Number Plate Personalisation Cost Calculator
See the total cost of a private plate: the purchase price, any DVLA transfer or retention fee, and new physical plates.
How does the number plate cost calculator work?
The total cost of a private plate has three parts: the purchase price of the registration (the highly variable one), any DVLA fee for moving the number, and the cost of having new physical plates made. The calculator adds them together.
Many people assume there is always an "assignment fee". According to GOV.UK, applying to assign a number you hold to a vehicle is free. The DVLA fees that do apply are £80 to transfer a number between vehicles and £80 to put a number on retention, according to the DVLA's INF46 leaflet.
3 worked examples
These examples use a £30 placeholder for physical plates.
Example 1 — Plate bought from the DVLA and put on your car
A plate bought from the DVLA at its £250 starting price, then assigned to a car.
£250 purchase (the DVLA says its price includes VAT and the assignment fee) + £0 DVLA fee + £30 physical plates = £280
Example 2 — Selling your car but keeping the plate
You own a plate that is on your old car. You want to take it off and keep it until your next car arrives.
£0 purchase + £80 retention = £80
Later, when you assign it to the new car:Free to apply for the assignment, plus the cost of new physical plates (about £30 here) = about £110 in total
Example 3 — Moving a plate straight to a new car
You already own the plate and move it from the old car to a newly bought one.
£0 purchase + £80 transfer + £30 physical plates = £110
Example 2 is the common budgeting trap. Retention is not the end of the spend: you still need physical plates when the plate goes onto the next car. You must also renew the right to a retained number every 10 years.
DVLA fees explained
| Item | Cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Buying from the DVLA | From £250 | Price includes VAT and the assignment fee |
| Assigning a number you hold | Free to apply | According to GOV.UK, online or by post |
| Transfer | £80 | Moving a number from one vehicle to another |
| Retention | £80 | Taking a number off a vehicle to keep it for later |
INF46 says a retained number lasts 10 years and can be renewed for a further 10 years. A renewal application can be made up to 28 days before expiry and must reach the DVLA on or before the expiry date. The leaflet gives no renewal fee, so check GOV.UK for it.
GOV.UK also says DVLA auctions run roughly six times a year, with reserve prices starting at £130.
Where to buy a plate
- From the DVLA. GOV.UK says you can buy a registration from the DVLA, which sells from £250, or at its auctions
- From a private dealer. GOV.UK says you can also buy from a private dealer. Dealer prices and fees are set by the dealer, so compare them with the DVLA's price
- From another owner. You agree the price with the seller. Make sure you receive the V750 certificate of entitlement or the V778 retention document, as GOV.UK advises
The rules: what you can't do
The DVLA's INF46 leaflet says: "You cannot use a registration number to make your vehicle appear younger than it actually is." GOV.UK gives the example of an '07' registration, which cannot go on a vehicle registered in 2003.
In practice, a plate that suggests an older age than the vehicle's real age does not make it look younger, so it is not caught by this rule. A plate that suggests a newer age is.
GOV.UK also says you cannot assign numbers starting with 'Q' or 'QNI', or put a private number on a 'Q' registered vehicle. The vehicle must be registered with the DVLA in the UK and available for inspection, and GOV.UK lists further conditions, including a tax or SORN history, so check them before you apply.
Once a number is assigned, you must have the plate made by a registered supplier. GOV.UK warns that incorrectly displayed plates can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and an MOT failure, and says you cannot rearrange or alter the letters or numbers so they're hard to read.
What this calculator can't tell you
The market value of a specific combination
The calculator takes your entered price as given. It doesn't estimate what a registration is worth.
Whether a number is available or allowed
Availability is checked in the DVLA's own search service. The calculator can't tell you whether a combination is for sale or can go on your vehicle.
Dealer extras and insurance
Dealers may charge handling or other fees, and a valuable plate may be worth discussing with your insurer. Neither is included here.
The price of physical plates
Suppliers set their own prices, so the £30 default is only a placeholder. Enter a real quote.
Common mistakes
Budgeting only for the purchase price
Transfer or retention fees and physical plates all add to the total.
Paying a fee that doesn't apply
Assigning a number you hold is free to apply for, according to GOV.UK. Check what a seller is charging for and why.
Assuming any plate can go on any car
A plate cannot make a vehicle look younger than it is, and 'Q' numbers have their own restrictions.
Letting retention lapse
You must renew your right to use a retained number every 10 years. Diarise the date, and remember that the renewal application can be made up to 28 days before expiry.
Sharing photos of your certificate
GOV.UK advises not to share a scan or photo of your V750 or V778 when selling a number online, because someone else could use it to put the number on another vehicle.
Before you buy
- Check the DVLA's own service first to see what is available and the price, before comparing dealers
- Check the age rule against your vehicle's year of registration
- Use a registered number plate supplier for physical plates, and expect to be asked for proof of your entitlement to the number
- Ask any dealer for a full price including every fee
- Diarise the retention renewal date if you're not assigning the number straight away
🚗 Planning other costs too?
See the full picture of what it costs to run your car day to day.
Use the Car Running Cost Calculator →How we calculate
Total = plate purchase price + transfer fee (£80, if ticked) + retention fee (£80, if ticked) + physical plates (the price you enter, if ticked). Assigning a number you hold is treated as free, following GOV.UK. If you transfer a plate and also put one on retention, tick both.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a private number plate?
The DVLA says its prices start at £250, including VAT and the assignment fee. Dealers and private sellers set their own prices. If you move a number between vehicles, the DVLA transfer fee is £80, and putting one on retention is also £80. Physical plates cost extra.
What's the difference between transfer, assignment and retention?
Assignment puts a number you hold onto a vehicle, and GOV.UK says it is free to apply. Transfer moves a number from one vehicle to another (£80). Retention takes a number off a vehicle and keeps it for later use on a retention document (£80).
Can I put any private plate on any car?
No. A number cannot make a vehicle appear younger than it is, and 'Q' numbers have their own restrictions. GOV.UK lists further conditions for the vehicle.
How long can I keep a plate on retention?
According to the DVLA's INF46 leaflet, a retained number lasts 10 years and can be renewed for a further 10 years.
Can I use any number plate on the road?
No. Once a number is assigned, GOV.UK says the plate must be made by a registered supplier, and you cannot rearrange or alter the characters so they're hard to read. Incorrect plates can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and an MOT failure.
References & data sources
- GOV.UK — Personalised vehicle registration numbers. Buying, assigning, transferring and retaining, the 10-year renewal and the registered-supplier rule.
- GOV.UK — Assign a private number to a vehicle. Free to apply, the 'Q' rule and the age rule example.
- GOV.UK — Buy a personalised registration number. DVLA auctions and the V750 and V778 documents.
- DVLA — INF46: Registration numbers and you (10/25). £250 starting price, £80 retention and transfer fees, the 10-year retention period and the age rule.
- GOV.UK — Displaying number plates. The fine of up to £1,000 and the MOT failure for incorrectly displayed plates.
DVLA fees can change. Confirm the current fees on GOV.UK, and get written quotes for plate prices and physical plates.
Prakash
Prakash is the founder and editor of UK Driving Tools. He maintains the site's calculators and guides and checks the rates and rules they use against official UK sources, such as GOV.UK, the DVLA, HMRC and Transport for London, before publishing.
Pages are drafted with the help of AI tools and then checked by the editor. He isn't a lawyer, accountant or UK-qualified adviser, so every page lists its sources and states what its calculator can't tell you. Nothing on this site is legal or financial advice.
Pages on UK Driving Tools are drafted with the help of AI tools. Before publishing, the figures and rules on each page are checked against the official source named on the page, and calculator examples are tested against the working formula. Pages are updated when rates or rules change. Our Editorial Policy explains the full process, including how to report a mistake.
Spotted a mistake or an out-of-date rate? Let us know and we'll check it against the official source.