How to Buy and Assign your very own Private Number Plates
Undeniably private number plates are one of the most popular accessories for the modern motorist. People buy private plates to add a stylish finish to their vehicles and make them stand out against others on the road. At any one time there are millions of private number plates on the market and with the introduction of cheaper prefix plates its not just footballers and rock stars who can afford them nowadays.
They come in various styles including suffix, prefix and the current style of number plates yet with so much choice on offer the options can seem overwhelming. Try narrowing down your search by looking for specific names or initials or even numbers relating to a date of birth. Other good starting points are nicknames, business names and plates that relate to your make or model of car. Prefix plates with three initials provide the most cost effective way to get a personal registration onto your car.
Car registrations began to be issued in 1903 and A1 was London’s first number plate. Industry experts predict that if this registration is ever for sale it will be the first registration to break the million pound barrier. The current record for the most expensive number plate sold in the UK is M1, which was auctioned in 2006 for £330000.
For cheap and dateless registrations more people are choosing to buy Irish number plates. These distinctive registrations can be assigned to any eligible vehicle on the UK mainland, regardless of age. Dateless registrations are the perfect choice if you want to hide the age of your car. By incorporating the letters I and Z names such as GIL, WIL, BAZ and DAZ can be displayed on your personal registration number.
Whilst choosing your private number plates remember that you can never make your vehicle appear newer than it is. For example a private registration from the Y prefix series such as Y24 MAT could not be assigned to a car originally registered with an L registration such as L827 JNS as it would make it look newer.
When buying private registration numbers you can have them assigned to your vehicle by your dealer or request it on a DVLA certificate. Certificates are valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually for a nominal fee. Certificates are a popular option for people who find their perfect reg but have not got their car to put it onto yet.
To assign your new private registration yourself you will need your V5 logbook, MOT (if applicable) and the vehicle must be taxed. Applications for assignment can be posted to your local DVLA and are generally completed within two weeks. Alternatively you can take documents to the DVLA in person for a while you wait service.
Once your new reg is assigned you will receive an updated tax disc displaying the new registration and a new V5 logbook will follow two weeks later from DVLA Swansea. As soon as you have your tax disc however you can fix your plates and drive around in style.