If you like personalising your car, there are ways to make modifications. However, the easiest and cheapest way is to have a personalised number plate, which allows your vehicle to stand out.
Motoreg specialises in buying and selling private number plates. Known for their free number plate valuation, these experts know the best ways to buy personalised number plates in the UK and the legal requirements.
To buy personalised number plates in the UK for your new wheels, you need to:
- Buy a private number plate
- Assign it to your car
- Get the plate made
- Notify your insurance company
Where to Buy a Private Number Plate?
You can give any vehicle a unique touch with an exclusive number plate. Here’s where you can buy personalised number plates in the UK:
1. Buy from the DVLA
Check the DVLA Personalised Registration portal, where you can see millions of number plate variations for sale, all listed with their prices.
2. Buy from a DVLA auction
Look out for one of the five auctions the DVLA holds annually. You can bid for available plates in person, online, in writing, or over the phone. The DVLA’s registration website has details of upcoming auctions and lists the available numbers. On purchasing your desired plate, you receive the V750 certificate of entitlement.
3. Buy from a broker
Number plate brokers like Motoreg often have a wider variety of more unique personalised number plates than the DVLA.
4. Buy privately
Perform an online search for plates on sale by individuals or businesses. Depending on how rare the number plate is, the more you can expect to pay, especially if it has very few characters.
How to Assign Your Private Number Plate?
Now that you know how to buy a personalised number plate in the UK, here’s how to assign it to your vehicle:
With your number plate purchase, you get a V750 certificate of entitlement. When transferring the number from an existing vehicle, you require a V778 retention document. However, remember to apply to remove it first; otherwise, you could lose the right to use it again.
You can apply online to assign the personalised number plate if you already have a vehicle registered. Alternatively, you can give the V750 or the V778 to the dealer for a new car to apply on your behalf. Remember that with either scenario, you will also require the V5C.
Get the Plate Made
Only a registered number plate supplier can make your plates. They will ask for identification (like a utility bill, ID, or driver’s license) and proof that you own the vehicle (any of these documents will do: V5C, V750 or V778.
When designing your number plate, remember the following:
- Use a reflective material, and no background pattern is allowed
- Use black characters on a white background in the front and a yellow background for the rear plate
- The plate must have the plate supplier’s details and the British Standard number (BS AU 145e)
- You can use raised characters
- You can display zero emissions with a green flash
- You can use some flags and symbols.
- When creating your number plate, you cannot make your car appear younger, nor can the plate start with ‘Q’ or ‘NIQ’. You also cannot use digits that have already been claimed.
Notify Your Insurance Company
Let your insurance company know about the change to ensure the vehicle remains covered. For most insurers, a personalised number plate does not constitute a modification to a car, so it shouldn’t affect your premiums.
Also, remember to update any automatic payment accounts linked to your registration number, such as congestion charges and low emissions zones.
Now that you know how to buy a personalised number plate in the UK, you probably wonder about the cost. According to Motoreg, known for its free number plate valuation, an exclusive number plate can cost anything from a few hundred pounds to over a million. It all depends on how rare the number plate is and what you want. You can also buy a personalised number plate you want, even if you don’t have a car to assign it to. In that case, you must renew its certificate every ten years to ensure you can use it whenever you are ready.Finally, do you want to know how much your private number plates are worth? Get a free number plate valuation today. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Go to our home page to search for a plate, or call 024 7640 7604 to discuss anything private with us.
