Does A Private Number Plate Increase Insurance?
While private plates can add to the value of your car, in the eyes of insurers, it won’t affect your car’s worth when it comes to cover. There are, however, some steps you need to take regarding insurance to make sure you’re legal on the road and protected in the event that your vehicle is stolen.
Many modifications to your car can cause a price hike in your insurance, including tinted windows and additional lights, along with a number of extras like flared wings, spoilers, valances, side skirts and wheel arches. However, changing your number plate to a personalised one isn’t on the list.
If you’ve been wondering ‘does a private number plate increase insurance payments on your car?’, then read on for some insightful information that will safeguard you from paying unnecessary penalties.
Informing your car insurance provider of a change in registration
When you assign a new number plate to your car, you must inform your insurance provider as soon as possible or you may face problems proving you’re fully insured. Without correct insurance in place on your car, you can face heavy fines from the authorities.
Most car insurers don’t consider a new private number plate to be a vehicle modification, but every provider has their own rules so it’s worth making sure of this when you inform them of the plate change.
At this point, it’s also a wise idea to acquire a letter from your provider that states it has no interest in your private number plate.
Why would I require this letter?
If a vehicle is stolen with the registration along with it, after reporting the theft to the authorities, your next step will be to make a claim on your car insurance. After your claim has been processed, you’ll receive your settlement payment. This lump sum effectively means that your car insurance provider has bought the vehicle from you and therefore owns it entirely, including the registration plate.
If the car is recovered, your insurance provider has the right to retain it along with each part of it, and this includes your number plates.
Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a concern. If your car retained the original number plate it arrived with, you’re unlikely to feel you have an emotional or financial interest in getting it back. However, if you’ve invested in a private number plate, this presents a very different scenario.
If your vehicle is stolen with a private plate attached, you’ll make your claim and receive your payout. However, if your car is recovered, you’ll want to attempt to get your private number plates back, but technically your car insurer will own your personalised registration.
They may agree to sell the private number plate back to you, but they are not required to do so. A far better approach is to put your own insurance policy in place to prepare for this potential unfortunate circumstance by simply getting a letter confirming they have no interest in your private number plate.
Can car insurance be made less expensive by adding a private number plate?
It might seem probable that a private plate would be of more interest to a car thief than a regular plate based on the cost of acquiring one, but they’re also easier to identify and therefore simpler to track. This means that not only might your car be less likely to be taken, but it’s also more likely that if stolen, it will be recovered. There is therefore a chance that buying a private car registration can save you money on your insurance.
