smaller. Certainly the 70's (pre joining 'Europe') trip pictures I have left show me using smaller GB plates and the bike ones they still sell on X channel ferry shops are smaller than the car ones. Either way I can't say it gives me any sleepless nights.
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Old 12 May 2021
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If you go outside the eu you need the big old oval one . The regs are so boring I'm glad I never joined the traffic dept . As said other things to worry about tbh......like will brittany ferries sail to Porto
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Keep it simple, avoid potential headaches...

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