Section 15 — Registration marks and registration plates

(1) Regulations may require or authorise the Secretary of State, when registering a trailer, to assign a mark (a “registration mark”) to the trailer.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) may make further provision about the assignment of registration marks, for example, provision authorising the Secretary of State to—

(a) assign a registration mark to a trailer to which another registration mark has previously been assigned;

(b) assign to a trailer (on its first registration or later) a registration mark previously assigned to another trailer;

(c) withdraw a registration mark for the time being assigned to a trailer;

(d) re-assign to a trailer a registration mark previously assigned to it but subsequently withdrawn.

(3) Regulations may prohibit a person from keeping or using a registered trailer unless a plate displaying the registration mark assigned to the trailer (a “registration plate”) is fixed on it.

(4) Regulations under subsection (3) may—

(a) specify the size, shape, material of manufacture or other characteristics of a registration plate;

(b) specify the size, shape and character of a registration mark;

(c) make provision for the purpose of ensuring that registration marks are easily distinguishable (by day or by night);

(d) make other provision about—

(i) the display of registration marks, or

(ii) the fixing of registration plates.

(5) Regulations may prohibit a person from keeping or using a trailer on a road where a plate fixed on the trailer displays a mark which—

(a) is not assigned to the trailer under regulations under subsection (1), and

(b) is of a size, shape and character specified in regulations made by virtue of subsection (4)(b).

(6) Regulations may permit or require registration plates to contain or display information other than registration marks.

(7) In this section “plate” includes any other device.