About DVLA online selling and the DVLA auctions for getting a personalised number plate

When it comes to getting a personalised number plates, then it’s essential to know a few things before you get started. Let’s serve you with some knowledge on obtaining and dealing with personalised licence plates in the UK.

In the United Kingdom all number plate related transactions, registration, paperwork are tasks done by the DVLA (Driving and Vehicle Licencing Agency). If you want to learn about the current regulations about number plates then we also advise you to check out the website of DVLA that’s accessible through the governmental website only (gov.uk).

While there are several countries where personalized licence plates are widely available, even when they are made up or feature names, nicknames, special codes or numbers, in the UK, there are regulations related to that.

If you want to make up your own totally personalized number plate you have the following chances:

• you check out the DVLA online auction site to see if the combination you are looking for was ever made by anyone
• You go to a licenced dealer’s website to see if the combination you are looking for is featured in their database. Larger dealers hold over 42 million combinations, which makes it highly likely that the combo you are looking for will be featured already on one of them.
• You cannot make a vehicle look younger than it is. This means that the use of prefixes are limited ( you must be familiar with the current regulations and the prefixes per year to make sure you won’t want to make your vehicle look younger)
• You won’t be able to totally make up a personalised number plate: this means, if you type in a variation you are looking for and it doesn’t exist, you won’t be able to make up one. This means that you can choose out of certain given combinations, mostly out of licence plates which were issued in the past. This is to avoid any car selling scams and ways for people to not pay vehicle tax. This way, people only have a limited choice when it comes to finding personalised licence plates.
• You can’t choose a number starting with ‘Q’ or ‘NIQ’.
• You can start your search and gather general information on the prices and availability of any given licence plate, part of a combination or the exact combination you are looking for and see what possibilities there are for you to lay your hands on one of these. If you find a combination you want to purchase, you can either purchase it straight online from a licenced dealer or you can also wait until the specific number plate is auctioned and if you are lucky, you can get it for less than half of its original price!

If it’s your first trip in the world of personalised licence plates, we must warn you: this is a serious business where often big money is at stake. Sometimes personalised number plates may cost way more than a car would. Check with DVLA for more information.