What Are Private Number Plates?
Private number plates — also known as personalised number plates, cherished registrations, or private registrations — allow you to choose the registration number displayed on your vehicle rather than accepting the one automatically assigned by the DVLA. They are one of the most popular ways to personalise a car in the UK, and over a million are bought and sold every year.
A private plate can spell a name, a word, your initials, your profession, or anything else meaningful to you. They range from budget current-style plates starting at £69 to investment-grade dateless combinations worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Whatever your budget, New Reg has over 72 million options to search.
Why Buy from New Reg?
New Reg was established in 1990 and in 1996 became the first company in the UK to sell private number plates online — before the DVLA, before Regtransfers, before anyone. Over 30 years later, we remain one of the most trusted names in the industry.
Every purchase comes with:
- checkPrice match guarantee — we'll match any like-for-like price
- checkFree DVLA transfer — our expert team handles all the paperwork
- check0% finance available — spread the cost with no interest
- checkFCA regulated — No. 626225, fully authorised and regulated
- checkDVLA recognised reseller — listed on the DVLA Personalised Registrations website
- checkCNDA member — operating under a strict industry code of practice
Types of Private Number Plate
UK private plates fall into four main formats, each with distinct characteristics:
Dateless plates are the most sought-after — they carry no year identifier and can be assigned to any vehicle regardless of age, making them ideal for hiding a car's age. They are also the most likely to appreciate in value over time.
Prefix and suffix plates are popular for personalisation because they place meaningful letter combinations prominently — three letters at the start of a prefix plate or three letters at the start of a suffix plate.
Current-style plates are the most affordable and the most recently issued by the DVLA. If your budget is tight, these offer the widest choice at the lowest price points.
Irish (NI) plates always contain an I or Z and carry no year identifier — making them another dateless option that can go on any UK vehicle. They are often available at lower prices than equivalent English dateless plates.
