Find out how much your private number plate is worth

SURPRISE VALUE PRIVATE number plates are a popular way to personalise your vehicle. From how much your private number plate could be worth to the plates banned by the DVLA – here’s everything you need to know. 1 Private number plates are a popular way to personalise your vehicle Credit: Alamy How much is my private number plate worth? If you’re wondering how much your private number plate is worth – the good news is there’s a way to find out. To work out the value of your number plate,  The Guide to the Value of Car Registrations in the UK  uses a series of tables and star ratings to calculate the value of almost every combination there is. The most expensive number plates typically have very few characters and/or represent rare and exotic cars . In fact, it’s not uncommon for a private plate to be worth more than the car it’s attached to. Here we take a look at some of most expensive licence plates ever sold in Britain. How to sell a private number plate According to the DVLA , you can sell or give a private (personalised) number plate to another person – however, the number must be assigned to their vehicle before they can use it. You can use a private number dealer or sell your number yourself. If you choose to use a private number dealer, most will find a buyer, arrange payment and transfer the number to the buyer’s vehicle. If you have made the decision to sell your private number plate yourself, you will need to find a buyer and assign your number to their vehicle. Motorists looking to assign their private number to someone else are advised to follow the steps provided on the DVLA website. It is also important to note that if you’re selling your private number online, do not share a scan or photograph of the V750 or V778 document, as someone other than the buyer might use it to put the private number on another vehicle. What to do when you buy a private number plate If you’re looking to buy a private number plate there are a number of ways to do so. You can buy new numbers from DVLA Personalised Registrations and DVLA auctions. There are auctions across the country approximately five times a year – where you can bid in person, by phone, in writing or online. Alternatively, you can buy a private number from a dealer or from another person. Most dealers will transfer the number to your vehicle for you. If you want to keep or assign the number yourself, the DVLA recommends asking the dealer if you can have the V750 or V778. Once you’ve bought and paid for a private number, you will receive a V750 certificate of entitlement – this is to prove that you have the right to put the number on a vehicle. What number plates are banned by the DVLA? In 2023, a new list of banned number plates was revealed – with the DVLA having binned more than 200 number combinations which use the numbers 7 and 3. Number plates are screened by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, with those believed to “cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste” denied. Anything to do with violence, sex or discrimination is automatically banned. Some motors are using the popular combinations AN73 AND HA73 – believed to mean ‘anti’ and ‘hate’ respectively – to print unsavoury messages,  Carwow reported . Examples of these include AN73 USA and HA73 HRH. Other plates have used the numbers to print disgusting slurs, including EA73 P**, B*** END, and A*** HOL. TE73OR and TH73EAT have also been binned by the DVLA. Paul Barker, Carwow’s managing editor, said: “As well as being big business for the Treasury, personal number plates are a bit of fun for many drivers in the UK, and this list shows where the line is in terms of plate humour . “You might think it’s BU73 SHT, but you wouldn’t be allowed to have that as your car number plate.” In 2022, registrations referring to Covid-19 , such as CO22 ONA were banned, as well as BA22 TRD, when the ’22’ plate came out in March that year. Example number plates and their values While specific plates may vary slightly, the following combinations generally fall into these price categories: While specific plates may vary slightly, the following combinations generally fall into these price categories: New style registrations £150-£4,999: e.g. NA51 USA – £350 Triple letter combinations with suffix year letters £199-£6,999: e.g. SUE 694R – £1,599 Triple letter combinations with prefix year letters £199-£6,599: e.g. G4 ABC – £1,099 Triple letter suffix combinations without year letters £499-£60,000: e.g. 4 JGM – £6,999 Triple letter prefix combinations without year letters £699-£75,000: e.g. BPS 2 – £8,599 Double letter suffix combinations £699-£150,000: e.g. 6 WO – £30,999 Double letter prefix combinations £799-£200,000: e.g. VN 442 – £2,199 Single letter suffix combinations £1,599-£500,000: e.g. 4763 C – £3,999 Single letter suffix combinations £1,799-£600,000: e.g. A 247 – £15,599