The UK is one of the first countries to have a system that allows motorists to personalize their number plates. But what are they? What do they look like and how much do they cost?
A private number plate is simply a registration plate (your car's license plate) that has a set of numbers and letters which you can choose yourself, provided it complies with the legal requirements. The lettering style used for the plates varies depending on when your car was registered. For example, if your vehicle was registered after September 2001 then your number plate will use the standard styling which is white characters with black shading on a yellow background. If, however, your vehicle was registered between August 1983 and September 2001 (i.e., before 2001) then your number plate will use an older style font in white characters on black or black characters on white depending on where you live in the UK; for example, Northern Ireland uses white characters on black whereas Scotland uses black characters on white. The availability of certain letter combinations depends on when the original vehicle registration document was issued; older documents tend to be more valuable as they will include combinations that are no longer available today.
If you want to buy a personalized plate there are two options: either get one through DVLA (Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency) or go through an agency like National Numbers which specialize in this kind of thing - specialized agencies typically have larger inventories than DVLA so there may be more options available if you go down this route but also note that it could cost slightly more than buying directly from them online because they'll add their own fee onto whatever price tag comes with each license plate purchase from their catalog; obviously though any savings made by going via such third party services at least partially offset these additional costs
How to buy or sell private number plates
When buying a personalized number plate, there are a number of different routes you can take. The most common place to buy would be at one of the reputable dealers that you see advertised on TV, however, there are also auctions where you can bid on cherished plates. The DVLA’s website is also a good route as they sell all their old stock through it and they have a good search facility to help find that perfect plate for you or your vehicle!
DVLA
If you want to buy from the DVLA, the easiest way is online. You can search their database for available plates and then pay for them by debit or credit card. You can also go into one of their offices and do it in person if that makes you feel more comfortable, but bear in mind that these offices are not always open to members of the public - some are run only by telephone so it's best to check first. If this option appeals then click here for details about opening times etc: https://www.gov.uk/contact-the-dvla
Dealer
Buying from a dealer is probably the safest option because they will usually have checked out any plates they sell and will give some assurance that they are genuine before selling them on to customers – however, don't expect your plate not to cost anything like as much as if it came directly from DVLA! It has been known for dealerships who specialize in this market (e.g: Regtransfers) to carry fake plates which were purchased cheaply overseas but sold at full UK retail price here so don't assume all dealers will deliver what they promise either! The best way around this is by checking reviews before buying anything; if there isn't much information about them online then consider going elsewhere."
How to buy a personalized number plate from the DVLA
To begin your search for a personalised number plate from the DVLA, you should first decide on what type of registration you would like. The most common types include Current Style Registrations, which are registrations containing either 2 or 3 letters followed by a combination of 1 to 4 numbers; Prefix Registrations, which are registrations containing 1 or 2 letters at the beginning followed by a combination of up to 3 numbers and then 3 letters; Suffix Registrations, which are registrations containing 3 letters followed by up to 3 numbers and then 1 or 2 letters at the end; and Dateless Registrations, which have no age identifiers.
You can browse all available personalised number plates from the DVLA using our search bar and filters above. There's also the option to enter in any keyword related to your interests into the search bar that will return any relevant results.
How much do personalised number plates cost?
You’re probably wondering how much it’ll cost you to get one of these personalised number plates. Well, the answer is that it depends. The DVLA puts all registrations up for auction, and the highest bidder wins, meaning that some of these registrations could potentially cost you tens of thousands of pounds.
With that being said, if you just want a plain plate with your initials or name on it, then you can buy one for as little as £250.00. It’s even possible to pick up a pre-owned private number plate at this price point too. However, when it comes to the more unique and popular registrations, they could be worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands! Our record sale is £518,000 – what will yours be?
Buying from the auction
If you are interested in purchasing a number plate from an auction, there are several types of auctions that sell personalised number plates. Some leading auction houses specialize in selling private registration numbers, while others conduct auctions on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Live Auctions – The live auction is run in the same way as any other type of auction. You will need to sign up for these auctions well in advance, as most have eligibility requirements and restrictions on who can bid for number plates. You will attend an event at the venue where you will see all the available registration plates. With live auctions, you will be limited by time and your ability to identify registration numbers quickly.* Mail Order Auctions – Here you receive an information pack with photographs of items including a list of their reserve prices. You then send your bids back to the company along with a cheque or postal order for 10% of your total bid.* Internet Auctions – Most number plate companies now have internet auctions via their websites. These allow anyone anywhere to view and purchase personalised registrations online.
How long does it take to get my new number plate?
Any new personalised number plate that is purchased from DVLA MUST be made up onto a vehicle within 21 days. If you do not do this, you will lose your rights to the registration number and another person may pay for it and take ownership.
To make a number plate, you must visit any registered Number Plate Supplier such as ourselves or search online for suppliers in your area. At the time of ordering your plates, the supplier will ask to see your V5C certificate (log book). This is to ensure that you have legal right over the registration mark and your details can be added to their system which is linked through online ordering on our website so that when you order your plates directly through us they will know who you are and whether or not we are permitted to make up the number plate.
Personalized number plates are registration numbers that have been assigned to a vehicle, instead of the random combination of alphanumeric characters that are standard issues.
Personalized registration numbers, often referred to as 'personalized number plates' or 'private registration plates', are registration numbers that have been assigned to a vehicle, instead of the random combination of alphanumeric characters that are standard issues. They can take many forms; they can spell out a name or personal idiom in full, often with the aid of spaces or symbols, or they may be based on a phonetic sound that is formed by the letters and numbers used.
A personalised number plate can be displayed on any vehicle. However, personalised number plates do not affect the age of a vehicle; if it was first registered after September 2001 then it will still display its "age identifier", as normal.
A personalised number plate may be removed from a vehicle and can be transferred between vehicles at any time. A tax disc is required for a personalised number plate to be displayed on public roads in the UK. Personalized number plates do not grant any special status to their owners or vehicles and cannot help them avoid speed camera fines (as long as the actual identity information is displayed correctly).