Buying Your Own Private Number Plate

A modified car is any car that has been upgraded to enhance its looks or performance. Popular modifications to cars include replacing the standard factory fitted wheels with alloy wheels. If you want to go further you can add a fibreglass body kit to improve aesthetics or even have the car resprayed a different colour. Alternatively, you could get a private number plate.

The first number plate issued in the UK (A 1) was sold in 1903. At the turn of the 20th century it only cost a small registration fee but if the A 1 plate was ever to be sold today it is estimated that it could make over £1 million. Today, private number plates (known also as personalised number plates) are more popular than ever and are a good way of getting your car to say something about you. It is possible to find private number plates with anything from your initials to your favourite colour. There are several things to think about when buying a private plate.

The most important thing to confirm when buying a private plate is that is genuine and legal. It will need a V750 Certificate of Entitlement or a V778 Retention Document (DVLA documents) to be road legal. When buying the plate, for it to be transferred to your vehicle you need to fill in the DVLA`s V317 form. To find your local office, go to www.DVLA.gov.uk.

Now comes the time to choose your plate. Many websites, for example www.nationalnumbers.co.uk, have a facility where you can type in your initials and view plates that correspond. This can make choosing your private plate very simple. You can also choose a plate which matches your car. Maybe you have a car that is bright red. If this is the case, you can find a plate which celebrates this. Typing "red" into one of the search engines on a private number plate site brings up plates for sale such as "X200 RED" for £439. You can also find plates that show how much you love the car itself. If you own a Mini you can find plates such as "M10 YNY" for under £200. Plates which simply spell out MINI can be located but could cost you up to £50,000.

It`s worth remembering that cheaper plates have a letter prefix which adheres to the year your car was manufactured. You cannot buy a private plate to make your car appear newer than it is. Therefore if you wanted X200 RED for your M-reg car, it wouldn`t be possible. If you want your initials on the plate then it is easier as the prefix and numbers will make up the beginning of the registration and your initials e.g HPS will be at the end.

If you fancy a private number plate or you are considering buying a car, there are plenty of online resources providing both listings and advice. From cheap car sales specialists through to premium dealers, almost everyone in the industry is online.