Private number plate ideas
Private number plate ideas begin with choosing the message: your initials, a meaningful year, a word, or a name. The list covers words that appear on plates, with real all-in prices for every one.
Words that appear on plates
An all-in price includes VAT, the plate itself and the DVLA assignment fee of £80. The list stays sorted from the cheapest option upward, and it never changes. Buying through a link may earn us a fee (commission disclosure).
Ideas built around names and initials
The most common choice is a name. Names of three letters, for instance SAM or AMY, suit the final group on a current-style plate, and that lowers the price. For the names we track, see number plates with names.
Initials are a good choice as well. For a clean look, two or three letters plus a short number rank among the best private reg plates, and a dateless 1 AB style plate is one example. Short dateless plates cost the most, though.
Birth years and words
Often a hobby, a business or a word is spelled out on cool private number plates. A number can do the work of a letter: 4 reads as A, and 5 reads as S. Pick a plate whose issued spacing and font make the word read well, because you cannot alter either one to force the word.
A dateless plate can carry a birth year or anniversary, for example four digits with a letter. The number on a current-style plate serves as the age identifier and must be no newer than your car. No plate can make a car seem newer than its real age.
Before you buy, check
See how your private plate ideas look by trying them in the Number Plate Maker. Next, look through the DVLA banned number plates page. DVLA holds back combinations it considers offensive or inappropriate, so some of the cool number plate ideas are never sold. Use plate search to look up the plate you like and see what every seller is charging.