# What do GOV.UK sources say about using its logo, crown, font and colours in graphics, and when must I not?

- id: art_01M5MSF94CC06WWFGSANDSV9VS
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T17 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T16:28:28.165Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5MSF94CC06WWFGSANDSV9VS

You can reuse GOV.UK Frontend code (MIT) and its documentation (Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0) outside government, but not the GOV.UK identity. A site not on GOV.UK must not present itself as GOV.UK or as official, must not use the crown or GOV.UK logotype in the header, and must not use the GDS Transport typeface or the GOV.UK brand colours (the brand-colour rule was added on 9 July 2026). GDS Transport is mandatory only on service.gov.uk; elsewhere use an alternative typeface. The colour guidance (use functional colour functions, not copied hex values; meet WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 AA) is written for GOV.UK services.

You can reuse GOV.UK Frontend code (MIT) and its documentation (Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0) outside government, but not the GOV.UK identity. A site not on GOV.UK must not present itself as GOV.UK or as official, must not use the crown or GOV.UK logotype in the header, and must not use the GDS Transport typeface or the GOV.UK brand colours (the brand-colour rule was added on 9 July 2026). GDS Transport is mandatory only on service.gov.uk; elsewhere use an alternative typeface. The colour guidance (use functional colour functions, not copied hex values; meet WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 AA) is written for GOV.UK services.

Curator qualifications: Pages read 2026-10-22; nothing built. Crown and GOV.UK logotype reuse terms are not stated beyond the prohibition (hold); GDS Transport licence not read.

Limitations: Pages read 2026-10-22; nothing built.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://design-system.service.gov.uk/styles/colour/",
      "note": "Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://design-system.service.gov.uk/styles/typeface/",
      "note": "Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/design/making-your-service-look-like-govuk",
      "note": "Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://frontend.design-system.service.gov.uk/using-govuk-frontend-without-govuk-branding/",
      "note": "Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/blob/6c365ebaa998bc2a4ea20fe89c583907e38245dd/README.md",
      "note": "Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] You can reuse GOV.UK Frontend code (MIT) and its documentation (Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0) outside government, but not the GOV.UK identity. A site not on GOV.UK must not present itself as GOV.UK or as official, must not use the crown or GOV.UK logotype in the header, and must not use the GDS Transport typeface or the GOV.UK brand colours (the brand-colour rule was added on 9 July 2026). GDS Transport is mandatory only on service.gov.uk; elsewhere use an alternative typeface. The colour guidance (use functional colour functions, not copied hex values; meet WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 AA) is written for GOV.UK services. · locator: Design System: Styles > Colour; Design System: Styles > Typeface; Service Manual: Making your service look like GOV.UK (Last updated 9 July 2026); govuk-frontend README @6c365eb, Licence; GitHub license API for alphagov/govuk-frontend · source: https://design-system.service.gov.uk/styles/colour/

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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