How much is a private reg?
The cost of private registrations varies greatly depending on a number of factors, but at Plates4less we do our best to always provide excellent value and the lowest prices.
We sell cover-plates which are low cost, attractive registration marks that can hide the age of your vehicle, right the way through to highly desirable, low digit, dateless plates and registration marks which exactly spell names, which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Because you are not able to create your own registration marks, due to government guidelines, you are limited as to what you can have on your number plate. While it is true that a private registration mark is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, the asking prices are ultimately determined by the seller (either private sellers or government agencies) based on their value of the registration mark. It is often possible to make an offer for a registration mark; however, this is not always the case.
Below we explain some of the factors that affect private registration prices.
Style of registration
There are five different styles of private registrations. As well as the current style, you have suffix, prefix, dateless, and Northern Ireland styles, each style coming with its own advantages. Prices vary between them.
Private registration age and character length
Older private registrations are usually more expensive than newer ones because they can be used across a wider range of vehicles (the DVLA won’t allow vehicles to display registrations that are too new for its age). Similarly, because they are often more visually appealing and memorable, plates featuring only a few characters tend to attract a higher price.
![car with private reg P184 LES]( "Private reg plate P184 LES")
Buying your Private Reg through Plates4less
We endeavour to be transparent in the way we explain our prices, breaking them down so that you can understand the complex product you are buying. You can choose to view the prices listed on the website in two different ways. All results generated will automatically display the “base price”, which is the cost of the registration before any government charges, this is an industry standard.
We have added a unique price toggle to our website, which will allow you to view the total cost of a registration inclusive of VAT and the government transfer fee of £80. Simply select that you wish to include government charges in your results.
Please note: Regardless of how you wish to view the prices of registrations in your search results, a full breakdown of the costs is always presented before you place an order or enquiry with us.
Does the registration spell a name or word?
Registration marks that spell names and words exactly can cost hundreds of thousands because they are highly desirable and therefore more valuable. If you don’t mind shortening your name (or even including letters from your surname), finding an inexpensive plate for your name couldn’t be easier.
Private number plates as Investments
Private registration plates can make fantastic low maintenance investments, with the value often increasing as time goes by. Consider desirability and supply factors when choosing your investment.
Elements which are included in your price breakdown
Base price
The base price is the cost of registration mark. This does not include VAT or government fees. This is mostly determined by the seller’s asking price. It is an industry standard to display the base price only on search pages; however, our toggle button allows you to include the government charges if you wish.
Government fees
To register a private reg to a vehicle you will have to pay a standard government fee of £80, plus VAT on the base price. While some sites will hide these costs until checkout, at Plates4less we provide a toggle button (explained above) that allows you to include such fees in the cost of each registration right from the start.
Extras
If you’re buying the registration for someone else, you can add a beautifully presented gift certificate to your order to mark the occasion. (You can even get next day delivery, should you have left things to the last minute...)
Physical number plates will not automatically be added to your order (unless you’ve opted to pay with finance) as not everybody wants to assign their new registration right away. If you do want plates added, simply tick the appropriate box or inform our sales team. A typical price for a pair of vehicle plates is between twenty and thirty pounds, depending on the size required.
Whatever your budget, Plates4less can help you to find your perfect registration mark. Our industry-leading search tools make searching our website easy. Our unique system generates all the private reg searches possible, based on your input, then checks our database of over 50 million plates for suitable matches.
The Smart Search system does all the work so you don't have to! If you don't find anything you really like, simply complete a short enquiry form and one of our expert personnel will do the searching for you.
