Search UK Number Plates

It’s widely believed that you cannot add a personalised number plate to a leased car, but as long as you liaise with the lease company and take a few simple steps, you are able to change the number plates.

Creating your own personalised number plate is relatively simple, and many websites are designed to make this process easier. However, there are some rules about what you can and can’t choose for your registration number.

Usually, but there are a few exceptions. A private number plate can’t be transferred to a Q-registered vehicle, put on a car to make it look newer, or used on a vehicle that doesn’t require an HGV or MOT certificate.

Acquiring a private plate won’t mean your car insurance goes up, but you’ll need to inform your insurer of the plate change and should ask for a letter confirming they have no interest in your private plate.

The process of removing a personalised number plate from a vehicle will differ depending on whether you want to save the number plate for future use, sell it on, or immediately reassign it to another vehicle.

A simple transfer from one vehicle to another can be completed online with the DVLA and you can make the switch as soon as you've finished the process. Organising it by post takes longer – expect two to five weeks.

A number plate’s value varies according to how desirable and unusual it is. A number plate featuring a name, word or initials that a lot of people want is likely to fetch a higher price.

You must inform the DVLA if you wish to remove your personalised number plate and replace it with the car’s original plate. It costs £80 to remove personalised plates and this can be done online or by post.

Having an illuminated number plate is a legal requirement, so it's important that you replace your number plate bulb if it fails. This a simple process which anyone can complete, and replacement bulbs are readily available in shops and online.

It is fairly simple to fit a replacement number plate to your car in just a few steps. You can either use screws to fix it in place, or opt for double-sided pads to secure it.

Most private number plates are bought and sold online, via one of the many websites - including the DVLA - that sell these plates. People may also buy number plates privately, or via a traditional auction house

You can buy your personalised registration from the DVLA or specialist vendors and then get them made up by auto retail outlets such as Halfords, but you’ll need to provide your vehicle log book and proof of ID.

The vast majority of private number plates are sold online, via either the DVLA or one of the other websites that specialises in selling registration numbers. Otherwise, you might be able to obtain one privately or at an auction.

You’ll find a variety of finance products available for purchasing a private number plate. These agreements allow you to pay in monthly installments, helping you to spread the cost of your new plate.

Whether as a gift or for yourself, it’s perfectly possible to buy a number plate without a car. The registration will be put on a certificate allowing you to use or gift it to someone at a later date.

You can buy a personalised number plate from an individual or an organisation as long as they can show that they are the legal owner of the plate. You can then assign the number to your car if you wish.

Always a popular addition to vehicles, there are many websites that allow you to purchase number plates online, including the DVLA. It is safe to buy personalised number plates online as long as you take a few simple precautions.

The price of a personalised car number plate in the secondary market is determined by supply and demand. Number plates featuring popular names, words or initials that are attractive to many people tend to come with a higher price tag.

If you’re searching for a personalised number plate, there are three main options to consider: you can buy directly from the DVLA at fixed or auction price, through a registration plate dealer in person or online, or purchase privately.

Whether or not you can display aluminium number plates on a vehicle comes down to its age. As metal does not meet certain standards for modern number plates, aluminium plates can only be used on some historic vehicles.

It’s illegal to display blue lights on your car’s number plate in the UK and doing so can result in a fixed penalty notice of £50. Only vehicles used by the emergency services may display blue lights.

Gel number plates can be legal, as long as they conform to DVLA criteria. 3D number plates are permitted, provided they are also reflective, without a background pattern, and white for the front or yellow for the rear.

Yes. You must display both a front and rear number plate on any vehicle kept or used on a public highway in the UK. There are also strict rules regarding the type of plate you must have.

UK law demands that car number plates are yellow at the rear of vehicles and white at the front. This ensures they are easy to read and enables you to tell if vehicles are facing towards or away from you.

In short: no. It is illegal to alter a number plates spacing. The reason for this is not only to ensure number plates are clear and easy to remember but also so they can be correctly recognised by imaging systems.

Yes. The most likely reason for this is you've bought a new car and want to move your personal number plate over to your new vehicle. This is a relatively simple process and can be done through the DVLA website.

Current DVLA guidelines state that a number plate can stay on retention for a maximum of 10 years before needing to be renewed. The retention fee is £80, but renewals are free and don’t take long to process.

Number plate retention lasts for 10 years or until you use the plate on a vehicle, whichever comes first. After 10 years, you must renew your retention certificate if you still have no vehicle to assign your number plate to.

If you want to sell a private number plate or reserve it for future use, you can do so via the DVLA. As long as certain conditions are met, you can pay to obtain a V778 retention document.

To take a private number plate off retention, you need documents including the V778 retention document, the V5 registration document for the receiving vehicle and an MOT certificate if your vehicle requires one.

If you want to keep or purchase a number plate without assigning it to a vehicle, you can put it on retention. By doing this, you’re essentially retaining the registration to use at a later date of your choosing.

A retention certificate for a number plate is an official DVLA form confirming that you are the legal owner of that plate. It allows you to keep or purchase a number plate without assigning it to a vehicle.

If you own a private number plate but no longer want to use it, you might be tempted to sell it back to the DVLA. Unfortunately this isn’t possible as the DVLA does not buy back private number plates.

Yes, you can sell on your car with a personalised plate attached. It’s also possible to keep your private registration if you want to by completing a V317 form and paying a fee of £80 to the DVLA.

If you want to sell a number plate on retention, follow this guide which explains how to sell the plate and answers your questions about the process and how to get the best price for your number plate.

You can sell a personalised number plate privately if you wish, or you can use one of the many companies who sell them. They can either advertise it on your behalf, or buy it outright for their own stock.

It is possible to sell a number plate privately via a personal ad which you could place on local buying and selling sites or in the newspaper. You can also sell through traditional or online auctions or dedicated number plate selling sites.

You can remove the number plate from one car and assign it to another via Gov.uk online, but you must have the vehicle log book and be the registered keeper. A fee of £80 is payable.

Whether it’s an interested buyer or a family member, you can transfer your number plate to another person. Up until the point the number plate is assigned to car, no vehicle documentation is necessary.

To transfer a private number plate to a new car, you will need to complete a V317 form. This applies whether you’re transferring the plate to another car in your name, a vehicle you’re purchasing or to someone else’s car.

Yes, you can. The same DVLA rules apply whether you're transferring a number plate from car to car, motorbike to motorbike, or from a motorbike to a car. The process is the same for all transfers.

If you are transferring a personalised number plate from one vehicle to another, and you are the owner of both, you can complete the transfer online via the DVLA website with immediate effect.