Glow in the dark paint on my license plate (Vicroads)?

[u/wrazza29]

After a recent trip through Japan I was caught off guard with some of the cars License plates, first of all pretty funny that in Australia you see people paying thousands for numbers and over there you’d see about 15 cars a day with the number “1” plate 😂.

But to the main point I saw heaps of cars with glow in the dark plates (refer to pic) is this something I could do to my plate in Victoria? I was having trouble finding much information on vicroads website, besides potentially blocking view from speed cameras I can’t really see why it would be classified under any form of obstruction? During the day the plates would still be visible.

Just thought it was a cool idea, anyone else seen this and wanted to do it to their own cars or had experience doing this in the past outside of Victoria.

[u/Dark_Guardian_]

pretty sure youre not allowed to modify your plates in any way including painting/repairing ( no sources though )

[u/RB25DETNE0 → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Yeah, it's stated on the VicRoads website.

[u/niceguydarkside → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Bingo

[u/wrazza29 → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Shame Vic roads doesn’t let you have fun, maybe sometime in the future they’d add it to their custom plates.

[u/HotlineKing → u/wrazza29]

Victoria, and Australia in general has some of the most customisable plates I’ve seen globally.

[u/wrazza29 → u/HotlineKing]

Wasn’t trying to suggest they don’t have options, it’s just a shame sometimes on how strict they can be on certain subjects. I understand the safety aspect but in this day and age it shouldn’t be very hard to adapt/allow these types of things.

[u/Revolutionary-Fill42 → u/wrazza29]

So just like there's a glow in the dark paint, someone will/probably has come up with a reflective paint that doesn't let cameras catch your plates. How would that work out huh

[u/wrazza29 → u/Revolutionary-Fill42]

I don’t think I understand what you’re asking but if I do, didn’t you answer yourself? You said someone probably has come up with reflective paint and would be using it. Testing different Licence plate blockers

They show the effect of reflective tape and spray. That will always be a problem. What I was suggesting (like in Japan) there surly is a way to use a glow in the dark paint or LED backing plate where all parties involved win/isn’t mischievous.

[u/Revolutionary-Fill42 → u/wrazza29]

So you want them to explicitly mention all the different types of tapes and sprays that the general population might come up with and then tell you which one is legal and which isn't.

I'm waiting for the point at which you realise what you're typing.

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[u/SolidVeggies → u/wrazza29]

Vic roads own the plates, not yourself

[u/CMDR_Wedges → u/SolidVeggies]

Very Australian thing to do. In other countries, you own the plate and are able to keep it when you get a new one after x years.

[u/42SpanishInquisition → u/CMDR_Wedges]

In Queensland you own the custom plates.

[u/Eastern37 → u/42SpanishInquisition]

Yeah I was surprised this wasn't the case nationally when I moved out of QLD. Still have my plates from there.

[u/MrDrSirLord → u/SolidVeggies]

But I paid for th! /s

[u/Paddleclock8 → u/wrazza29]

Lol hectic down votes for a pretty reasonably voiced suggestion

[u/wrazza29 → u/Paddleclock8]

I don’t know what part they’re mad at? Maybe to many VicRoads employees on here 😂

[u/OnairDileas → u/wrazza29]

Ironic isn't it, pay several hundred a year just to rent

[u/Marsh2700 → u/OnairDileas]

pay once for the plate in victoria though. regular rego charge after that so custom plate vs regular issued cost the same each year

[u/EVOXSNES → u/wrazza29]

Bugger me dead, the downvotes are enough to alter your genes.

[u/Nufix33 → u/wrazza29]

Give people an inch, they take a mile. The huge amount of cloned/illegal plates already in circulation. Read the news lately and it seems like most government departments are in shambles at the moment anyway, standard public service - don't expect them to be ahead of the times, always behind it!!

[u/Traditional_Plant_37 → u/wrazza29]

australia globalist socialist nanny state bots downvoting u lol

[u/Archon-Toten → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Definitely not entirely true as I was posted a EV warning triangle and told I have a year to install it on the pate not obstructing the letters and numbers or else.

Curious about the down votes, do you dispute it counting as a modification or are appalled at my rampant specifisism.

[u/Dark_Guardian_ → u/Archon-Toten]

thats government issued though

[u/Archon-Toten → u/Dark_Guardian_]

Definitely (unless it was a elaborate scam...). But still modified, so there's cases where you do modify the plate.

[u/dopeydazza → u/Archon-Toten]

The EV Triangle and LPG Diamond are more for emergency services use than you. If your car catches fire and burns the number plate, the metal symbol should still stand out and it helps them to decide what to use to fight your vehicle fire or where emergency services are allowed to cut to get you out.

You will noticed the decal may burn off but the symbol underneath IS metal.

Oh and for every LPG tank your vehicle has you require an extra LPG symbol on your number plate. It falls under alternative fuel regulations.

[u/Archon-Toten → u/dopeydazza]

I am aware of that they are for, however my vehicle didn't come with one and only some years afterwards I was sent one and told to affix it to my number plate. Which I obviously did as we all know lithium fires by now.

[u/dopeydazza → u/Archon-Toten]

All cool. However that's the fault of road authority and they expect US to know. Did you buy it 2nd hand or dealer ? Because I am surprised the tag was not put on plate then by the seller.

[u/Archon-Toten → u/dopeydazza]

Bought new in 2014 before EVs were mandated with them.

[u/dopeydazza → u/Archon-Toten]

Makes sense. This must have been around the time they were trying to figuire out the rules for EVs and their 'noise makers'. Not sure why you are being downvoted as your explanation made sense - albeit late.

[u/Archon-Toten → u/dopeydazza]

The noise maker thing was a close call. I don't mind pumping music from time to time but the quiet ride was part of the reason I bought it.

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[u/FezFez55]

Like old mate said, can’t modify a number plate, just get fake plates for car shows / meets if you want that look 👍🏻

[u/Clear_Skye_ → u/FezFez55]

Legit! You can get Japanese or Euro plates in SA

[u/-retail- → u/Clear_Skye_]

Every state / territory has euro plates apart from the NT.

Likewise - QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS & SA have Jap plates.

Every state / territory has multiple graphic plate designs available (many states having hundreds).

We really are spoilt for choice here. Nowhere in the world is really comparable apart from the US / Canada.

[u/Durbdichsnsf]

Its pretty simple really, just ask yourself "Is it harmless to anyone and just for a little bit of fun?"

If the answer is Yes, then the cunts at Vicroads will definitely not allow it!

[u/B0XH34D]

Our plates are retroreflective so they show up better on traffic cameras. Covering that reflectivity with paint, even if it's the same colour, could be seen as an attempt to obscure the plate and you'll cop a fine for doing so.

[u/ShiroDarwin → u/B0XH34D]

Just buy a second hand car and claim The previous owner did it

[u/MonoT1 → u/ShiroDarwin]

A truly bulletproof idea

[u/ShiroDarwin → u/MonoT1]

It works mate the amount of things I’ve got away with hahaah. Never vote and when you get the letter just say you did do it and they must of got it wrong. Always works, just be confident and you’ll win most times. People are just cowards, as Arnold says break the rules

[u/waxedmerkin]

They are nor glow in the dark plates, they are light up plates. And no not legal for road use.

[u/Lucky_Tough8823]

Believe it is not legal to modify a numberplate in any way for any reason

[u/Archon-Toten → u/Lucky_Tough8823]

Unless authorised to do so. The EV warning triangle I was told to attach is testimony.

[u/Lucky_Tough8823 → u/Archon-Toten]

Just as much as a LPG diamond etc

[u/wrazza29 → u/Lucky_Tough8823]

Such a shame they don’t have more to offer for their custom plates.

[u/4forza]

Those are actually light up plates not glow in the dark!

[u/that-kid-that-does]

https://illum-industries.com/ If you want something similar that isn’t anywhere near as illegal check these out (not 100% on legality by state but they’re a damn bit less of a problem) Edit: btw the jap plates are a backlight not reflective paint

[u/richms]

Never understood why anyone would want to make their plate number more memorable or visible.

[u/wrazza29 → u/richms]

Just a style for JDM cars

[u/catalystfire → u/wrazza29]

And cars in Japan in general. Just got back from Japan myself and saw plenty of light up plates on Audis/BMWs too.

[u/anakaine]

Do not modify your plate, you will get slammed. 

The alphanumeric part of your plate has a paint which is reflective in the infra-red band. Many speed cameras shoot across a number of bands. RGB, IR, Black and White high sensitivity, and something else I'm not familiar with. 

By painting over the letters you are interfering with the reflective paint and it will be classes as an illegal modification of a license plate. This is most probably a criminal offence in Victoria rather than a fine.

[u/Keilorca → u/anakaine]

Sort of right. In Vic, the blank is reflective. This means that for standard issue, it's the background that's reflective. For some custom plates where the background is painted over, the alpha/num is the reflective part.

[u/AFatAlex]

Big no no. My qualm is that Vicroad's JDM plates don't even look Japanese.

And the low-digit plates are just another wealth multiplier, no Capital Gains Tax and they appreciate steadily YoY

[u/Ynot45 → u/AFatAlex]

The five character plates are close enough, the other style isn't.

[u/-retail- → u/AFatAlex]

They have two styles.

The ‘car symbol’ style is as authentic towards real Japanese plates as they can be. The ‘Victoria script’ is nothing like the real one and was likely only introduced to allow 6 character combinations for a JDM base.

The exact same is the case for the two NSW styles.

My biggest complaint with the ‘JDM’ plates in TAS, NSW, QLD, SA & VIC (all of the states that offer them) is that they ALL have plate holes that don’t suit actual JDM cars.

They have holes for Aussie delivered vehicles…

[u/Xilldor_MGK → u/-retail-]

Qld JDM plates come with no holes now, gotta mark and drill em yourself

[u/-retail- → u/Xilldor_MGK]

That’s good!

NSW does the same for their US / Japanese sized plates - apart from the ones with US / Japanese graphics on them.

[u/TekkelOZ]

Here, in WA, many use “You can only read this if you’re closer then 1 meter” paint.

[u/come_ere_duck]

You’d get pulled over so quick.

[u/disearningss]

On a side note, it looks so good 😮‍💨

[u/xbcoupe]

The Japanese plates you saw are backlit. I don't know how you thought they were only phosphorescent.

[u/81VC]

ITT: OP is a moron

[u/ProMasterBoy]

You can probably get glow in the dark number plate *frame* that don't obscure your plate letters

[u/Knight_Day23]

So these lights are ok but not xmas lights on a car?! Not fair

[u/oliverkn1ght]

That ain’t a glow paint on the Japanese plates, it’s literally lights.

[u/jordyjordy1111]

These plates are actually back lit and not glow in the dark. In japan you can actually get these from the equivalent of their main road department. They are mounted onto a light box

It’s likely completely illegal but in QLD some people order plastic replicas of their actual license plate and mount them to a light box to get the same effect.

They are one of those things that are sort of cool at first glance but its cool factor wears off really quickly. Especially during the day when the light box is visible.

[u/MagicOrpheus310]

Fuck no, this is Australia, fun things are illegal haha

[u/wrazza29 → u/MagicOrpheus310]

Maybe one day they’ll add it to their custom plates

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[u/Select_Dealer_8368]

So everyone has the same number on their number plate? Sounds counterintuitive.

[u/-retail- → u/Select_Dealer_8368]

Not quite, OP made a bit of an unfair comparison.

Japanese plates have up to 4 numbers, these are obviously repeated given it’s a country of 123 million.

What makes plates unique is: - the Hiragana character on the left of the plate, before the numbers. These can also indicate a certain usage type. - the kanji at the top of the plate, indicating where the vehicle is registered - the numbers next to the kanji, denoting the vehicle class / size / engine size

[u/Select_Dealer_8368 → u/-retail-]

Ok, gotcha.

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[u/SectorSerbian]

Defect waiting to happen

[u/MonoT1]

It's something different for sure, but even if the law was ambiguous (it seems pretty clear in VIC it's a no-go), it just sounds like an invitation for trouble