Car number plates, whether private or standard issue, simply provide a way to identify a vehicle, but personalised plates can mean a lot more to their owners than that.

Instead of a random combination of letters and numbers, a private number plate can reflect the occupation, name, initials, interests or even the personality of the motorist. With such a huge choice available, drivers who have private plates are able to make a statement and stand out from others on the road.

There are various options when it comes to the format of a private number plate. Current, or new style, plates are the type currently being issued by the DVLA, and they start with a two-letter area code, showing where the vehicle was initially registered. The following two numbers reflect the age of the car, motorbike or van, and the three letters after the space are randomly selected, giving enough available combinations to ensure every number plate is unique.

Older types of private number plate also exist. Before the new style came the prefix style plate, and this type of registration started with a letter relating to the car’s age. Suffix plates preceded prefixes, and they ended in the year of registration. The oldest style of plates are dateless plates, and on these, either numbers or letters may appear first. These tend to be the most sought-after plates of all.

How much is it to get a private number plate?

The price of any private number plate is determined by a simple rule of economics; it will be worth the amount that someone would be willing to pay for it. As a general rule of thumb, the most popular plates are often those that feature common names or words. This is because a high number of people will want such a combination. An increased demand thus results in a higher price tag.

It’s not all about demand; supply also comes into the equation. Those plates that are in shorter supply will be more expensive. This is because – simply put – there are fewer of them to go round. In practice, the age of the plate has some bearing here. As the oldest plates are the rarest, they tend to be the most pricey.  If you require more information how to register your private plate.

How to get a private number plate off retention

If you own a private number plate that has not been in use for some time, then when you do want to use it you will need to know how to go about this. Fortunately, the procedure is extremely straightforward. Once you obtain the V778 retention document that confirms your right to use or sell the number plate in future, most of the work is done.

Assigning that number plate to a vehicle is very simple, as long as certain conditions are satisfied. Firstly, you cannot put a number plate on a vehicle if it would make the car or van appear newer than it really is. Secondly, you must have a current MOT and road tax, or a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), for the relevant vehicle. The vehicle must also be available for inspection in case the DVLA decides to do this.

Assuming you satisfy these conditions, the procedure then depends on the vehicle. If it is a brand new car, the dealership should apply for you. Otherwise, you can apply online or by post as long as you have the V5C document (log book) as well as the retention certificate. Provided an inspection is not required, the registration will be assigned immediately when applying online, so make sure you have the new plates ready to fit before proceeding.

Perhaps you’ve already purchased the perfect number plate and want to know what happens next. Maybe you’re thinking of investing in a personalised registration, but are wondering if the process of changing over your number plate is complicated or lengthy.

The good news is that it’s neither, especially if you let New Reg take care of the paperwork on your behalf. The process of changing over vehicle number plates is actually fairly straightforward, and could be completed in a very short time indeed – depending on the exact circumstances.

How to change a private number plate

You have two options open to you when buying a private number plate. You can put the personalised registration on retention for future use, or you can assign it to a vehicle. If you’re buying the plate to put on your car, motorcycle or van, then you will follow the procedure for the latter.

When you buy a private registration from New Reg, we will issue the documentation you need to assign your new plate to your vehicle. If you like, we can even complete the process for you. This saves you time and ensures you are driving around with your new personalised plate as soon as possible.

How much is it to change a private number plate?

The DVLA charges a transfer fee, and this is set by the agency. This is currently £80, but is of course subject to change. This actually covers the removal of the number from a vehicle rather than the assigning of the private plate to a new vehicle. In practice, this means you pay to take your old registration off, not to assign your new plate to your vehicle.

Can I change my private number plate online?

You can apply online to assign a private number plate. Assuming you meet certain criteria and the vehicle doesn’t need a DVLA inspection, it will immediately be assigned. This means you need to have the number plates made up when you apply, as if your application is successful, then they must be changed over straight away.

How long to change private number plate?

When we sort out the switch for you, it will take anything from a few days to around four weeks. This is because the speed of the service depends on the situation. The quickest transfers occur with those number plates that have never before been used since issue; in this scenario, the process could be completed within as little as a few days. In this case there is no donor vehicle, so there is no chance of a DVLA inspection being required. The administration required for this type of transfer is minimal as such registrations are held on a Certificate of Entitlement known as a V750. In these scenarios, we at New Reg are named as the Purchaser and you, the customer, are the Nominee.

With most of the registrations we sell, the average time taken for the transfer is around two to four weeks. At New Reg, we’re committed to completing each transfer we deal with as rapidly as possible. As we are unable to start the process until we have all of the documentation required by the DVLA, prompt provision of this can make all the difference.

If you’re buying a brand new vehicle at the same time, do ask the dealership as soon as you can whether they can register it with your new private number plate. In this case, you shouldn’t have to pay the transfer fee again, as new cars, vans and motorbikes come with an age-related registration, supplied by the dealership at no extra cost. They may, however, charge for the making up of the plates, as well as the initial registration fee.

A car number plate is really a form of identification, but it can be so much more to a personalised number plate owner than that. Rather than a random, nonsensical sequence of characters, a private plates allows the driver to stand out. There are so many combinations of letters and numbers available, giving motorists the chance to make any statement they want to, or to reflect their name, job, hobbies or personality.

Buying personalised number plates

When you’re buying personalised number plates, you can take your pick from a variety of different styles. New (or current style) number plates follow a formula specified by the DVLA. They begin with an area identifier, where the first two letters reflect where the vehicle was first registered. The numbers that follow relate to the age of the car, van or motorcycle, then the last three letters are a random sequence, ensuring each number plate is unique. Sometimes, this system results in desirable combinations of characters that spell words or names. As many people have three initials, it’s also usually easy to find sequences that match those.

There are also other kinds of older style number plates. The style that preceded the current type was the prefix plate, where the registration began with the letter denoting the car’s age. Before this there were suffix plates, which ended with the year of issue. Prior to suffix plates were dateless plates, which may display letters or numbers first. These dateless, or cherished, plates are generally regarded as very desirable indeed.

Where can I buy personalised number plates?

At New Reg, we deal in all kinds of personalised number plates. Some of the more sought-after plates tend to have higher price tags, but others are often surprisingly affordable. Many buyers see private number plates as a great investment, and some such purchasers might own a whole portfolio of plates that they expect to increase in value. Others buy them for their family or friends, as well as themselves, as they also make great and very personal gifts.

How to buy a personalised number plate

It’s easy to find a great personalised number plate here at New Reg. Think about what sort of combination you would like, then input your ideas. The user friendly search function will return various combinations that match your search. Typical combinations favoured by our customers include occupations, sports teams, interests, names or initials. The list of registrations matching your requirements includes prices, so it’s simple to see what your options are and how they fit in with your budget. Find out what you need to buy a private plate.

At New Reg, we stock a large number of plates that are highly affordable, and one combination that is often well priced is initials. Conversely, if you have a popular name or want to display a commonly used word on your car, then you can expect to pay more money.

What happens when you buy a personalised number plate?

There are two options open to owners of personalised number plates. Most buyers will want to use the private plate on their vehicle, which means you need to complete a private registration transfer with the DVLA. We can handle this on your behalf at New Reg, and it can take up to four weeks depending on the situation. If you‘re purchasing a plate that has never been used, the process may be completed within a week. Otherwise, the average transfer time is between two and four weeks, as long as the required documentation is provided to us promptly.

If you’re buying a brand new car, you should be able to have it registered with the new private plate, but we advise to check with the dealership as early in the process as possible.

There are a number of costs involved in obtaining and registering a private number plate. The entire process could cost from as little as a couple of hundred pounds, right up to hundreds of thousands. Most people will end up paying somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand in total.

The cost of registering a private number plate

There are a number of costs involved in registering a private plate, which can be broken down as follows.

The private number plate

The first cost is the private number plate itself. At one end of the scale, we sell a range of registrations that can cost from as little as around £100 to £150 here at New Reg. At the other, the priciest car registration ever sold in Britain cost its buyer £400,000 in November 2014. The rest of the top ten most expensive plates in the UK cost between £100,500 and £285,000.

The DVLA fee

There are two ways of transferring a private registration. You can take it from one vehicle and assign it to another, or you can assign a plate that you have bought by taking it off retention and putting it onto your car, van or motorbike.

To move the cherished mark from one vehicle to another, the DVLA currently demands a fee of £80, which is payable directly to the agency. This is submitted along with the required documentation. Both the donor and recipient vehicles have to comply with the DVLA rules, which means they must be taxed and have a current MOT (unless the vehicle is under three years old). In this case, the DVLA fee covers the cost of assigning a new number plate to the donor vehicle. Generally, the DVLA issues a standard age-related number to this vehicle in place of the private plate being removed. This will often be the number the car, van or motorcycle was originally registered under.

Usually, the buyer of a private number plate will be responsible for paying the DVLA fee. However, New Reg can complete this process for you. We will check and submit the required paperwork to the DVLA, along with handling the purchase of the plate.

To retain a registration mark for future use or sale, the DVLA fee is the same. The certificate they will issue then gives you 10 years in which to assign that registration to another vehicle. If you do not, then it can be renewed for another 10 years. The DVLA should send a reminder if your right to use the registration is due to expire.

The number plates

There is a third cost to consider when asking ‘how much is it to register a private number plate?’. This concerns the number plates themselves. The new owner of a personalised registration will be keen to display the new plates on their vehicle – unless the purchase is purely for investment purposes.

Thus the physical front and rear number plates (or rear only for motorcycles) need to be made and fitted. New Reg offer the option of adding this service when you buy a plate from us, and we are registered as a number plate supplier with the DVLA. Strict rules govern the material, font and spacing used in number plate production, so it’s important to be sure that your new plates are fully road legal. This cost and time effective service can be added to the transaction when buying a registration mark from us. Then all you need to do when you receive the plates is remove the protective film and screw or stick them into place before you drive off displaying your new private number plates.

Number plates are subject to a fairly comprehensive list of legal requirements. Regardless of the type of vehicle they are assigned to – whether that is a car, van, motorcycle, or heavy goods vehicle – there are strict DVLA criteria regarding the size, colour and material of number plates. There are even legal regulations regarding the font used and the exact measurement of the gaps between characters. While all these rules must be adhered to by every driver or rider, does a motorcycle also need a number plate light?

General number plate rules

The DVLA stipulates that the number plates on any vehicle must be made from a material that is reflective. In general, the letters and numbers must be black, and displayed on a white background for the front plate and yellow for the rear. There must be no background pattern on the plate, but displaying 3D characters is permitted. It is not, however, allowed to space the characters differently, for example to form a word or name. The letters, numbers and the spaces between them must be displayed exactly as stipulated on any number plate.

Motorcycle number plate light law

The DVLA set out some specific rules regarding the number plates on mopeds, motorcycles and motor tricycles.

Front and rear plates

If you own a motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle and it was first registered on 1st September 2001 or later, then it should only display a rear number plate. If your bike was registered before this date, you may also display a front number plate if you choose to, but this is not mandatory.

Plate format

Unlike the number plates on cars and other larger vehicles, motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle registrations must be displayed over two lines, rather than the one that is usual for a car or van.

Number plate light

While the above rules, as well as others, apply to all forms of motorcycle, there is no DVLA requirement to have a number plate light fitted to a moped, motorbike or motor tricycle.

Older vehicle number plates

Apart from the rules that apply specifically to motorcycles, motor tricycles and mopeds, there are certain exceptions to vehicles over a certain age. The DVLA decided in 2015 that classic vehicles made over 40 years previously could show black plates with white or silver characters. Therefore, if a motor tricycle, moped or motorcycle was manufactured before 1975, owners could opt to display a traditional-style, black number plate. This is a fixed date, which means that if your bike was made in 1975 or later, you cannot take advantage of this exception.

Motorcycle number plates and lights

There is thus no legal requirement for a motorbike or moped to have a number plate light, since in most cases, a motorbike should not even be carrying a front number plate.

The number plates must follow the set format as required by the strict DVLA criteria. Not adhering to MOT requirements for plates can result in MOT failure. However, a motor tricycle, motorcycle or moped does not need a number plate light in order to pass its annual MOT.

As long as you are displaying a legally acceptable style of rear number plate for the age of your motorcycle, and this is clearly legible, then that is enough to satisfy the legal requirements. For a pre-2001 bike, whether you want to add a front number plate is a choice, as is the option of a number plate light. These are not required by the DVLA, but may give more peace of mind when travelling on public roads, especially at night, in conditions of poor visibility or when there is heavy traffic.

If you have a private number plate on a motorcycle you own, perhaps you’ve considered transferring it to your car. Certainly, it may make more sense if you use the car more often, and will therefore get more benefit from your cherished registration. After all, there’s not much point in having a private registration plate on a motorbike that spends most of its time locked up in the garage.

Can you transfer a motorcycle number plate to a car?

Exactly the same DVLA rules apply to the number plates on motorcycles and mopeds as do to those on larger vehicles such as cars, vans or even lorries. Therefore, the answer is yes – you can indeed transfer a number plate from a motorcycle to a car, or vice versa. The rules remain exactly the same, and there are certain conditions that apply to all number plate transfers, no matter what type of vehicle the plate is being put onto.

Motorcycle number plates law

One of the main rules applying to any vehicle registration transfers relates to age, but other rules also apply, as outlined below.

Age-related plates

Almost all vehicle number plates – whether private or standard issue – have an age indicator within their sequence. This is usually shown as the suffix (last letter), or as the prefix at the beginning. With the new or current style of plate, the number shown after the two-letter area identifier denotes the age. Thus a plate that read, for instance, AC65 DFG, would denote a vehicle registered on or after September 2015.

It is illegal to use any number plate, on any kind of vehicle, that would make the motorcycle, car, van or even heavy goods vehicle appear newer than it really is. In practice, this means that if you wished to transfer a number plate from a motorcycle that is newer than the car you want to reassign it to, then this is not possible. For example, if you have a motorcycle that has a 65 plate, you could not assign that registration to a car that was made before late 2015, as that would make it appear newer than it really is.

Other rules

Apart from the restriction regarding age, other rules that apply to any registration transfer include the following.

• The number plate must be recognised by, and registered with, the DVLA.
• The vehicle that is to receive the registration must be available for inspection if required, and it must have a valid MOT certificate if older than three years old.
• It a must have current road tax.

Are there any special rules for motorcycle number plates?

Identical rules apply to any kind of car registration transfer, no matter what type of donor or recipient vehicle is involved. Motorcycle number plates are treated in exactly the same way as those relating to cars. Therefore, the options open to anyone wishing to remove a private plate from a motorbike or moped are just the same.

You can transfer the registration to another vehicle, providing the conditions detailed above are met. Alternatively, you can place any number plate on retention for future use. This reserves your right to assign the plate to another vehicle in the future if you do not want to do so immediately. You also retain the right to sell a retained private plate if you wish to do that, rather than reassigning it to a vehicle you own.

If your vehicle bears your own private number plate and you want to sell, or even scrap your vehicle, you might be wondering how this process works and what happens to your number plate in this situation.

Can you sell a car with a private number plate?

As long as a vehicle is yours to sell, then you can indeed sell a car that has a private number plate. There are several options open to you regarding this.

Sell the car with the number plate

You could of course sell the car as it is, complete with the private number plate.  Or we could discuss keeping your plate when selling your car.

Advantages of selling the number plate with the car

Selling the number plate as included with the car is the quickest and easiest route open to you. This way, you avoid having to swap the plates over, or having to try to sell the plate or put it on retention. The car may also be more desirable, and therefore fetch a higher price. It could also sell more quickly.

Disadvantages of selling the number plate with the car

The main disadvantage of letting the buyer have the number plate with the car is that they get the benefit of it, not you. You can no longer use your own cherished registration if you let it pass to someone else. Neither can you benefit financially. Private registrations are normally worth at least a few hundred pounds, and could be very valuable indeed – although they may not be to a car buyer for whom the unique sequence has no meaning. You could therefore miss out on a considerable sum of money by letting a private registration go to the car’s new owner.

Why not at least find out what your plate is worth in advance of selling your car? At New Reg, we can provide you with a quote very quickly, and if you do decide to sell, we can also handle that on your behalf.

How to sell a car with a private number plate

How you sell your car with private number plates depends on what you want to do with the registration itself. If you are content to let it go to the purchaser along with the car, then you can simply sell it in the usual way. It is already assigned to that vehicle.

What are the alternatives?

If you don’t want to let your cherished registration go to the car’s new owner, then you have two other options.

Transfer the registration

If you already have another vehicle you want to put the registration onto, then you can have it assigned to that vehicle. The original vehicle would then be issued with an age-related registration. This may be the one it initially had before you changed to a private plate.

Retain the registration

You can put a private plate on retention. This reserves your right to use, or sell, the registration in the future.

Selling the private plate separately

If you don’t want to reassign or retain the registration, a good alternative is to sell it separately from the car. It is very likely to fetch a higher price if sold in this way, so it’s certainly an avenue worth exploring. Why not type your registration into New Reg’s valuation checker now, and we can provide you with a free quotation?

Scrapping a car with a private number plate

Your car may have come to the end of its life, and thus be bound for the scrapheap. In this case, you must decide whether or not to keep the number. If you don’t want to lose it – and perhaps its considerable monetary value – you should either assign it to another vehicle or put it on retention in advance of scrapping the car. That way, you’re free to sell or use it again in future.

Prefix car number plates are one of the best selling types of car registration here at New Reg. The format of prefix plates is just as the name suggests. Prefix registrations begin with a letter that indicates the car’s year of manufacture. The prefix style started in the early 1980s, because suffix registrations, which ended with the letter denoting the year, ran out at that point.

What is a prefix style number plate?

After exhausting the letters of the alphabet for the suffix format, UK car registrations began again using the prefix format on 1st August 1983. The issuing process began with the letter A, and prefix registration plates were issued 1st August each year thereafter, until August 2001 when the letter Y was used. Every prefix plate started with the digit denoting the year. This first batch comprised cars or vans with an ‘A’ prefix; these were registered between 1st August 1983 and 1st August 1984. These were followed by “B” prefix plates from 1984 to 1985, C for 1985 to 1986, and so forth. In 1999, this system changed to accommodate for two new registrations to be issued each rather than one.

The alphabet was used in order, as applied to the suffix plates used before the prefix ones. The letters I, O, Q, U, Z were not used, as they looked too much like other digits – namely 1, 0, 0, V and 2 respectively. The prefix system was replaced, after “Y” plates were issued in August 2001, by the new or current style plates still in use today.

After the first letter, prefix plates feature two to three numbers between 21 and 999. Numbers 1 to 20 are generally excluded from plates beginning with letters between A and H as they were retained by the DVLA for special issue. Any prefix plate with a number under 21 is thus rarer than any with a number of 21 or higher.

After the letter H, extra numbers were reserved for select issue, beginning with the letter J. Numbers seen by the DVLA as significant in some way were retained; these include 30, 33, 40, 44, 111, 700, 777, 800, 888 and so on, as well as 1 to 20. At New Reg, we often sell such numbers, and they remain very popular.

Following the prefix letter, number and space there are three letters on a prefix plate. If these reflect common initials, these are much sought after. There are also some short words and names consisting of three letters, adding to the prefix plate’s popularity.

A prefix plate’s last two letters generally indicate where the car was initially registered. A registration ending in BA indicated that the car was from Manchester or Salford, for example, while BG indicated either the city of Liverpool or Birkenhead on the Wirral. A number of these area codes were reassigned to different areas from 1974 onwards.

What about prefix private number plates?

Prefix style plates have made available a wide range of combinations, and they are one of our most sought after options. Our search function enables customers to easily search for their chosen word, initials or name, so why not give it a whirl?

Can you put a prefix number plate on any car?

The short answer is no, as the DVLA objects to the use of a plate that could be misleading. If using a prefix plate would mean a vehicle appear newer than it really is, then its use would be forbidden. This helps to avoid misleading buyers of used vehicles.

In practice, therefore, a prefix number plate may not be used on any vehicle that was first registered before 1st August 1983. However, as most cars available to buy are newer than this, it’s rarely an issue and will likely only apply to classic cars made prior to the early 1980s.