Give the gift of a private plate

Prices vary. In the UK, personalised number plates start from under £200, and can rise to hundreds of thousands of pounds depending on how short, rare, or in-demand the letters and numbers are. If you’re browsing registration plates for sale, the quickest way to stay on budget is to start with a price range, and then refine by format and characters.

At National Numbers, there’s a huge spread of private plates from affordable options to in-demand, exclusive registration plates.

Prices mainly come down to scarcity and demand how rare the combination is and how many people want something similar. Plates tend to cost more when they’re short and clean, easy to read, work for common initials/names or don’t show a year identifier (dateless-style).

Some niche plates can also be expensive if they’re rare and strongly match a specific name, brand or high-demand idea, which is why prices vary so much across personalised number plates.

When you purchase a private number plate from National Numbers, the DVLA transfer fee is included in the price. This means you can register the number plate to a suitable vehicle at your convenience at no further cost. This can usually be done online, or we can assign it on your behalf.

You can use our online, FREE, no obligation number plate valuation system and we'll tell you instantly how much we think your number plate is worth.

Value My Number Plate

The value of a private registration can vary considerably depending on factors such as its format, length, rarity, readability, buyer demand and how closely it matches a name, word, initials or meaningful number.

Shorter dateless registrations, clear names and initials, memorable number combinations and plates with a wider pool of potential buyers can often command stronger prices. Similar registrations already available for sale and recent comparable sales can also influence the valuation.

For a deeper explanation of the factors used when assessing a registration, read our guide to how number plates are valued.

Changing your private number plate is a two-step process.

1. Take your current registration off. Apply to the DVLA online, or by post with a V317 form. The registration moves onto a V778 retention document, valid for 10 years, so you keep the right to use it later. Your vehicle gets a new V5C with a replacement age-related registration.

2. Assign your new plate. Use the V750 or V778 for your new registration to assign it to your vehicle online through the DVLA. If you bought the plate from National Numbers, the DVLA transfer fee is included and we can do this for you.

Once your new V5C arrives, order your new plates from a registered number plate supplier and let your insurer know.

You can also read our guide on transferring a private number plate for the full breakdown.

No. Ghost plates – sometimes called stealth plates – use coatings, films or special materials to stop speed and ANPR cameras reading the registration. They're illegal on UK roads.

Driving with incorrectly displayed number plates can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and an MOT failure, and the DVLA can withdraw a registration that's displayed illegally – so you could lose your private plate altogether.

To stay legal, keep your plates clean and easy to read, and buy them from a registered number plate supplier, made to the BS AU 145e standard.

No. Private number plates should not affect your insurance premium. You are required by law to display a registration mark on your vehicle, and a private plate is not considered a vehicle modification, so your insurer should not change your premium as a result.

However, your insurer may charge an admin fee for updating their records when you report the registration change. This is entirely at the discretion of your insurer.

We usually recommend that you challenge any admin fee, as the change is trivial and you are not modifying your policy or vehicle in any way. Insurance admin fees must be considered 'reasonable' and you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you feel this is not the case.

You are legally obliged to inform your insurer of a registration change. Failing to do so may invalidate your policy.