Personalized number plates are very popular in the United Kingdom. Many vehicle owners favor a personal plate for its unique and personalized touch. Personalized plates available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and online brokers range from a few hundred pounds to several thousands of dollars, depending on demand.
A private registration may be obtained even if you don’t own a vehicle. Number plates can be acquired and retained for future usage. It’s advisable to double-check that you can lawfully assign your desired car before purchasing a personalised plate, as there are certain exemptions.
Adding a younger plate will not make a car appear to be newer – this is illegal
Unlike many other nations on the planet, UK number plates show the age of cars. The third and fourth digits of your vehicle’s current type of number plate indicate its vintage. In addition to that, each year, there are two new sets of plates issued in the spring and fall.
Your car’s number plate will take the third and fourth characters from the last two digits of the date if it is registered between March 1st and September 1st. For example, if your vehicle was registered between these months in 2019, the two numerals would be 1 and 9, allowing everyone to determine how old it is.
If your car is registered on or after September 1st, 2019 and before March 1st, 2020, the digits on your plate are formed by adding 50 to the date, resulting in a 6 and a 9.
People purchasing automobiles can now determine how old a vehicle is to within six months using these number plate systems. If your car was registered in 2016, for example, and the year of registration is represented on the number plate, it would be wrong to utilize a 19.
The same restrictions apply to older vehicle number plates with a letter to indicate the year of registration rather than numerals, which must not be fastened to old cars in order for them to seem younger.
Vehicles that don’t require HGV or MOT test certification
A vehicle that doesn’t require an annual MOT test or a heavy goods vehicle certificate can’t be given a personal number plate. A farm tractor, for example, or a machine for road repair, such as a steam roller, are examples of such vehicles.
Q-registered vehicles
When the DVLA has concerns about a vehicle’s identity or age, it issues Q registration numbers. The registration will begin with the letter Q and this DVLA classification prohibits the use of personalized number plates on cars.
If you own a kit car that’s Q-plated, you can apply to the DVLA for a private plate if you have documentation of its age.
Vehicles that already have a personalised plate
If you wish to give your customised number to a car that already has a private plate, the DVLA can help. Your previous private number will be kept on a retention certificate while your new one will be assigned to your picked vehicle. To do so, you’ll need your vehicle’s V5 registration document (also known as a logbook) and £80 to pay the DVLA fee. You can also choose 4D plates for your vehicle as this option is getting popular these days.
If you would like to find out more about personalised number plates in the UK, take a look at National Numbers.
