The left-hand edge of a UK number plate can carry a small national flag with an identifier underneath, and zero-emission vehicles can carry a green band in the same place. Both are optional, and both are regulated. This guide covers what is allowed, who can use the green flash, when you still need a UK sticker abroad, and what each option costs on our plates.
What is allowed on the left-hand edge
The display regulations allow a national flag with identifier letters beneath it on the far left of the plate. The flags and identifiers that can be used are:
- Union Flag with UNITED KINGDOM, United Kingdom, UK, GREAT BRITAIN, Great Britain or GB.
- Cross of St George with ENGLAND, England, ENG or Eng.
- Saltire with SCOTLAND, Scotland, SCO or Sco.
- Red Dragon with CYMRU, Cymru, WALES, Wales, CYM or Cym.
Neither the flag nor the letters can be more than 50mm wide, and neither can sit in the margin around the registration. The flag sits above the identifier, the band is fixed to the far left, and nothing about the characters, spacing or margins changes. A flag added correctly does not affect the plate’s compliance with BS AU 145e.
The four flags we offer
We offer the Union Flag with UK, the St George’s Flag with ENG, the Saltire with SCO and the Welsh Dragon with CYMRU. Each is printed as part of the plate face, so it carries the same reflective background and the same durability as the rest of the plate. A flag costs £2 per plate; you can add one to the front, the rear, or both.
The green flash
The green flash is a plain green band on the left-hand edge of the plate that identifies a zero-emission vehicle. It is optional, and it is only for vehicles with no tailpipe emissions — a fully electric car, for example, or a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. A hybrid does not qualify, however small its engine: the regulations reserve green for vehicles that cannot produce any tailpipe emissions, so fitting a green flash to one is a misuse of the marking rather than a styling choice.
The government introduced it in December 2020 so that zero-emission vehicles could be recognised at a glance, for instance by local schemes that treat them differently. The regulations set the band at 40mm to 50mm wide, in a reflective green (Pantone 7481C), and allow a national flag and identifier on it; our builder offers the plain band. Like a flag, it costs £2 per plate.
Which plates carry them
Flags and the green flash are available on our Standard and Short plates. They are not available on Hex plates: a hex plate’s angled ends leave no room for the band, so the builder does not offer the option there. On a Short plate the band adds a little width on the left, which the builder accounts for automatically so the registration keeps its correct spacing and margins.
Flags and travelling abroad
Your plate can do the job of a UK sticker, but only with the right combination. With the Union Flag and UK, which is the version we make, you do not need a separate UK sticker in most countries. With GB, the flag of England, Scotland or Wales, or no flag at all, you do. Spain, Cyprus and Malta require a UK sticker whatever your plate shows, and Ireland never does. GOV.UK’s flags and stickers guidance has the current rules.
Adding one to your order
In the plate builder, choose your registration, finish and shape, then pick a flag or the green flash for either plate or both. The preview shows the band in place before you order. If your vehicle is a hybrid, leave the green flash off; if you are unsure whether it qualifies, the V5C states the fuel type.
Sources: the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, regulation 16; GOV.UK, Flags, identifiers and stickers; DVLA leaflet INF104.
Last updated 25 September 2026
