DVLA number plates: buying direct compared with dealers
Through DVLA Personalised Registrations, DVLA number plates are available at a fixed price or through an auction. VAT and the £80 assignment fee are already included in the fixed prices. A dealer's all-in price is something you can compare them with directly.
Only registrations never issued for a vehicle are sold by DVLA. Dealers and private owners are the sellers of numbers that have already been on a vehicle. With DVLA custom plates, inventing the letters is not possible; your choice is the numbers on sale at that moment. In our search tool, DVLA's stock appears next to what each dealer charges.
What the DVLA prices include
Every fixed price on the DVLA Personalised Registrations site includes VAT plus the £80 DVLA assignment fee. The listed price is what you pay for the right to the number.
Physical plates are not part of that price. DVLA does not supply the plates, so you buy them separately from a registered number plate supplier. When you pay for a number, you get a V750 certificate of entitlement. It shows your right to use that number on a vehicle. The V750 certificate guide explains what to do with it.
DVLA personalised number plates: some other details
- DVLA does not accept offers. The price shown is final.
- DVLA offers no finance or instalments. Payment of the full amount is required.
- You can cancel within 14 days. After that, DVLA will not cancel the sale, but you may still apply for a refund of the £80 assignment fee.
DVLA or a dealer: the same plate priced differently
The same registration can appear at once on DVLA's site and on several dealer sites. Dealers set their own prices, and some of those quotes exclude VAT, the £80 fee, or both charges. Once those charges are added, a cheaper headline price from a dealer can still cost more than DVLA's.
That is why we combine every price into a single all-in figure. After that, we order the figures so the cheapest comes first. Most dealer plates have no DVLA sale at all. Our check found DVLA cheaper than every dealer for every plate both listed.
Not everything dealers offer can be bought from DVLA. Most dealers will handle the transfer of the number to your car. Some of them also offer finance for private plates. Dealers sell the older numbers that DVLA cannot, including cherished plates issued before and also dateless number plates. You can see them side by side on our private plate dealers page.
DVLA auctions
DVLA also sells numbers through timed online auctions. According to GOV.UK, DVLA runs 9 auctions every year, and each one runs for 7 days. Reserve prices begin at £130.
Fixed pricing and auction pricing work in different ways. What you pay includes more than the winning bid. Other charges apply too: VAT, a 3% buyer's premium (VAT added on top), plus the £80 assignment fee. Read our DVLA number plate auction guide to learn how to bid, and check DVLA auction results for sale prices.
DVLA fees to pay
The DVLA private reg fees here come from GOV.UK, and they do not depend on which seller you use.
| What you do | DVLA fee |
|---|---|
| Buy a registration (assignment fee) | £80, already in DVLA's prices |
| Put a number you hold on a vehicle | Free |
| Take a private number off a vehicle | £80 |
| Renew a V750 or V778 (valid 10 years) | Free |
| Get a new V5C replaced if you fail to chase it within the first 6 weeks. | £25 |
Official details are set out in GOV.UK's guide on personalised vehicle registration. Read retain a number plate for guidance on keeping a number off a car.
Common questions
Are DVLA number plates cheaper than dealers?
Yes, in our check, for every plate that DVLA and a dealer both listed. A dealer margin is not added on top; DVLA's fixed prices cover VAT plus the £80 fee. Most dealer stock is not sold by DVLA. Compare what each dealer charges in total for those plates.
Can I pay for DVLA personalised plates monthly?
No. Finance is not available from DVLA. or payment instalments. You must pay the full amount. Finance is available from some dealers when your status qualifies.
Are cherished plates available to buy from DVLA?
DVLA sells registrations only when they have never been issued. Older registrations that previously appeared on vehicles are sold by dealers and private owners.
Does DVLA send you physical number plates?
No. Registered number plate suppliers sell the plates separately, and they ask for proof that you are entitled to the number, for example the V750.
Can I make an offer on a DVLA private reg?
No. DVLA does not take offers on registrations priced at a fixed price.