Naturally, many of our visitors and readers are private number plate enthusiasts, and many have experience of buying and/or selling car registration numbers. This article, however, is written mostly for people who haven't bought their own personal plates before.
A private number plate is the quickest, easiest way to make your car stand out. A memorable plate makes your car easy to spot in a busy car park, where there may be three or four of the same model and the same colour; it gives your car a touch of personality and can also give a hint about your own.
Whether you want your name on a number plate, your initials, or just a dateless registration to hide the age of your car, the process is the same, and it's really pretty easy.
Step 1 Find your perfect private number plate
The widest choice is found with independent dealers as we have access to DVLA's stock plus thousands of exclusive registrations that we own and that aren't available elsewhere.
Regtransfers owns the largest stock of any dealer. Most of the other dealers also make their stock available through us. That means we are able to offer a one-stop shop for just about any registration you could want.
Website search
You can search for a suitable registration by entering your name or keywords into the search form on our homepage. Alternatively, our main search page has a range of comprehensive searches and themed collections to help you including:
- Names
- Initials
- Sports teams
- Dateless
- Car brands and models
- and more.
Auction
You may also browse the Regtransfers online number plate auction, where customers list their registrations for sale. There is often the chance of a real bargain.
Legal limitations
There are millions of numbers to choose from. The only real choice-limiting factor is the rule stating that a vehicle may not display a registration number that makes the car look younger than it really is. For example, a car made in 2023 that was originally registered with a 23 registration, may not display a 24 number plate issued in 2024. However, it may display another 23 plate or a plate from any earlier series.
For a full explanation of registration year codes and the other characters on your number plate, please visit our page Car registration formats: What the letter and number codes mean.
Step 2 Buy your new private registration
When you buy, you can choose to have your new private registration number supplied on an official government-issued certificate which you can use at a later date to assign the number to a vehicle, or you can use Regtransfers hassle-free transfer service to assign your new number straight onto your vehicle.
Whether you buy online or by phone, you will be offered both options: supply on certificate or assign to a vehicle.
- Supply on certificate This option is for people who want to secure their new registration number but who are not ready to display it on a car. It is also the preferred format for people who may buy many private number plates as investments. When you buy from Regtransfers and choose to have your new number supplied on a certificate, you will receive a V778 retention document. This is an official, DVLA document that proves your entitlement to the registration number, commonly known as a "retention certificate". The retention document is valid for 10 years. If you want to keep your registration on certificate for longer than that, then you must renew the document before its expiry date.
- Assign to your vehicle If you already have a car to display your new plate on, then you can choose to have Regtransfers take care of registering or 'assigning' it to your vehicle. We will deal with all the formalities and red tape. Our hassle-free transfer service will also deal with any irregularities or complications, saving you the inconvenience of dealing with government agencies. In order to be eligible to have a private number plate assigned to it, your vehicle must:
- be registered with DVLA in the UK
- be able to move under its own power
- be of a type that needs an MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) test certificate
- be available for inspection - DVLA will contact you if they need to inspect your vehicle
- have been taxed or have had a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice) in place continuously for the past 5 years
- be taxed currently or have a SORN in place: if it’s had a SORN in place for more than 5 years, it must be taxed and have an MOT certificate
- If you have a historic (classic) vehicle you’ll also need a current MOT certificate, even if your vehicle is usually exempt from MOTs.
Buying online from Regtransfers is simple, quick and secure, but if you prefer to speak to someone, advice and assistance are just a phone call away.
Step 3 Get your acrylic number plates
When you buy a private registration, you are not buying a physical set of number plates: you are buying the right to display that registration number on your car. The actual, physical plates that you fit to your car to display your number must be purchased in addition to the number itself.
When you buy a private registration from Regtransfers, choosing your acrylic number plates is presented as an optional extra at checkout, or during your phone call. Buying at that point saves you the bother of providing all the legally required paperwork that aftermarket suppliers must see before they are allowed to sell plates to you.
Our number plates are available in all legal styles.
Don't buy dodgy plates!
There are a number of legal requirements that your plates must comply with. As a DVLA registered supplier, we only provide fully legal plates that meet all necessary standards and regulations.
Always buy your plates from a registered supplier. If you purchase misspaced number plates, or plates that don't meet font and reflectivity specifications, you may be fined, receive an MOT failure and even have your personal registration number permanently confiscated.
Step 4 Inform your insurance company of the change
If the registration number on your policy doesn't match the number on your car or its V5C registration document, you will experience problems when making an insurance claim. Also, most insurance companies insist that you inform them of significant changes you make to your car.
And don't forget to tell your breakdown service provider too.
