Trailer registration

[andrewcliffe]

As if there isn't enough going on with Brexit and maxing tax digital, the government are proposing to register trailers when in use in Europe. It may affect Mono competitors or those running customer cars.

An email received today:

Important information on trailer registration plates for registered number plate suppliers

From 28 March 2019, it will be a requirement for certain trailers travelling abroad to be registered with DVLA. To give customers enough time to register, we aim to launch the service in January 2019. When registered, trailers must display a trailer registration number plate as well as the registration number plate of the towing vehicle.

Registration plates must be supplied by registered number plate suppliers. You may be asked to supply these plates so you will need the following information.

Trailer registration plate specifications

The trailer registration mark will consist of one letter followed by seven numbers. They will be grouped as one letter and three numbers followed by a group of four numbers, for example A123 4567 in this layout.

The plate should use the standard font and have the following characteristics:
• characters should be 64 millimetres in height
• have a width of 44 millimetres, except for the character representing the number '1' and letter 'I', which must have a width of 10 millimetres
• have a stroke width of 10 millimetres
• be separated by 10 millimetres from any other characters within a group, groups of characters in the registration mark must be separated from one another by a space of 5 millimetres vertically
• the width of the margin between the top or lateral edges of the registration plate and any part of a character used to display a registration mark on it must be at least 5 millimetres
• the width of the margin between the bottom edge of the registration plate and any part of a character used to display a registration mark on it must be at least 13 millimetres
The trailer registration plate must have solid black characters on a white background. No material, other than a registration mark, may be displayed on a registration plate except for information that identifies the manufacturer of the registration plate.

Questions and answers

What is the trailer registration scheme and why has it been introduced?
Trailer registration scheme is a DVLA service for certain UK trailers used internationally. It is being introduced as part of the UK’s ratification of the 1968 Vienna Convention and to address the issues already faced by customers using UK trailers abroad.

Will every trailer in the UK be registered?
No, registration will be mandatory for all commercial use trailers travelling internationally that weigh over 750kg in gross weight. Registration is also mandatory for non-commercial use trailers that travel internationally and weigh over 3,500kg in gross weight.

How should the trailer registration plate be displayed?
The trailer registration plate must be fixed to the rear of the trailer in a position that is as far as reasonably practicable from the position of the towing vehicle registration plate. If it is not possible to fix a registration plate on the rear of the trailer, a registration plate must be fixed to both sides of the trailer and in such positions that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable from either side of the trailer.

What documentation do I check?
As with vehicle registration plates customers will need to provide a document to confirm their identity and a document proving their entitlement to use the registration number. The list of acceptable documents can be found on the INF136. For trailer registration plates, customers should be able be able to provide the ‘UK trailer registration certificate’ (VTRC) or a ‘Trailer number plate authorisation certificate’ (eV948/2).

Further information on the Trailer Registration Scheme can be found at http://www.gov.uk/euexitdriving.


From 28 March 2019, you must register commercial trailers over 750kg and all trailers over 3,500kg before they can travel through countries that have ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

This includes these countries in the EU, EEA and Europe:

Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan
Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia
Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France
Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Italy
Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg
Macedonia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands
Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia
San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Sweden
Switzerland Ukraine

[willcox1998]

This seems so strange to me!

Two registration plates, imagine if the vehicle one fell off and you got caught speeding, a trailer doing monoposto speeds on its own

[andrewcliffe]

This hasn't gone away...

The trailer registration service has gone into public Beta phase today, and now both trailers I occasionally need to take to Europe are now registered.

The system requires a 17 digit serial number, plus manufactuer of trailer, the unladen weight and the maximum gross weight.

It costs £ 26 per trailer plus the cost of a set of black on white motorcycle sized plates.

https://www.gov.uk/register-trailer-to-take-abroad

If the trailer is between 750kg and 3500kg or 3500kg and above and is used for commercial use, then registration is required.

If it weighs 3500kg and isn't commercial use, you will still need to register, and that could effect some Mono drivers who aren't running anyone but happens to have an artic and trailer.