Dateless number plates - all your questions answered
Dateless number plates are a popular choice for those looking for a personal number plate for the vehicle, but what are they and how do you acquire one? We answer all your questions right here.
What is a dateless number plate?
Dateless plates were used from 1903 and their letter/number combinations did not have any reference to the age of the vehicle, hence “dateless”. They are typically made up of up to three letters followed by up to three numbers, or up to three numbers followed by up to three letters.
Where can I buy a dateless number plate?
Most major number plate agents, such as Speedy Reg, will offer dateless number plates for sale and so a number plate agent is the best place to start your search. Once you’ve found a dateless number plate that you like, be sure to compare dateless number plate prices with RegCompare to make sure you have found the agent with the lowest price.
Can I find cheap dateless number plates?
Dateless number plates tend to be more expensive than traditional format plates, simply because they are more rare and more unique, as we explained in our article about why number plates can be so expensive. Some of the most expensive plates ever to be sold, such as 25 O for £518,000 in 2014, are dateless plates.
So, if you are hoping to find a cheap single or double digit/letter combination then you are most likely out of luck. However, if you broaden your search and consider dateless plates with three digits and three letters, or Irish number plates, then you may find something much more reasonably priced!
How do I assign a dateless number plate to a car?
To assign a dateless number plate to a vehicle you will either need a certificate of entitlement (V750), which you will be given if you buy a number plate, or a retention certificate (V778) if you have previously put the dateless registration on retention.
Once you have one of those and assuming that the vehicle you want to assign the number to is registered to yourself, then the easiest way to assign the number plate is to apply online.
How do I transfer a dateless number plate to another vehicle?
You can apply online to transfer a dateless number to another vehicle. You will need the log book (V5C) of the vehicle you want to transfer the number plate to, together with your V750 or V778, and a payment method to pay the £80 fee due to the DVLA.
How do I put a dateless number plate on retention?
Transferring your dateless number plate to a retention certificate allows you to retain ownership whilst not having the number plate on a vehicle. You may want to do this if you sell your vehicle without immediately buying a replacement vehicle. The cost of this type of transfer is also £80, and the process can be initiated online with the DVLA. Once the process has been completed you will receive a certificate that states that you have the right to assign the registration to a vehicle for the next 10 years.
How do I sell a dateless number plate?
If you already own a dateless number plate and you wish to sell it, then you will need to decide between selling the number plate via an agent or finding a buyer yourself
If you decide to sell your dateless number plate via an agent, then they would typically complete all the paperwork related to the number plate transfer on your behalf once they have found a buyer.
If you decide to sell the number plate yourself, then once you have found a buyer you will need to arrange to transfer the number plate to the new owner, the process of which we have covered above.