So you’ve decided to buy a private plate for your vehicle. Perhaps you want to buy a private plate to commemorate a family member’s service in the armed forces, or maybe you want to buy one to remember your youth. Whatever your reason, buying your own private number plate is not a difficult task, though it does require a small amount of research into your options. You can find all kinds of information on the Internet, including how to buy from plate dealers and even auction websites. You’ll also need to decide what kind of private number plate you want to buy.

Personalisation Options
If you’re new to private number plates, it’s best to think about which type of personalisation you’d like. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to speak to a professional car registration adviser who will be able to help you assess your options and advise you on whether or not it would be a good idea to opt for a full number plate, with both your name and number and possibly your image placed on the plate. Buying online can save you time and money, but if you aren’t sure exactly what you want, it’s worth talking through your options with a car registration adviser before you buy private plates.
When you have a list of personalisation options that you’re interested in, you’ll need to think about the cost of each. Private plates can either be purchased as individuals, meaning that you’re just paying for the number and not the name, or you can purchase a specialised category such as UK Number Plate Dealers. Category number plates can be specific to certain industries, for example GPRS/GPS equipment, or they can be general-purpose and designed to fit any car registration number. In the UK, car registration numbers are assigned in order of their letter positions, so if you’re interested in a private plate that features letters starting with A through Z, you’ll be looking at an allocation of nine numbers.
Buying Private Plates
Once you’ve had a chance to think about what your options are, you should choose the plate you wish to purchase. There are many options available, including popular numbers and some of the less popular names. If you’re aiming for something more personal, you may consider something like a monogram or nickname, but these options can be expensive. The number of letters in your registration number can also play a role in the price of your plate. Some companies allocate a fixed fee per letter, while others base their fees on the popularity of the number. If you want to find out exactly how much it’s going to cost, you can usually ask the company for a quote, although it’s not always clear on this.

Finalising Your Purchase
Once you’ve decided on the plate you want, it’s time to think about the format in which you wish to register it. Most companies will allow you to buy a private number with a ‘RS number’ – this stands for registered security number. However, if you would like to make a different type of plate, such as a private use number, you will need to buy a private use car registration number. Buying a private number from a company that offers plates in this format is generally cheaper than buying a private number from a car registration garage. Even so, remember that it isn’t compulsory to buy a private number, so if you don’t have a need for one, there’s no reason to go ahead and buy a private car registration plate.

Finally, before you buy a private plate, you will probably need to get a replacement plate with a certain prefix to your car registration, especially if the current registration number is invalid. This rule applies whether you buy a private use plate. Some car registration garages will sell registration numbers with prefixes that you don’t need, so you might end up paying more for your new registration number.