At National Numbers, we're experts when it comes to private number plates, and so we should be considering we've been in the private registration number game for over 40 years.
This experience means that we know all there is to know about personalised number plates, whether it's how to adhere to British standards and pass an MOT with your private number plates, where to order physical registration plate acrylics, the ins and outs of the DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency) transfer process, and more.
Today, however, we're talking about the nitty gritty of physical car registrations, and answering one of our most common FAQs - how to fit them to your vehicle legally and securely. So, in this blog, we'll talk you through the most popular vehicle registration fixings, how to secure a new registration to your vehicle, and explore the nuts and bolts (and sticky pads) of fitting private registration plates to your vehicle.
Let's kick things off with an extremely popular way of fixing your private number plates to your car - sticky pads.
Sticky Pads for DVLA Personalised Number Plates
As well as being the most popular, sticky pads are known for being the quickest method for registration plate adhesion because they don't require any drilling or vehicle modification. Instead, you use a set of double sided, strong adhesive pads to stick the reg plates onto the vehicle and you're good to go.
Be warned, however, that once your registration plates are affixed with sticky pads, they won't come off very easily. This makes it of paramount importance that your private number plates are properly aligned before fixing them to the vehicle.
Sticky pads for car number plates come in two forms, double-sided white pads or thinner, clear double-sided silicon. Both work the same way and it's all about personal preference when you're making a decision.
Screws
Next up we have the most traditional way to attach a private number plate to your car - screwing it to the frame of the vehicle, or using nylon nuts and bolts. You can, in theory, do this with any screw on the market, but plastic nut and bolt combinations are recommended to avoid cracking of the physical acrylic plates.
One disadvantage of vehicle registration screws is that they show quite distinctively on the surface of the number plate background, and can therefore alter the appearance of the digits and overall registration mark. A common way around this is by using yellow and white number plate fixing caps that go on top of the screws and cover them, acting as a kind of private number plate camouflage and blending the screws into the background.
These number plate caps also deter tampering, which is pretty handy and can help against number plate theft. Which brings us neatly onto our next number plate fixing.
Tamper Proof Number Plate Screws
Traditional screws have unfortunately become targeted by number plate thieves in recent years, with stolen number plates being used to disguise vehicles and make them difficult to identify.
Due to a rise in this sort of crime, tamper proof screws have become a popular and recommended way to attach a number plate to your car, and police forces across the country have even started running schemes to fit tamper proof screws free of charge to drivers and vehicle owners.
Tamper proof screws come in a few forms, from Allen-head tops to screws that can only be turned one direction, and they do exactly what they say on the tin, prevent tampering.
Other Registration Plate Fixings
Other methods are available if you want to secure a registration plate to your vehicle, but they might only be used for specific niche purposes.
For example, number plate brackets are becoming quite popular with motorists, especially those who might change their number plate often or have show plates fitted to vehicles that aren't on the roads. Some brackets allow you to simply slide a number plate in and out, which is ideal for people who aren't worried about number plate theft thanks to owning a secure personal garage where they show off their car collection.
Surrounds, also known as lipped brackets, are another number plate fitting, and they frame the number plate all the way around in a much more secure way than standard number plate brackets. They also have the added benefit of being customisable without interfering with number plate display laws, but they are much fiddlier than regular brackets.
Where To Buy Physical, DVLA Approved Acrylic Plates
With number plate fixings covered, let's talk a little bit about buying DVLA personalised registrations.
The first thing to be aware of is that car number plates need to be road legal, which means adhering to certain British standards set by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). These include rules around spacing, making sure your DVLA number plates match the age of your vehicle if they include an age identifier, and ensuring your name is on the certificate of entitlement.
If you fall short in any of these areas, it can be the difference between your registration mark passing or failing a car's MOT, and you could even have your number plates taken away from you by the police.
When it comes to physical acrylics and finding the perfect plate, you need a company who's been in the personalised plates game for a long time, and one that provides an excellent service from start to finish. That's why we use Jepson's & Co Ltd to supply our customers with a quality set of new number plates, because they're the oldest supplier of private number plates in the country and are respected around the UK for their excellent service, quality workmanship, and perfectly crafted DVLA personalised registrations.
You can add acrylic plates onto your purchase when you buy number plates with National Numbers, just follow the checkout process and the option will present itself.
Buy Registration Number Plates from a Leading Number Plate Supplier and Recognised Reseller of DVLA Registrations
At National Numbers, our team of experts are here to guide you through every step of the registration plate buying process. We have every kind of DVLA private plate available, from prefix number plates to suffix registration marks, dateless number plates and car registrations from Northern Ireland, AKA Northern Irish personalised plates from government stock.
Offering a simple checkout process with secure payments including credit and debit cards, a range of finance options for almost every car registration, and everything covered by the Financial Conduct Authority, we also offer help with all aspects of the private number plate transfer process which includes aspects like transfer fees, retention documents and everything in between.
Browse our huge range of private plates here.
We also help you sell your registration number if you'd like, and provide a valuation service for private number plates here.
