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Single digit, single letter, dateless plates, for instance N 1 - issued in January 1904. These registrations were issued from 1903 and are the most desirable - and often most expensive! - plates to own! Letters and numbers can be issued in reverse.
Double digit, double letter, dateless plates, for instance NN 11. They can be less expensive than 1 by 1 registrations, typically issued with numbers first via the DVLA auctions. NN 11 was issued in 1921 but never reversed.
Dateless registrations including 2 letters and 3 digits or 2 digits and 3 letters such as NNN 11 and 111 NN. NNN 11 was issued in 1952 and reversed in 1962.
Double letter, four digit dateless registrations, for example HN 1234 was issued around 1925 in Darlington.
Triple digit, triple letter dateless registrations. These are the youngest of all the dateless registrations and were issued up to 1962. When they contain certain letters such as V, X or Y they are often used as "cover plates" to smarten up vehicles, effectively hiding the age of the vehicle.
Acrylic number plates are the physical plastic plates you can attach to your vehicle. They are offered as an extra by National Numbers and you can buy acrylic number plates at the same time as buying a registration.
Moving a registration number from a certificate to a suitable vehicle is known as assigning. You can't assign a registration mark in order to make a vehicle appear newer.
National Numbers attend all DVLA Auctions, where we are one of the biggest investors. We have an excellent track record at getting registrations for our clients through auctions of number plates.
Cheap doesn't necessarily mean worse, but cheap number plates certainly carry less meaning. Still - they can effectively disguise the age of a vehicle.
Cherished numbers are also known as dateless registrations. The name comes from the owners who classed them as a cherished family keepsake, and unlike other number plate formats, they dateless private registrations don't include an age identifier, so can go on any car regardless the age of your vehicle. This makes them extremely sought after and generally seen as the perfect plate option for expensive, rare, or older cars.
The Cherished Transfer Scheme allows cherished number plates to be transferred between vehicles. If the vehicle which is receiving the number in a cherished transfer is already registered, its existing number will become void unless an application to transfer or retain that number is made at the same time.
Also known as Millennium and New-Style registrations. This is the system current system for number plates in the UK, issued from September 2001. The system allows for two issues per year, March being indicated by "01", "02", "03" etc while September is shown as"51","52", etc. The two initial letters identify the area of issue while the last three letters are random. For example NV53 ZPB informs you that the vehicle in question was registered in September 2003 in the North i.e. Stockton or Newcastle.
Dateless registrations, are often called Cherished registrations, are the oldest type of registration available. There are various formats and prices ranging from £100 to £100,000! Either way, Dateless Registrations all effectively conceal the age of the vehicle on which they ride but are chosen for all kinds of reasons.
Collective term for the documentation that's needed to complete a transfer, from retention documents to the certificate of entitlement, and more. National Numbers require the original documentation in order to complete your transfer and offer assistance every step of the way if required.
Donor is the term given in vehicle to vehicle transfers to the car donating its registration. The £80 transfer fee covers the cost of processing the transfer/retention
Short for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. DVLA governs registrations of vehicles, registration marks, and drivers.
Pink form "holds" marks which have never been on a vehicle before. The certificate is valid for 10 years and can be renewed upon expiry. The mark can be assigned to a suitable vehicle registered in either the purchase's or nominee's name. See Certificates of Entitlement for more information.
The entitlement period is currently ten years and can be extended.
National Numbers offer a fast track service wherby we assign a registration to your vehcile the same day. Call 01642 363738 for details.
Application for a first licence for a new motor vehicle and declaration for registration - for use by individuals importing a new vehicle, kit cars.
Application for a first licence for a motor vehicle and declaration for registration - for use by individuals to register used vehicles, e.g. rebuilt.
There is one font (with several variations) that can be used legally on UK number plates: these are based on the Charles Wright font.
There are several governing bodies that oversee dealers engaged in the sale and transfer of registration numbers. Two of these are the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) and the Cherished Numbers Dealers Association (CNDA), both of which require members to adhere to a strict code of conduct.
Name which appears at the top of a retention certificate and is the same as the keeper of the vehicle that the mark came off. Only the grantee is entitled to sign the certificate. At present, the DVLA will not change the grantee but will allow a change of address. New regulations are currently pending to allow more flexibility in this procedure.
An inspection takes place when the DVLA need to validate that the donor car is using a registration legally, by comparing the car chassis number with its log book. Whilst these checks do not happen very often they will slow down the transfer process by at least a week. This is primarily done for the safety of the person buying the plates. If it turns out that the car is stolen, then the DVLA can take the registration back, even after the transfer has been completed.
This is a vehicle log book - the official DVLA document code for a log book is V5C Vehicle Registration Certificate.
National Numbers offers two ways for you to design your own registration. You can design your own prefix registration or new-style registration.
Millennium registrations is another term for the current style of registration numbers used on vehicles in the UK, issued from September 2001.
MOT stands for Ministry Of Transport (roadworthiness certificate). The test is required by law for all vehicles over three years of age. The form is now printed on computer and can be validated online.
Registrations can be transferred between cars and motorbikes.
New-style registrations is another term for the current style of registration numbers used on vehicles in the UK.
The grantee is able to nominate someone to receive the registration mark "stored"; on a retention certificate. The mark can be assigned to a vehicle either in the name of the grantee or the nominee.
Northern Irish number plates can be a cost-effective way to disguise the age of a vehicle. These are from Northern Ireland and are still issued by the DVLA. Registrations from the ROI are not transferable.
The term number plate is used to describe both the registration i.e. the rights to use a number, and the acrylic plates onto which the number is printed. Number plates come in many styles and formats. For a idea of what's available, see our article Number Plate Formats Explained.
Dateless (1903 - 1962): The original system. Suffix (1963 - 1982): suffix series system. Prefix (1983 - 2001): prefix series system. 2001 - 2049: current, new-style series.
All vehicles are issued with a registration mark. Some drivers prefer to personalise their vehicle by actually choosing a mark to match their initials,name, etc.
Prefix registrations came into force in 1983. They are named prefix because a year identifying letter precedes any digits or letter sequences.
Private registrations is another term for personalised number plates. Private registrations are a bit like private schools, indicating an item not just accepted from a standard range. People buy private number plates as an individual purchase, whereas those provided as Government stock come with the vehicle
The name appearing on the top of the V750. The purchaser has the same legal rights as the "grantee" on a retention certificate.
Q registrations identify a vehicle whose origin is unknown. For this reason, you can't put a cherished number onto a Q registered vehicle. Unfortunately you cannot buy Q prefix or suffix registrations.
National Numbers offer free and instant online quotes for owners of registrations. We also offer a telephone service at a premium rate. Call 0905 757 0011. Calls cost £1 per minute.
In vehicle-to-vehicle transfers, the vehicle receiving the new registration mark is called the Recipient.
In transfers, the Registered Keeper is the person named on the V5c (log book). The registered keeper is not necessarily the same as the vehicle owner.
A term used to refer to the number used on a personalised number plate. The registration corresponds to the Vehicle Identification Number on a vehicle and is printed on the vehicle registration document.
Some people refer to this as the log book - the official DVLA document code for a log book is V5C (vehicle registration certificate).
To retain a registration means to move a registration number from a vehicle to a certificate. This allows the owner to retain the right to use the registration.
Application to place a mark on a retention certificate. The certificate allows a registration to be taken off a vehicle and stored on a certificate for later transferral or sale.
Pertains to a Retention Certificate - this is the scheme under which these certificates are issued. The scheme allows a mark to be taken off a vehicle and stored on a certificate. The same regulations apply as for vehicle to vehicle transfers.
Reverse dateless number plates came about when councils discovered the sequence of dateless plates released would not provide a plentiful amount of registrations. The reversed sequence was issued much later than the original registrations with letters first. For example FDT followed by numbers were issued in 1948 and reversed (numbers then FDT) in 1961.
A vehicle which has been scrapped must be declared scrapped with the DVLA. You cannot transfer a registration off a vehicle which has been scrapped.
Show Plates is a term given to acrylic number plates that are used for show or off-road purposes. They often include non-standard spacing, badges, and fonts. In November 2008, stricter regulations came into place making it illegal to manufacture such plates.
SORN is an abbreviation for Statutory Off Road Notification. If you do not renew your vehicle licence then you must declare the vehicle off the road with the DVLA. This is now a legal requirement.
National Numbers owns about 1,000 stock personalised registrations. These are purchased from auctions or from members of the public. Our stock number plates are held, very conveniently, on retention or entitlement certificates in the office. This means that the transfer time is greatly reduced.
Suffix registrations consist of 3 letters followed by up to 3 digits, and a final letter which identifies the year the number was issued. The first suffix registration to be issued was A in 1963. An example of a suffix registration is NNN 123A.
Also known as a vehicle licence, your car must be taxed before you can transfer a registration on to it. If your vehicle is acting as a donor, then you can transfer the mark up to 12 months after the tax has expired (not refunded). Different tax bands are now introduced based on emissions, etc.
To move a registration from one vehicle to another.
£80 fee to transfer a mark from donor to recipient vehicle or onto a retention certificate.
Unissued refers registrations that have not been issued and are know as \'Unissued Government Stock\'. Sometimes these are entire ranges of plates (for instance Q plates, which are reserved for kit cars, etc) or combinations that may be deemed offensive, like KKK, ARS, etc.
Transfer form issued by DVLA.
Certificate of entitlement (pink) "holds" marks which have never been on a vehicle before. Valid for 10 years and can be renewed on expiry. Can only be assigned to a vehicle registered on DVLA computer.
Actual retention certificate (green) Issued by DVLA to "hold" a reg mark. Valid for 10 years and can be renewed upon expiry.
Application to place a mark on a retention certificate.
All registrations are subject to VAT. However, some transactions attract free VAT while some are subject to part VAT. This is because we sell number plates on behalf of individuals, who are not VAT registered, and companies who are VAT registered.
Amendments to the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act allowed the sale of previously unallocated registrations. A new government division, Sale of Marks (SOM), was created to fulfil activities related to the sale of these marks. At this time, the DVLC (as was) became the DVLA. The revenue accrued as a result of these sales contributes directly to the Treasury.
A number, often stamped on the chassis of a vehicle, which identifies it.
This form allows a vehicle to vehicle transfer of a registration. Both keepers must sign the relevant forms.
A vehicle which has been written-off is no longer seen as viable in the eyes of a vehicle insurance company. You cannot transfer a registration on to a written-off vehicle, but you can transfer one off using a V317, or onto a certificate using a V778.
To follow are some helpful hints to suggest numbers that look like letters. Remember, you are not allowed legally to mis-space the number and/or letters in order to mis-represent the actual registration mark.
Buy private registration plates from a recognised reseller of DVLA registrations
If you're in the market for a new number plate, we have a massive range of private number plates available and we’re a registered number plate supplier with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency.
With DVLA personalised registrations to suit every budget and plenty of finance options, too, we're a leading UK number plate supplier and provide all formats when it comes to car registrations. We also take all kinds of secure payments such as debit cards and credit cards, and ensure a smooth checkout process every time.
Our team of experts are known for providing an excellent service to our customers, and all of our private number plates are road legal, adhere to British standards, and we’re registered with the Financial Conduct Authority for all car number plates we have for sale.
Browse our DVLA number plates at this link, and for answers to common questions about personalised plates, visit our reg plates FAQs page here.
Last updated: Monday 22nd July 2024
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