Personalised number plates at Regtransfers start at just £80, but the majority of plates, such as those containing initials or spelling names, are priced from a couple of hundred to a few thousand pounds. Rarer and more desirable plates, such as short combinations with just one or two letters and a single digit can run into five figures or more - the current UK record is the all-in price of £926,000, paid for "1 F" in an RM Sotheby's auction at the RAC's London Motor Week on 1 November 2025.
One small detail to bear in mind is that on top of the listed plate price, you'll need to budget for the DVLA's £80 fee to transfer or retain a registration, and for the cost of your physical acrylic number plates (price varies according to the options chosen) unless you are having your registration on a certificate.
0% interest-free finance is available on eligible plates to help you spread the cost.
What do you get at different price points?
From £80: entry-level combinations - limited choice, no number-1 plates or very short combinations. These plates don't usually spell a name or word. They are still genuine, often dateless, private registrations. Yours to keep on your vehicle or on a retention certificate.
Low hundreds to low thousands: where most buyers land. Clear initials, recognisable representations of names, plates that can be read at a glance. This is the bulk of the cheap number plates range.
Low thousands to tens of thousands: name and word plates with perfect or very close spellings, popular topical references such as football teams or cryptocurrencies etc, short number-letter combinations.
Tens to hundreds of thousands or more. Potentially record-breaking: the highest prices paid have mostly been at public auctions. As we mentioned above, "1 F" sold for £926,000 at a Sotheby's sale in November 2025, thus setting the current UK record. "JB 1" made £608,600 at Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in July 2025. "25 O" fetched £518,480 at a DVLA auction back in 2014. These are the exceptions, not the norm but they show what a plate with the right combination of rarity and demand can do.
But not all records have been set at auction. Many of the most desirable character combinations are owned by independent specialists like Regtransfers and aren't available anywhere else.
Why do some plates cost more than others?
Price comes down to a number of factors:
- the sale prices of similar plates that have been sold recently (precedence)
- how few plates like it exist (scarcity)
- how much visual appeal the plate has or how readable it is (quality)
- where and when issued, who has owned it in the past, has it been on any famous vehicles? (history),
- Whether it contains a reference to a topic of current interest, such as the World Cup, the Olympic Games, cryptocurrency etc and thus currently of special interest (fashion).
For more information on how number plate prices are decided, please see our number plate valuation page. It's worth reading if you're trying to understand why two plates that look similar may be priced very differently.
What's the DVLA's £80 fee?
Buying the plate is one cost. Putting it on a vehicle, or taking it off one and holding it in reserve, is another. The DVLA charges £80 to transfer a registration onto a vehicle or to put it onto a retention document (also known as a V778 certificate). As the £80 transfer fee is paid when a registration is taken off a car and placed on a retention certificate, one does not have to pay it again when assigning the number from the certificate to a vehicle.
Your Regtransfers order confirmation shows exactly what costs and charges apply to your purchase before you pay.
Do you pay VAT on a personalised number plate?
It depends on who owns the plate you're buying. VAT is payable where the plate is owned by Regtransfers, or is from government stock, or is sold on behalf of a VAT-registered seller. Where a plate is sold on behalf of a private individual who isn't VAT registered, no VAT applies. You'll see exactly what applies to your plate before you pay.
Can I spread the cost of a number plate?
Yes. Regtransfers offers 0% interest-free finance on eligible plates, with terms of 12 or 18 months. You pay the same total price as buying outright - no interest added - just spread over fixed monthly instalments. Availability depends on the individual plate and a standard credit check.
For customers who would like to spread the cost over a longer term, we offer finance at 14.9% APR representative, with terms of 24, 36 or 48 months.
See our finance page for full details.
How do I find out what a specific plate would cost?
Search the plate you have in mind directly on our website. The Regtransfers website's search results show the price for most plates. If the exact combination isn't listed, similar plates in the same style often give a realistic guide to what you might pay.
If the search result you're interested in shows "POA" (price on application), then just send us an enquiry or call us on 01582 967777.
If you're going the other way - you already own a plate and want to know what it's worth before selling or insuring it - use the free number plate valuation service for a no-obligation estimate from a human expert, not a guess from artificial intelligence!
FAQs
It depends. The record-breaking prices mentioned above show that some numbers can command very high prices at auction. There are also additional fees to be considered with auction sales, such as the auctioneer's commission. For everyday combinations, dealer stock is typically the quicker and more predictable route; auctions come into their own for rare registrations where open bidding finds the true market price.
It is an additional charge. Our website shows the full breakdown of all costs and fees before you commit to a purchase.
Choosing a plate in the price range starting from £80 keeps the plate cost itself to a minimum; the DVLA's £80 transfer fee applies when the plate is transferred. Your order summary shows the full breakdown before you commit.
