Questions Answered

In addition to selling thousands of our own stock items we also hold public commissions and the stock and commissions of many other dealers throughout the UK. Occasionally, records are miss-typed and appear as an alternative combination that is in fact not for sale. Also, there are circumstances where a recently acquired mark is still on our database due to the fact that the donor has failed to advise us of the sale and subsequent non-availability. If you have recently noted that your mark is listed and wish to provide us with further information or wish us to remove it from the website, please send an email to errors@newreg.com and specify the registration mark with the validation character for confirmation.

Number plates (also known as licence plates) should show your vehicle registration number correctly. You can’t rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they are hard to read. You could be fined up to £1,000 and your car will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.

Registration numbers are not items of property in their own right. They are assigned, and may be withdrawn, by the Secretary of State as part of the basic registration and licensing process which is required by law. The registration number is a unique means of identifying a vehicle, primarily for taxation and law enforcement purposes. It is assigned to the vehicle, rather than its keeper, and unless it is transferred or retained the registration number normally remains with the vehicle until it is broken up, destroyed or sent permanently out of the country.

An individual acquires entitlement to a registration number when he or she becomes the registered keeper of the vehicle which carries the number. When the vehicle changes hands, entitlement to its registration number will automatically pass with the vehicle to the new keeper unless use is made of the special facilities which have been designed to allow motorists to acquire and retain particular registration numbers. Namely, the Cherished Transfer, Retention and Sale of Marks schemes.

Right here! www.newreg.com

Registration numbers are not items of property so you cannot buy legal title to them. What you pay for is the assignment right to the particular number. The sale involves a legally binding contract between the Secretary of State and the purchaser for an agreed price. The purchaser is granted the right to assign the number to a vehicle registered in his/her own name, or that of his/her nominee where applicable, within a 10 year period. The assignment right is granted to the purchaser alone and it is non-transferable - the nominee has no rights to the number.

In addition to the agreed sale price, an assignment fee (currently £80.00) is payable at the time of purchase. Buyers are issued with a V750 Certificate of Entitlement, valid for 10 years, which records details of the registration number, the purchaser and nominee details that where supplied at the time of purchase.

The DVLA documents explain what you need to do when you are ready to have the number assigned. Numbers can only be assigned to vehicles which are subject to testing and are currently licensed or are being licensed at the time of assignment.

REMEMBER: A nominee has no rights under the sales agreement - the assignment right is granted to the purchaser only and cannot be transferred.

Only the purchaser can apply to have the number assigned, and it can only be assigned to a vehicle registered to the purchaser, or to the nominee shown on the Certificate of Entitlement.

Once you have assigned the number to your, or your nominee's, vehicle you have fully exercised your rights under the terms of your contract with the Secretary of State. After assignment, entitlement to the number comes through being the keeper of the vehicle which has received it.

Please note that if the number is being assigned to a vehicle which is already registered, its existing number will become void unless an application to transfer or retain that number is made at the same time.

In short there are no guarantees of getting any registration number issued that does not exist. Some marks are not issued because they are considered offensive, others just never made it to issue.

Entitlement to a number is effectively the right of the registered keeper of a vehicle to apply to have the number transferred to another vehicle (either his own or someone else's). The keeper is also entitled to apply to have the number of his vehicle put on retention, that is to say take the number off the vehicle and put it on hold pending re-assignment to another vehicle. It is important to note that the keeper may apply, but the application will only be granted if all the conditions relating to the retention and transfer facilities are satisfied. You can help to safeguard your entitlement, therefore, by ensuring that your vehicle is able to meet these conditions.

If you no longer have the vehicle which properly displays the number (i.e. it is in someone else's keepership or has been scrapped, broken up, destroyed or exported) then your entitlement to the number ceases.

If your vehicle is stolen and has not been recovered after a year you can apply to have its registration mark re-assigned to your replacement vehicle providing certain conditions are met:
you must have told the police.

The theft must have been on DVLA records for at least 12 months (the police should tell DVLA for you) but for no more than 3 years.

the vehicle must have had a valid MOT certificate when it was stolen.

the vehicle must have had up to date vehicle tax when it was stolen.

your insurers must provide a letter for DVLA saying they are happy with the number being re-issued.

You must then write a letter to DVLA Personalised Registrations including your name, address and the vehicle registration number.

A write-off happens when a damaged vehicle is judged by insurers to be beyond economic repair. In such a case, the insurance company agrees a pay-out with the insured, and legal ownership of the vehicle then passes to the insurance company. The company is then free to sell the vehicle as salvage and the purchaser may repair it and put it back on the road.

Scrapping occurs when a vehicle, whether an insurance write-off or not, is broken up for spares or otherwise destroyed. Once a vehicle ceases to exist its registration number is cancelled.

If your vehicle has been scrapped, you will not be able to transfer its registration number.

The person who actually breaks up or destroys the vehicle must notify the governing bodies that the vehicle has been scrapped and return the V5C to the DVLA.

No, all motorcycles (including mopeds) can participate freely, provided the normal requirements of the number transfer facility are met.

IMPORTANT : There is no obligation on the DVLA or New Reg to send you a reminder. It is your responsibility to know when your rights are due to expire and it is up to you to either assign the number or apply for an extension before this happens. Your rights will be lost if you act too late.

These details can be added to or changed later for an administration charge of £80.00 payable to New Reg. Certificate of Entitlements and Retention Certificates MUST have a minimum of 30 days left prior to the expiry date.

You do not have to assign the number if you do not wish to; you can simply allow your assignment / retention rights to expire. You need take no further action unless you paid the (£80.00) assignment fee when you acquired the rights; in this case you can apply to DVLA for a refund of this fee - your Certificate of Entitlement or Retention Document tells you how.

You are legally obliged to notify the governing bodies if you are taking your vehicle abroad for more than 12 months. More information on this can be found at www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk/for-12-months-or-more.

It is possible for the vehicle to be registered by the governing bodies but you will not be able to transfer or retain its number.

If you are able to supply documentary evidence (e.g. the old-style log book) to establish a link between the vehicle and the registration number, you should be able to register the vehicle under that number. If you do not have documentary evidence, or you do not know the vehicle's registration number, the vehicle may still be registered but in this case a number appropriate to its age will be assigned by the governing bodies. If the age or origin of the vehicle cannot be established, then the governing bodies may register the vehicle under a ‘Q’ number. Whatever the circumstances, however, the vehicle's registration number will be non-transferable. This arrangement helps to safeguard entitlement by removing the incentive there would otherwise be for spurious claims to attractive old registration numbers.

Vehicles are assigned ‘Q’ prefix registration numbers to draw attention to the fact that their origins or age are uncertain. ‘Q’ numbers are therefore non-transferable and must remain with the vehicle unless documentary evidence which confirms its origins / age comes to light. In this case, the evidence should be sent to the DVLA who may then assign a replacement age-related number to the vehicle.

Although you cannot transfer or retain a non-transferable number, the vehicle can receive a registration number providing the non-transferable number is not a ‘Q’ mark and providing the vehicle meets the normal conditions of the Cherished Transfer, Retention and Sale of Marks schemes.

Yes, providing the donor and recipient vehicles are registered at the DVLA.

Once a vehicle has ceased to exist, entitlement to its number also ceases. Possession of a log book or registration document alone does not give entitlement to a registration number. If a vehicle has been scrapped, you are required by law to notify the Secretary of State and return the registration document to the DVLA.

If the registration is presently owned by a VAT registered company or individual, VAT is added. Registrations sold by us on a commission basis are not subject to VAT.

You can pay using any of the following:

Or, alternatively on Finance provided by Pay4Later Finance.
Cheque (please allow a minimum of 7 working days for clearance), Postal Order or Bankers Draft. Alternatively, you can pay using online banking

The average transfer time is approximately 2-4 weeks. We ensure that every transfer is completed as quickly as possible. However, we cannot commence the transfer until we receive ALL the required documents. We take great care of your documents but cannot accept any responsibility for their safety once forwarded to the DVLA, although, it is extremely rare for documents to be lost.

If you are buying a registration that has never previously been issued or assigned to a vehicle, the transfer usually takes between 3-7 days. This is because no donor vehicle needs inspecting by the DVLA. These registrations are held on a V750 Certificate of Entitlement, carrying New Reg as the 'Purchaser' and our customer as the 'nominee' thus minimising the amount of administration required.
Where the registration has previously been assigned to another vehicle there may be a need for an inspection of the donor vehicle prior to completing the transfer. In order to make a vehicle ready for transfer, the donor vehicle must be taxed and must hold a current MOT certificate. These documents may take a few weeks to reach us from the donor.
In addition to the time required to obtain the above documents, the governing bodies themselves require ample time to process transfer applications.

No. You are only buying the registration mark and the right to transfer it to a vehicle of your choice.

No. Every previously unissued registration mark will need a new pair of number plates; New Reg offer a highly competitive and convenient manufacture and delivery service that must be paid for in addition to the registration mark at the time of purchase. New Reg is registered with the DVLA as a Registered Number Plate Supplier to supply legal number plates.

Unfortunately, transfers are not possible to 'Q' registered vehicles. At present 'Q' prefix registration marks are non-transferable.

Yes. If you are getting a brand new (unregistered) vehicle, ask the dealership if it can be registered with the new registration.
If you are applying to register a vehicle yourself (not through a dealership) include the completed V750 with your application. More information on registering a vehicle can be found at www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration.

No. Every new vehicle is supplied with an appropriate year letter free of charge by the dealership. The only charge made by them is for the acrylic plates and the first registration fee.

Yes. All motorbikes (including mopeds) can participate freely, provided the normal requirements of the number transfer facility are met.

The rule is; you cannot make a vehicle look newer than it actually is by transferring a younger year letter. For example, ABC 8W cannot be transferred to a vehicle originally registered as NDF 715P as this would make it look younger.
The same applies to 'S' prefix registration marks, these can only be assigned to vehicles first registered as new on or after the 1st of August 1998. Vehicle registration marks that do not contain a year identifier may be assigned to a vehicle of any age.
If you purchase a 62 current style registration mark, it can only be assigned to a vehicle first registered as new on or after 1st September 2012.

It's automatically made void, unless you pay the DVLA a fee to retain it. Further information on retaining your old registration mark can be found on our website under Services > Retention Scheme.

There are many reasons why the system of assigning registration marks is so strict. The most obvious reason is that registrations are a method of law enforcement and as such the integrity and clarity of the transfer system must be upheld.

Although you cannot transfer or retain a non-transferable number, the vehicle can receive a registration number providing the non-transferable number is not a Q' mark and providing the vehicle meets the normal conditions of the Cherished Transfer, Retention and Sale of Marks schemes.

You will need to wait for the transfer to be completed. If there is a problem, then you will be notified by the DVLA.

Yes, no problem, this is a double transfer. All we need are the documents from the third vehicle involved and an extra £80.00 (cheque payable to DVLA) along with a V317 application form and our additional administration fee, currently £29.40. If no third vehicle is available, then the registration mark can be retained on a retention certificate in accordance with the governing regulations. The current fee is £80.00 which is to be supplied with a V317 application form and our additional administration fee, currently £29.40. Further information on retaining a registration mark may be found on our website under Services > Retention Scheme.

Not usually. However, if, for example, there has been a change of construction of the vehicle, the authorities may then want to inspect it. You will be notified by the DVLA if this were necessary.

We handle thousands of transfers every year and one of the largest drains to our human resource is handling progress reports. New Reg respectfully request that you avoid telephoning our transfer office unless it is absolutely urgent as this reduces the amount of available time to process your paperwork. Should your telephone call be unavoidable, you may call us on 01772 566402. Please ensure that you have read all correspondence from New Reg before making your call.

Yes. You can pay the outstanding balance by credit card, we just need your written confirmation to debit the outstanding amount from your credit card.

We expect all purchase agreements to be honoured, just as you expect us to honour our terms & conditions. However, we do recognise that situations can change and we'll advertise and re-sell the registration on a reduced commission basis on your behalf but only after payment has been made in full. This arrangement is subject to our commission terms which may be found on our website under Valuations > Valuation Terms & Conditions.

There are no time restrictions and transferring a registration is a simple procedure which may be completed by yourself. Please note that any registration mark purchased from us must not be offered for re-sale until our transaction with you has been finalised.

All acrylic plates are supplied with a protective film used to prevent damage to the plates. This film must be removed before use.

Simply find the New Reg you love, and click buy. When asked to enter the Nominee Name, simply enter the name that is shown on the recipient's V5C document, under 'Registered Vehicle Keeper'.

We can send all documents to you in discreet envelopes. Just tick the 'as a gift' option during the process of buying your New Reg.

Yes! For just £5.95, you can add beautiful gift-wrapping, leaving you to simply add a card.

The law states that, you must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers. Characters must not be moved from one group to the other (e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC). Offences may result in any or all of the following:

A fine of up to £1,000.00

The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN

The vehicle will FAIL the MOT test.

Yes. The British standard requires number plates to be marked with the name and postcode of the licenced number plate supplier.

Physical plates will be despatched once the requested identity documents have been received by us. For a list of acceptable documents please click here.

Nothing. New Reg commission is paid by the purchaser of the mark.

New Reg commission charges vary depending on the registration mark that we are selling.

Yes. However, it is worth remembering that the price New Reg has indicated is based on a true market valuation that we believe your registration mark shall achieve. If the price is dramatically increased to over 50% of the true market valuation then we will not advertise the registration mark on your behalf.

No. Upon finding a buyer for your registration number your contract will be enforced, ensuring that the purchaser of your mark pays the price pre-agreed upon.

No. Your vehicle will be automatically issued with a replacement mark with an appropriate year letter during the transfer procedure. You are not charged for the standard replacement mark. Alternatively, the vehicle may be issued with its original registration mark that was first issued.

Payment shall be made in full after the transfer procedure has been completed and all documents have been acquired from the DVLA. Completion is indicated by notification to New Reg of the replacement mark for the donor vehicle and proof of the same. Where it is held on a certificate, payment will be made when the registration mark has been assigned to the recipient vehicle and proof of the same has been acquired.

You may cancel this agreement at any time giving 7 days’ notice in writing using any of the following methods:

By recorded delivery to: New Reg, PO Box 911, Longton, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 5PS.

By email to commissions@newreg.com.

Cancellation must be made prior to New Reg finding a buyer for the registration mark.

Vehicles must be:

Registered with the DVLA.

Taxed or have a SORN in place within the last 5 years.

Available for inspection.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT dispose of the vehicle until the application has been fully completed and you have received the amended document(s). If you dispose of the vehicle too soon, you may lose entitlement to the cherished mark.

No. If the V5C states that the registration number is non-transferable, then it cannot be transferred or retained.

No. Vehicles must be subject to MOT / HGV test. Non-testable vehicles such as agricultural tractors and milk floats, for example, are outside the scope of the schemes. Only testable vehicles can participate in transfers and retentions and valid test certificates must be sent with applications.

No. Once a vehicle has ceased to exist, entitlement to its number also ceases. Possession of a log book or registration document alone does not give you entitlement to a registration number. If a vehicle has been scrapped, you are required by law to notify the Secretary of State and return the registration document to DVLA.

If your vehicle is stolen and has not been recovered after a year you can apply to retain the the registration mark or transfer it to another vehicle. You will need to write a letter to DVLA including your name, address and the vehicle registration number.

If your vehicle has been scrapped, you will not be able to transfer its registration number.

Upon finding a buyer New Reg shall contact you in writing to request certain documents necessary for us to perform the transfer. We shall endeavour to contact you by telephone or in writing with any close offers made to New Reg which are less than the agreed price.

The new AGE IDENTIFIERS will coincide with the two annual releases and the year of issue. The 'September' issue will be the higher range of numbers above 50 and the 'March' issue will be the lower range commencing with 02.

You cannot pre-order registration marks, however just like in previous systems you may complete a request at www.newreg.com in anticipation of a release.

The new format is the type of registration mark that has been issued to new vehicles since September 2001. It consists of two letters, followed by two numbers that help identify the age of the vehicle.

This is a difficult question to answer, as there are no pre-defined reserves at this time. It would be likely that marks such a PB51 PAB will be reserved as the first two initials match the first and last initial of the last three letters. Other reserved combinations may contain AA51 NGH (Singh), DR51 PAB (Doctor), MR51 PAB (Mister) and fun type elements such as OK51 PAB (Okay) and OO02 OOO.

It is likely that the new registrations shall be priced similar to the previous system. Market research indicates that certain combinations will be far more desirable however, New Reg believe that the old prefix system marks will continue to be sought after and the volume of sales will probably increase.

Simply go to the user account page and sign in. Once signed in, go to the Details tab, and edit your details accordingly. Once you click or tap on 'Save Details' the changes will be made immediately.

Go to the user account page, then go to the Orders tab. All of your order history will be shown here, including all emails sent in regards to each order.

If you'd like to remove your New Reg account - please contact our support team who will be able to action this for you.

Simply go to the user account page and sign in. Once signed in, go to the Listed Plates tab, and edit/action your registrations accordingly. Once you click or tap on 'Save Details' the changes will be made immediately. You can add further plates by clicking or tapping the 'List another plate' button.