Sometimes people choose to purchase a car because the registration includes their initials or the number is special, as it indicates a memorable date, for example a birthday, anniversary or special age. Others purchase a car but are just not happy with the registration plate. However, many people still do not realise that they do not need to keep the registration plate that was assigned to their vehicle. There is actually an abundance of possibilities for the creation of personalised number plates, the only restrictions are those imposed by the regulations that govern the format of UK licence plates. With a bit of imagination though, the possibilities are almost endless.

Personalised number plates are usually produced by using a combination of letters and numbers, which are used to represent letters. The reason for such combinations being required results from the formatting rules, which disallows more than three consecutive letters on UK registrations. This is where imagination plays a huge part; for example, B16 AL could easily be read as ‘BIG AL’.

Obtaining the entitlement to display a personalised registration plate is a simpler process than many people may think. Certainly there are costs involved, but depending on the plate, these can very from a few hundred pounds to several thousand. Plates can be purchased through the DVLA personalised registrations website or there are a number of on-line dealerships.

Once you have selected your private number plate, you need to apply to the DVLA who, for a nominated fee, will issue you with a certificate of entitlement, which is valid for twelve months. Once you put the plates on your car, you automatically retain entitlement to that registration as the registered keeper of the vehicle.