Buy cheap private number plates directly

All plates advertised on our website are being advertised directly by the owners and sellers of the plates and you will be buying directly from them. You can get in contact with them through the enquiry form on their advert and once you have sent them a message you will see this and be able to manage the conversation in the Message Centre within your account.

We're a classifieds site/marketplace so we don't actually own the plates on our website. As you are buying the number plate directly from the owner, it is unlikely they will offer finance or pay monthly options, unless of course you are buying from one of the number plate dealers/traders that advertise with us.

Yes, in order to make an enquiry about a registration on our site you will need to create (or log in to) an account. This allows you to manage the conversations about any plates you enquire about within your account's Message Centre. It also prevents you from needing to enter your details each time you wish to make an enquiry about a different plate.

To report an advert, if you believe there is an issue such as a potential scam, simply click the 'Report this ad' button and select your reason for reporting it, providing as much detail as possible. All reports are taken seriously and will be looked into.

Payment

When purchasing a registration privately (i.e. directly from the seller and not through a middleman), some people choose to complete the transaction in person to ensure all goes smoothly, however, this isn't always practical and often deals are done remotely.

For this reason, we are pleased to offer an escrow service, which, for a small fee, provides peace of mind and protection to both parties. You make your payment into a secure account, the seller is then notified that the payment has been made and they can transfer the registration, the registration is then transferred and you confirm receipt, then the funds are released to the seller. In the unlikely event of any problems, our disputes team will protect you.

If you wish to proceed without using escrow, then we recommend asking the seller for proof of ownership before exchanging funds. For your peace of mind, you may want to ask for a copy of the Logbook (V5C), Certificate of Entitlement (V750) or Retention Document (V778) to prove that the they own the rights to the registration (clicking the names of the documents above show examples, however, please note that we advise sellers to conceal the certificate/reference numbers highlighted in the example documents so don't worry if these are hidden), along with photo identification, before you send them any funds. 

In terms of them making the actual payment, if proceeding without using our escrow service then we would suggest using another secure service such as PayPal which provides some protection to both parties. If using PayPal, you should send the payment under the category of 'Goods and Services' to ensure both parties are protected. 

Transferring ownership of the registration

With payment completed, you now need to transfer the registration. If it's currently on a vehicle then the seller should take it off and put it onto a retention certificate. They can do this using the DVLA's online 'retain a number plate' service or if they prefer the old fashioned route, they can complete a V317 application form. It costs £80 to do but this includes the Assignment Fee, meaning that the buyer doesn't have to pay any more fees to put the plate onto their vehicle.

Once the number plate is off the vehicle and 'on retention' the seller can transfer it to you. The easiest way to do this is for them to give you the Certificate Number, and for you to use the DVLA's online 'assign a number plate' service. This will allow you to assign the registration to their vehicle instantly online and in doing so, will transfer rights/ownership of the registration to you.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer the postal method, the seller just needs to sign & date in Sections 1 & 6 or the Retention Document and post it to you using a trackable postal service. This also allows you to assign the registration to your vehicle and transfers rights/ownership of the registration to you.

Our site offers the option to save searches, and also to receive email alerts when registrations matching your search criteria are listed. To use this facility, simply search for a plate and hit the 'Save Search' or 'Notify Me' buttons.