Can I choose my car registration?

I've ordered a new car through a main dealer. I'd like the new registration to end with my wife's three initials (to make it easier to remember). It doesn't matter what the first four characters are.

I've asked the dealer to arrange this but they say that they can't/won't. (They've also declined to make plates with a national flag, only offering plain ones.)

Can you please tell me how I can arrange this myself? I assume that it should be easier to arrange from new rather than getting the car and re-registering it, but I don't know how I would do that.

Asked on 19 May 2022 by Londonhunter

Answered by Dan Powell

I'm afraid you do not get to choose the registration of your car.

The first two letters are the of the numberplate are reference tag, followed by the two-digit age identifiers. The final three letters are generated at random and the entire process is administered by the DVLA.

You may be able to buy a private registration that matches your wife's three initials from the DVLA or a private seller. However, depending on the rarity of the initials, the cost of this will range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds.

You can buy stickers with the national flag from a local automotive accessory retailer.

Tags: dvla number plates private plates

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