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P-plate

MPs in Belgium have two license plates: the car’s own license plate and a so-called P plate. The latter consists of the letter P supplemented by a numerical sequence. The longer they are MPs, the lower the number. This plate allows an MP to access parking facilities in and around the Parliament building. It also comes in handy during official visits. Here’s the thing: the P plate is not a replacement license plate, but an “additional” license plate. So you get two registration papers for the same car.

Changing plates

Michael Freilich indicates on his own website that some colleagues choose to simply leave the P plate on the car. Others, like Freilich, switch records when not in office. Mainly to avoid becoming a target or, for example, when he goes on vacation. So no hassle with screws, dirty hands and nearly ripped pants, Freilich said.

James Bond

So that switching got Michael fed up. Then he suddenly thought of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5, which had rotating license plates to avoid being noticed in different countries. Freilich searched online for such a system and found the mechanism on eBay that allows him to change license plates with just the push of a button. You can see the result below.

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Legal?

To be on the safe side, Freilich did walk past the mobility lawyers asking whether this system is legal in Belgium. Indeed, the disclaimer on eBay stated that the system was only intended to be used during car shows. The lawyers’ answer: it may be used as long as the front and rear plates are identical and the system is not altered while driving – or worse, during a route check – on public roads.