What I Wish I Knew About DVLA Number Plates One Year Ago
There is a lot of information out there about DVLA number plates. The only problem is that most of this information is not true. In fact, the options about personalized number plates are so varied that it is very difficult to determine what is true. Here are some of the things I wish I knew about number plates just a few years ago – as brought to light by Plateman Show Plates
- Registration Numbers Can’t
be Rearranged
Most people seem to think that you can just
rearrange registration numbers to arrive at a certain word or phrase. This
notion couldn’t be further from the truth. The
DVLA has very strict rules regarding the appearance of number plates and
how the numbers and letters that make up the plate can be arranged. If you
change the arrangement of the registration numbers to can be fined up to £1000 and your car will fail the MOT if you drive with the rearranged
number plate.
- Buying Private Plates
You may have seen a lot of places that
claim to sell personalized number plates, but only a fraction of these can
actually sell you legal, personalized plates. When buying or even selling
personalized number plates, it is advisable to use one of these companies,
simply because they can make the whole process easier. But you want to make
sure that you’re choosing a reputable service that can actually deliver on its
promises.
- You Can’t Get a Specific
Number Plate
Just because you are buying a personalized
number plate doesn’t mean that you can get just any specific number. You might
not be able to get your desired number even if the plate has never been issue.
This is because some marks may never be issues since the DVLA considers them
offensive. So it is highly unlikely that you’ll get the number you want.
- If your Car is stolen, you
can get your Number Plate Back
But this only works if your car has been
stolen and not been recovered after a year. In this case, you can apply to have
the registration number applied to your new car. But even this provision is
contingent on the fact that you reported the car’s theft to the police at the
time it was stolen and that you insurance company has written a letter to the
DVLA stating they have no problem with the re-issuance of the number plate.
Once these two conditions have been met, you can then write a letter to the
DVLA making your request. The letter should include your name, address and car
registration.
