deciding what number plate to buy

Deciding what Number Plate to Buy
By Rami Nseir

Numbers, numbers everywhere! Which one is right for you? With over 30 million registrations numbers available the choice of which number plate to purchase can be overwhelming. To begin with it s best to have an understanding of the various formats that registration numbers are issued in. The first registrations issued are commonly known as dateless number plates. These registration numbers have no age identifier letter and are the oldest form of car registrations. The first number plates ever issued were over 100 years ago.

Suffix registrations display 3 letters followed by up to 3 numbers and a final letter identifying the year the number was issued. These were first issued in 1963 with the “A” suffix series. An example of the format of a suffix registration is ABC 123A

Prefix registration numbers were first issued in 1983 when the suffix series ran out. The format is the reverse of suffix number plates with a letter identifying the year the registration was first issued at the beginning of the number plate. This is followed by up to 3 numbers and then 3 letters. An example of the format of a prefix registration is A123 ABC.

In 2001 this series was replaced with our new, current style number plates. These display 2 letters followed by 2 numbers and then 3 letters. The numbers relate to the year the registration was issued and act as an age identifier. An example of a new style registration is AB02 ABC.

With so many formats of registration numbers, the different combinations available are vast. To help you choose and give you some inspiration here are some common ideas to find you perfect plate!

Who is the Number Plate for?

If you are purchasing the registration for yourself or a loved one why not incorporate a name within the number plate? Registrations which read your name are extremely eye catching and attract a great deal of attention on the road. RO 55 (Ross), M477 HEW (Matthew), RU55 ELL (Russell), KAT 13S (Katie’s) and ROB 1N (Robin) are classic examples of such number plates.

Name plates offer the highest level of personalisation on a registration but can command some of the highest prices. The registration 51 NGH (Singh) sold at a DVLA auction in 2006 for a staggering