Irish reg plate, english reg

the_syco

I saw a BMW recently, looks nice and new, with an "IRL" number plate, but it had an english number on it. Any idea wtf?

bazz26

Maybe they are here temporarily, holiday, etc, their number plates was damaged, lost or stolen and they had it replaced by a local motor factors.

Or are you sure it was a UK number and not a "trade" plate?

JohnThomas09

the_syco wrote: »

I saw a BMW recently, looks nice and new, with an "IRL" number plate, but it had an english number on it. Any idea wtf?

do you link to the car?maybe the guy selling it is living up the North and is selling a Irish car.

Xiney

Apparently (according to this thread) you can put anything on your license place in the UK provided it's yellow with black text. So the IRL and the Sligeach in that case doesn't matter, it's just something extra you can put on.

JHMEG

If it's a white rear plate with spacing similar to an Irish plate, i.e. 2 digits year, space, 2 digits county, space, remaining digits, eg like this:

LF 53 ZHR

then it's an attempt to look like an Irish plate. I'm told this is to avoid drawing attention from the authorities for the purposes of avoiding VRT, and is becoming common practice in certain communities.

Big Nasty

Could be just someone living in the UK who wants to hold on to his identity a little and is home on hols!

the_syco

The car is at a carpark outside Dublin. It's not for sale. It has the blue "euro" strip, with "IRL" written in it, on the left of the reg. The reg is on the front of the car. The format is "AA11 AAA", A being a letter, and 1 being a number.

JHMEG

Look at the back plate and see is it original or an Irish lookalike. Then make up your mind!

ION08

Ive seen that before on a NI reg - more than likely to avoid payin VRT as said before.

Its a risky move id imagine? ... wonder what would happen if you were caught?

Wishbone Ash

I've seen similar plates lately. Rather than 'hide' the reg it actually draws more attention to it IMO.

the_syco

JHMEG wrote: »

Look at the back plate and see is it original or an Irish lookalike.

It has the same fake Irish reg plate at the back.

stealthyspeeder

the_syco wrote: »

I saw a BMW recently, looks nice and new, with an "IRL" number plate, but it had an english number on it. Any idea wtf?

I know exactly what this is! Coming from northern Ireland where nationalistic feelings still run high in some areas! This is a person from a nationalist Republican supporting area who has gone to england to but his car, He didnt want to have GB on the reg while driving it round his estate.
When he transfered his car from the DVLA to the DVLNI, he chose to keep the English registration number (instead of opting for a nothern Irish one! as he feels more Irish than Northern Irish), so to compensate he has got these plate made at a shop in west belfast which caters for these individuals!!

Quite common up North if you keep an eye out!

Santa Claus

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

I know exactly what this is! Coming from northern Ireland where nationalistic feelings still run high in some areas! This is a person from a nationalist Republican supporting area who has gone to england to but his car, He didnt want to have GB on the reg while driving it round his estate.

Quite common up North if you keep an eye out!

I've seen this quite a bit in Belfast & Derry, they want to show everyone they're Irish as opposed to British but don't want to pay the over-inflated car prices that we have to pay to own an Irish reg car :pac:

babyjames

Don't blame them:D

Santa Claus wrote: »

I've seen this quite a bit in Belfast & Derry, they want to show everyone they're Irish as opposed to British but don't want to pay the over-inflated car prices that we have to pay to own an Irish reg car :pac:

ardmacha

but don't want to pay the over-inflated car prices that we have to pay to own an Irish reg car

They may well have an Irish reg car CCZ 1234 is as much an Irish reg as 07C1234, the question of paying over-inflated car prices does not arise as they have the car appropriate to the part of Ireland they live in.

JHMEG

the_syco wrote: »

It has the same fake Irish reg plate at the back.

This car is in Dublin? VRT dodge in my opinion. Not a silver BMW 5 series by any chance?

carchaeologist

This springs to mind...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zg9gYIta-E

ardmacha

The NI example is making a statement with their number plate, the Dublin example is probably someone seeking for their number plate not to be noticed. I reckon the latter attempt is worse than useless. A tourist etc would have a normal plate, but this can only bring the attention of the authorities.

ION08

Santa Claus wrote: »

I've seen this quite a bit in Belfast & Derry, they want to show everyone they're Irish as opposed to British but don't want to pay the over-inflated car prices that we have to pay to own an Irish reg car :pac:

Seems they want the best of both worlds. An NI car is a UK car full stop.

They do not have an Irish Log book so should be illegal to use Irish plates.

If you want to identify your nationality, get an IRL bumper sticker or something. Messing with the plates is a bit too much. You cant just mix and match at your liking.

If they feel that strongly about it move back down south and get stung with our great VRT if they want IRL plates that badly - see how strongly they feel then

weepee

ION08 wrote: »

Seems they want the best of both worlds. An NI car is a UK car full stop.

They do not have an Irish Log book so should be illegal to use Irish plates.

If you want to identify your nationality, get an IRL bumper sticker or something. Messing with the plates is a bit too much. You cant just mix and match at your liking.

If they feel that strongly about it move back down south and get stung with our great VRT if they want IRL plates that badly - see how strongly they feel then

Ive seen these northern IRL plate becoming increasingly popular in Belfast.
I dont know anyone who has them that thinks the car is either Irish or British, they usually think 'make of car' when deciding that one.

You suggest it should be illegal, why? Its not the people up North who decided the jurisdiction stopped at Newry.

And again, people born in Belfast are as Irish as people born in Dublin, Kerry, Galway or wherever, so less of the moving back down scenario please. Tho this is drifting off topic.

The clear plastic number plates used in manufacture has the blue strip super impossed on them, with the EU logo and IRL already affixed.

I am not aware of anywhere up here that sells them, but have been told that an auto store in Dundalk sells these blank plates to northerners, who then take them home and have the yellow background and number affixed.

A bit stupid and pointless IMO, ya still have to pay £98:00 for six months tax.

kilasser

In the UK its not cumplusery to have the euro flag and GB on your plate. Its perfectly legal to have what you want on there. Places like Halfords who make plates have a wide range of things you can have on there. From football team crests, to country flags and any EU country as well. So its quite legal for a UK car to have the IRL euro reg. or France or anywhere else. Examples of whats made and are fully legal are here http://www.pimpmyplate.com/

JHMEG

kilasser wrote: »

Its perfectly legal to have what you want on there.

No it's not. Their regulations are essentially as tight as our's are.

Back plate has to be yellow. A flag is optional, but the text IRL (or DE or ES or FR...) is not allowed.

Lord Nikon

the_syco wrote: »

I saw a BMW recently, looks nice and new, with an "IRL" number plate, but it had an english number on it. Any idea wtf?

I saw this in Building 1 carpark too, just near the smokeshed. Had me looking at it for a moment too

ION08

weepee wrote: »

Ive seen these northern IRL plate becoming increasingly popular in Belfast.
I dont know anyone who has them that thinks the car is either Irish or British, they usually think 'make of car' when deciding that one.

You suggest it should be illegal, why? Its not the people up North who decided the jurisdiction stopped at Newry.

And again, people born in Belfast are as Irish as people born in Dublin, Kerry, Galway or wherever, so less of the moving back down scenario please. Tho this is drifting off topic.

The clear plastic number plates used in manufacture has the blue strip super impossed on them, with the EU logo and IRL already affixed.

I am not aware of anywhere up here that sells them, but have been told that an auto store in Dundalk sells these blank plates to northerners, who then take them home and have the yellow background and number affixed.

A bit stupid and pointless IMO, ya still have to pay £98:00 for six months tax.

Look, forget all this historic and patriotic stuff. We are talking about cars here. A car from the north is a UK car and a car from the south is a IRL car - End of!

You asked me why it should be illegal??? ... because you shouldnt just be able to do what you want with your cars registration plate thats why!!!

If i drive a German marque car registered in IRL , do you think i should be able to have a euro Flag with the letter "D" instead of IRL on my reg plate and use German font just because i think it looks good and adds to the image of it being a German car?

Dont get me wrong, i'm actually all for reg plate customisation ... but not to the degree where it causes such confusion as per this scenario here.

Lord Nikon

The German font is pretty cool though, on a German car of course.

Wishbone Ash

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

This is a person from a nationalist Republican supporting area who has gone to england to but his car, He didnt want to have GB on the reg while driving it round his estate.
When he transfered his car from the DVLA to the DVLNI, he chose to keep the English registration number (instead of opting for a nothern Irish one! as he feels more Irish than Northern Irish), so to compensate he has got these plate made at a shop in west belfast which caters for these individuals!!

Quite common up North if you keep an eye out!

That makes no sense at all. Why not just transfer the GB registration number onto a blank plate for use in NI? It wouldn't stick out as much as having IRL on it.

ION08 wrote: »

If they feel that strongly about it move back down south and get stung with our great VRT if they want IRL plates that badly - see how strongly they feel then

A NI resident moving south wouldn't have to pay VRT!

Zube

Maybe it's not a political statement, maybe the owner is just good at Geography.

Northern Ireland really isn't part of Great Britain, which is why the name of the country it's in is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

UKoGBaNI is a bit long to stick on a number plate, though.

ION08

Zube wrote: »

Maybe it's not a political statement, maybe the owner is just good at Geography.

Northern Ireland really isn't part of Great Britain, which is why the name of the country it's in is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

UKoGBaNI is a bit long to stick on a number plate, though.

Of course NI isn't part of britain? - It is however part of the UK . Hence the word "of" which signifies that UK is compromised of GB + NI.

so UK suffices, there would be no need for "UKoGBaNI"


Its nothing to do with geography, by that logic, should a Dub living in Meath be able to just change the MH on their reg plate to a D just because they are a proud dub and to show their pride of identitiy??


@WishboneAsh. Well spotted - my mistake.

"neuromancer - German font is pretty cool alright, but removing county name and replacing IRL with D would surely be a bit a bit dodgy - same thing goes for adding IRL to a UK plate.

Thats why i said it should be illegal, you shouldnt be abllowed to change the national identity of the cars actual registration - which is what part of a reg is about - its not the to convey the owners patriotism, pride and political views! :rolleyes:

Zube

ION08 wrote: »

so UK suffices, there would be no need for "UKoGBaNI"

But the UK doesn't put UK on plates, they put GB (if anything).

stealthyspeeder

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That makes no sense at all. Why not just transfer the GB registration number onto a blank plate for use in NI? It wouldn't stick out as much as having IRL on it.

A NI resident moving south wouldn't have to pay VRT!

Thats the point, its meant to stick out! they are showing their political beliefs through the reg on their car! (sad!)

A GB reg has GB on it, and a northern Irish reg number has a format unique to N.I. (both of which would be unacceptable to the sort of person who would put these plates on!)

weepee

ION08 wrote: »

Look, forget all this historic and patriotic stuff. We are talking about cars here. A car from the north is a UK car and a car from the south is a IRL car - End of!

You asked me why it should be illegal??? ... because you shouldnt just be able to do what you want with your cars registration plate thats why!!!

If i drive a German marque car registered in IRL , do you think i should be able to have a euro Flag with the letter "D" instead of IRL on my reg plate and use German font just because i think it looks good and adds to the image of it being a German car?

Dont get me wrong, i'm actually all for reg plate customisation ... but not to the degree where it causes such confusion as per this scenario here.

Dont be getting yer knickers all twisted about it. The main point of the
plate is the number-nothing else.

ION08

Zube wrote: »

But the UK doesn't put UK on plates, they put GB (if anything).

Whats with the angry face, I know they dont - I was just pointing out that in your hypothetical scenario of "UKoGBaNI" being too long, that just "UK" would suffice.

Im just saying that changin the nationality of the reg is and should not be allowed.

To me the nationality of Uk plates is represented by the white front and yellow plate on the rear.

IRL cars with UK type plates are equally as irritating. - a lá Donegal boy racer type plates

Zube

Wikipedia says:

Some motorists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (constituent countries within the United Kingdom) use EU-style plates with their national flag and the codes SCO, CYM and NI/IRL respectively. Although not officially recognised, they are permitted by the UK government as an expression of national pride. Some motorists in England have started to display ENG codes in response to this fashion.

ION08

Zube wrote: »

Wikipedia says:

Some motorists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (constituent countries within the United Kingdom) use EU-style plates with their national flag and the codes SCO, CYM and NI/IRL respectively.

Since when is IRL a constituent country within the UK???

Zube

ION08 wrote: »

Since when is IRL a constituent country within the UK???

Look, we understand that it's not correct, OK? But it seems that the UK government is not going to argue with Irish, Welsh and Scottish Nationalists about it, and it's the UK Governments problem, not ours. all.

I must admit that I'd find it annoying myself to put GB on my car if I lived in NI, and I'm not a nationalist at all, just a pedant.

JHMEG

Zube wrote: »

Look, we understand that it's not correct, OK? But it seems that the UK government is not going to argue with Irish, Welsh and Scottish Nationalists about it, and it's the UK Governments problem, not ours. all.

Just to get this straight: Different letters are permitted: UK, GB, SCO, CYM, NI etc. IRL, which is the EU code for the Republic of Ireland, is not.

ION08

Zube wrote: »

Look, we understand that it's not correct, OK? But it seems that the UK government is not going to argue with Irish, Welsh and Scottish Nationalists about it, and it's the UK Governments problem, not ours. all.

I must admit that I'd find it annoying myself to put GB on my car if I lived in NI, and I'm not a nationalist at all, just a pedant.

Cool. I dont wanna be gettin my knickers in a twist about as it doesnt really bother me that much tbh, im just a pedant like yourself

I just dont think its "correct". Thats all.

Zube

JHMEG wrote: »

Just to get this straight: Different letters are permitted: UK, GB, SCO, CYM, NI etc. IRL, which is the EU code for the Republic of Ireland, is not.

Got a link? I found this, The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, but it excludes NI, it only covers Scotland, Wales and England.

Hmmm, reading this, it looks as though the flag might be the issue, what flag would someone from the NI use?

the_syco

JHMEG wrote: »

This car is in Dublin? VRT dodge in my opinion. Not a silver BMW 5 series by any chance?

Nope. Its a shiney black BMW.

stealthyspeeder

Zube wrote: »

Hmmm, reading this, it looks as though the flag might be the issue, what flag would someone from the NI use?

None, if they drive through both parts of the comunity or have any common sense!