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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ruaraidh Britton & Alahna Kindred

GB sticker to vanish from Brit number plates as new rules for driving abroad come in

The GB sticker is set to vanish from British number plates as new rules for driving abroad will come into force.

Currently, Brits must put a "GB" sticker on their car before travelling to another country - except if they have a number plate that also has these initials underneath the Union Jack.

The government is now looking at changing "GB" to "UK", and every motorist must display the new initials on their vehicle before entering another country.

This will come into force on September 28, StokeSentinel reports.

The rule change comes months after the government said there would be a new British number plate.

On January 31 - the first anniversary of Brexit - Grant Shapps unveiled the new design.

It had the "GB" letters on it under a Union Jack flag.

The government is changing the rules on British number plates for anyone travelling abroad in their car (Getty Images)

Mr Shapps tweeted: "Brits will be able to drive on the Continent without GB stickers thanks to new reg plate with Union Flag and GB.”

Before leaving the EU, British number plates featured the "GB" initials under a circle of EU yellow stars.

Motorists must also now have the 'GB' initials displayed (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Welsh and Scottish drivers could still travel abroad with number plates that had the Welsh or Scottish flag, but only if it included a GB sticker.

This new rule means that the GB sticker will no longer be valid.

Now, every motorist will either need to buy a new number plate with the "UK" letter or make sure they have a sticker with the same letters.

This means that drivers who already ordered Mr Shapps' new design earlier this year must now buy a UK sticker to put alongside it.

Some number plate suppliers have voiced their concerns, with one telling the AA it could take four to six months to update the plates, risking them losing orders.

The change to feature a Union Jack on licence plates was made earlier this year, and government sources told the Times the change is “inclusive of Northern Ireland” and will “promote the whole of the UK abroad”.

If Britons fail to display the letters UK somewhere on their vehicle when abroad after the end of September, they will be fined to a varying degree that will depend on the law of the country they are in.

The Government’s website does not yet include information on the new UK numberplates or stickers.

It does however remind Britons what they must currently do if travelling abroad with a vehicle.

You can check out the government guidance here.

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