Your cart is currently empty!
Private number plates can be bought and fitted to DVLA-registered vehicles. Certain styles, such as the Northern Ireland format, can help mask a vehicle’s age. People often use these plates to display their name, initials, hobbies, interests.
You can buy new numbers from DVLA Personalised Registrations.
Buying at DVLA auctions
DVLA holds 9 auctions a year. They are held online and run for 7 days.
Visit DVLA auctions to:
- check the dates of upcoming auctions
- register as a bidder
- see what plates are for sale
You’ll get a V750 certificate of entitlement once you’ve paid for the private (personalised) number. This is to prove that you have the right to put the number on a vehicle.
Buying from a private dealer or person
You can buy a private number from a dealer or from another person.
Most dealers will transfer the number to your vehicle for you. If you want to keep or assign the number yourself, ask the dealer if you can have the V750 or V778.
Rules for number plates
The number plates on your vehicle must:
Be made from a reflective material
Display black characters on a white background (front plate)
Display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
Not have a background pattern
Be marked to show who supplied the number plate
be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
What Your number plates can have
have 3D (raised) characters
display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle Rules for number plates
The number plates on your vehicle must:
Legal Requirements
be made from a reflective material
display black characters on a white background (front plate)
display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
Not have a background pattern
Be marked to show who supplied the number plate
Be marked with a British Standard number – this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021
The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
Your number plates can also:
have 3D (raised) characters
display certain flags, symbols and identifiers
display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle
When you buy a personalised (private) registration
number, you buy the right to apply to put it on a vehicle
registered in your name or someone else’s name (the
nominee). When you sell a vehicle, the registration
number will stay with the vehicle unless you apply to take it off and put it on another vehicle or on to a retention certificate (V778). For more information go to
www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers