A personalized number plate provides a unique identity to your vehicle. It can be any phrase, initials or slogan that makes it more exclusive and unique. It’s not just rich people who can afford the luxury of personalized number plates. In the UK, people spend more than 100 million pounds per year on personalized number plates. Many of them are not the rich.

You can always afford a personalized number plate with 200 pounds or so. But, there are unique personalized plates that are costly. Besides, you can order it at home and there are brokers like Swiftreg who do everything for you. It is hassle-free, easy, and offers a safe and secure process. Also, they have quality customer support.

Types of Personalized Number Plates

A personalized number plate can have four different styles in the UK. They are-

  1. Current Style

This is the most common type for new car registration since 2001. This style has seven characters. The first two letters indicate the region where it was registered. Followed by there are two numbers indicating vehicle age and three random letters at the end. For example- AB 18 ACC.

  1. Prefix Style

In the UK, this type of plate was in use between 1938 and 2001. In this style, the first letter indicates your vehicle’s age. For example, the first letter ‘F’ was registered in September 1988. For personalized number plates, you can follow this style. An example of a prefix style is- C 333 ACC.

  1. Suffix Style

Suffix style is the earlier version of Prefix style and was used in the UK between 1963 and 1983. In this style, they have an age indicator at the end of the number plate. If it starts with the letter “A” and ends with “A” that means it is from 1963. In the case of B, it indicates 1964 and so on. For example, “CBC 123C” indicated a plate registered in 1965.

  1. Dateless Style

This style was used in the UK before 1963. In this style there can be a combination of three letters and up to four numbers. Interestingly, there was nothing to indicate its age or year of registration in the number plate. For example- 3 AB.

Legal Requirements of Personalized Number Plate

Once you have owned a personalized number plate, the DVLA will provide a certification of entitlement or V750. After you get the certificate, you can put the number plate on your vehicle and start using it.

You must prove your identity with a driving license and V750 documents to the nearest registered number plate supplier. They will verify these and make the customized plate fit on your vehicle.

Besides, the UK government has some strict rules about private number plates. These include-

  1. The personalized number plates must be constructed with reflective materials.
  2. Display Black characters on Personalized number plate.
  3. A personalized number plate must have a yellow background at the rear plate and white for the front plate.
  4. You must not try any altered front or spacing.
Can I Buy It From DVLA?

You can always buy a personalized number plate from DVLA. They have a diverse range of collections of 50 million or more. DVLA also has a search tool where you can search Plates of your desire. You will find a thousand more relevant options from the DVLA directory.

Other than that, DVLA also holds number plate auctions throughout the year. These auctions are different from other types of auctions. DVLA hides your maximum bid for a number plate. So, other competitors do not know about your bidding price. In this process, you can buy a personalized number plate at a price without driving it up through the bidding process.

What about Brokers?

Purchasing personalized number plates from brokers have its own benefits. They have a specialized team to help consult your problems. Other than that, they also have diverse collections of number plates to choose from.

In case, you change your mind and want to sell your personalized number plate, then these brokers will be able to help you sell it too. They will advertise and sell on behalf of you to get the best price. Also, they offer a “managed file transfer service” and a secure payment system. Overall, it is a hassle-free option to buy it securely.

What Happens to the Old Number plate?

Once you have registered a personalized number plate in DVLA, they will automatically deactivate your old plate. This ensures that you will have two plates for the same vehicle. Displaying old plates or incorrect plates after acquiring a personalized number plate, can cost you a fine of up to 1000 pounds or more.

In case, you want to hold on to your old registration, then you have to request DVLA for a retention certificate. For that, you have to pay an additional 80 pounds. If you are removing the personalized number plate, the original registration number will transfer over to your car once again.

Is it Possible to Transfer a Personalized Registration Plate?

If you want to sell your vehicle or buy a new one then, you can transfer the number plate. Also, you can transfer to any other existing vehicle. The number plate transfer requires DVLA approval.

DVLA approves transfer for either of the two reason-

  1. You want to hold the license plate for further use.
  2. You want to transfer the plate to another vehicle.

Before you apply, you must meet the following requirements to transfer personalized number plates.

  1. It has been taxed SORN for 5 consecutive years.
  2. The vehicle is still functional.
  3. It must have a DVLA registration.
  4. 11 digit document reference number( You will get it from your vehicle’s V5C log book).
  5. Pay 80 pounds for the transfer charge.

There are vehicles which have a number plate starting with “Q”. These are vehicles with age or identity problems. You can not transfer your personalized number plate onto a “Q” registered vehicle. Other than that, you can only transfer the number plates on vehicles with HBV or MOT certificate.

Good Gift

Aside from making a great gift for yourself, you can also gift the joy of a personalized number plate to a loved one. You can order it online and send it as a gift to any car enthusiast. DVLA offers 10 years of registration on the personalized number plate and can be renewed later. It is also a good investment as some car lovers want to get the same tag as yours. Remember, there is no duplicate of any single plate in the market. So, gift a personalized number plate as a unique good gift.

Personalized number plates are unique to give your car a new identity. Some of us would think of it as fancy, but it does add more value to your car. An eye-catching customized personal plate can turn heads.