FAQ & Helps

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We do not have a vehicle yet for our private number plate. Can we still purchase one from you?

Yes of course. All our registrations can be supplied on a retention certificate which are usually valid for a period of 10 years.

This means you have until the certificate expiry date (Usually 10 years from when you make your purchase) to register your personalised number plate to your vehicle.

How long does the transfer process take?

Absolute Reg are able to supply private number plates in as little as 7 working days.

Once the documents are received by the customer these can be used to easily transfer the registration themselves with the DVLA, full instructions on the reg transfer process will be included with the registration documents issued by Absolute Reg.

There are no further costs required in order to complete the transfer to your vehicle.

Why are some registrations subject to VAT, but not all?

Absolute Reg sell registration marks from various sources

VAT is payable on number plate purchases for the following:

The registration mark is owned by Absolute Reg
The registration mark is being sold on a commission basis for a third party who is VAT registered.

VAT is NOT payable on number pate purchases where:

The registration mark is being sold on a commission basis for a third party who is NOT VAT registered.

What restrictions apply when purchasing a registration mark?

You cannot transfer a private number plate to a ‘Q’ registered vehicle. This is where the registration provided by the DVLA starts with a ‘Q’. The DVLA issue such registrations as they are unable to determine the age of the vehicle.

You cannot transfer a private number plate that is exempt from the MOT system or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) testing process, such as agricultural vehicles – Tractors etc.

You cannot make your vehicle appear newer than the original manufacture date.

Read up on the rules surrounding DVLA number plates on our website.

Can I transfer a private number plate to my motorcycle or moped?

Yes, the DVLA allow transfers to all motorcycle or mopeds.
Find out more about how to transfer private reg from one car to another on our website.

What happens to my private number plate when I sell my vehicle?

When you change your vehicle, we are sure you would like to take your private number plate to your new vehicle.

You can easily retain your private number plate to use or your new vehicle by simply contacting the DVLA.

When you retain your private number plate this will be issued on a certificate which is valid for 10 years. This means if you do not have a vehicle for your private number plate to be assigned to immediately it is held on the certificate.

Alternatively you can sell your car registration plate.

What happens to the current registration on my vehicle at the moment?

If this is the original issued number plate then the DVLA will retain the number plate which would be assigned back to the vehicle when your transfer your private number plate off.

If you currently have a private number plate on the vehicle and wish to keep the private registration you would need to retain this or transfer this to another vehicle, to do so you simply need to complete a V317 form which is available to download here and send this with the required DVLA transfer fee of £80 to the DVLA.

What happens to the tax and MOT on my vehicle?

The tax and MOT on the vehicle would be transferred to your new private registration details on the transfer process.

Do I need to inform my insurance provider of the registration change?

Yes, you would need to inform your insurance of the change in registration in order to ensure the accuracy of the insurance database. The change of registration would not affect the premium of the policy.

You should update the insurance policy once the new private number plate is secured to the vehicle.

Can I assign a personalised number to a leased vehicle or a Motability vehicle?

Yes. Absolute Reg supply private registration marks to customers who own leased or Motability vehicles. Absolute Reg would supply all documents in order for the reg transfer of the number plate to be assigned to the vehicle.

Can I use a Northern Ireland (NI) private number plate on a UK registered vehicle?

Yes, all Northern Irish number plates can be assigned to UK registered vehicles. All NI registrations are dateless therefore can be assigned to any vehicle regardless of age.

Can I use a UK private number plate on a Northern Irish registered vehicle?

Yes. The DVLA allow you to transfer a UK registration mark to a NI vehicle. The transfer process is exactly the same as when you would transfer for a mainland registration mark.

There are NO extra costs incurred.

Can I purchase a personalised number plate as a gift for someone else?

Yes, of course. Absolute Reg have found private number plates becoming a more and more popular gift for all occasions. When processing through the checkout page you would be requested to enter a ‘Nominee Name’ – This is where you would simply enter the name of the persons who the number is to be registered for, that simple!

We would dispatch the order to the billing details provided, therefore the person to receive the private number plate would not aware of the purchase.

Find out more about how to gift a personalised number plate on our gift registrations page.

Can I pay the DVLA transfer fee at a later date?

No, the DVLA transfer fee is payable at the point of purchase. If you do not transfer the number plate immediately this fee is already paid for when you are ready to complete the transfer process.

I do not know the current registration on the vehicle. Can I still purchase a number plate?

Yes, the only information required to complete a purchase with Absolute Reg is the name of the person / company you require the private registration mark is to be issued too.

Do you supply acrylic number plates also?

Yes, Absolute Reg can supply acrylic number plates for your new registration mark. These are available to select during the checkout process.

Can I sell my private number plate through Absolute Reg?

Yes, of course. In order to start the process for Absolute Reg to sell your private registration plate please raise a valuation via the ‘Sell My Registration’ page.

Our stock assessor will value your registration and give you an indication of the NET price we would expect to be able to return to you.

Please be aware Absolute Reg are unable to give valuations of the phone, all requests must be submitted online.

How long does it take to receive a valuation for our private number plate?

Absolute Reg receive thousands of valuations requests every day; we aim to respond to all valuations within 24 hours.

You will receive an email notification letting you know what we expect to be able to return you.

How much does it cost to obtain a valuation?

This is a completely free of charge service – even if you do not wish to sell your registration through Absolute Reg this will not cost you a penny.

I have received a valuation however I wish to receive more for the registration mark. Can I change the net amount I would receive?

Yes, if you believe the price given could be increased you can do this through your seller dashboard section.

However; please bear in mind our stock assessors are experts within the private number plate industry with a vast amount of knowledge on the value of private number plates, changing the price could effect any possible sale.

Do I have to buy a new number plate when my private number plate sells?

No. The DVLA will issue an age-related number plate back to your vehicle.

How do I stop advertising my number plate for sale with Absolute Reg?

You can simply stop the advertisement of your registration by contacting our sales team on info@absolutereg.co.uk.

Would Absolute Reg be interested in purchasing my private registration for stock?

Absolute Reg do purchase private registration marks for stock; however, this is not all registrations. Absolute Reg would only consider to purchase dateless registrations or registrations which spell names / word clearly. Absolute Reg will let you know on our valuation response should we be interested for a stock purchase.

How long will my number plate take to sell?

Unfortunately, Absolute Reg cannot give you an exact time frame as when we would expect to sell your registration, this solely depends on who is searching for such number plates. Absolute Reg regularly sell registrations listed from a matter of weeks to 6 months, however some registrations can be advertised longer to achieve a sale.

Can I reduce the price of the registration should this not be selling?

Yes, of course. You can reduce the price of the registration mark by either logging into your seller dashboard or by emailing info@absolutereg.co.uk

How will I get paid when my registration is sold?

Absolute Reg would complete a BACS transfer usually within 3 working days of the sale being completed.

Will you contact me should you receive any offers on my number plate?

Yes, of course. Absolute Reg will contact you letting you know of any genuine interest on your registration mark.

How much commission will I have to pay to Absolute Reg?

Absolute Reg will advertise your registration mark and return the net sum quoted on valuation. The price paid by the purchaser will cover the costs for both the seller and the buyer.

You would receive 100% of the net price quoted.

Do you offer a part exchange service?

Unfortunately, we do not offer a part exchange service for registration marks. However please raise a valuation and we will do our best to find a buyer.

Can I advertise my private number plate elsewhere?

Yes, of course, however; Absolute Reg do offer a service to advertise your registration mark across all major private number dealers as well as advertising on our own site. This helps find a buyer as quickly as possible for you.

What is the step by step process to sell my registration mark?

When Absolute Reg find a buyer for your registration mark the following steps would be followed;

- Absolute Reg would issue our selling terms and conditions to yourself, requesting to be completed with payment information (Bank details to receive payment), signed and returned with the private registration documents.

- Absolute Reg would request payment from the buyer.

- Absolute Reg would complete the transfer process from yourself and the new purchaser.

- When Absolute Reg have received confirmation form the DVLA of the transfer being completed, we will send payment to the account details provided. This is usually completed on the same day as the transfer being completed.

- Absolute Reg usually complete all steps within 3 working days, however we do request that you allow 7 working days.

Are the acrylic number plates supplied by Absolute Reg fully legal?

Yes, Absolute Reg will not supply any number plates which are not allowed. All our options available during the checkout process are legal.
If you're still unsure please read our terms and conditions.

Do I have to change my number plate if this is cracked / damaged?

You should ensure the number plate can be read at all times. Should the number plate be unable to be read then this should be replaced.

Can you print my own flag / symbol or slogan under the plate?

No. Absolute Reg are only permitted to print the approved national flags offered on our plate builder. Should another company be offering to print alternative flags / symbols your vehicle will likely fail the MOT.

Are 3D digits allowed to be used?

Yes. 3D digits are approved by the governing bodies to be used on number plates.

Do you supply fixing kits with your replacement number plates?

Yes. Absolute Reg supply self-adhesive fixing kits for ease of securing the new number plates to your vehicle. This does not require any drilling therefore making this an extremely easy process.

Are your number plates pre-drilled?

No. Absolute Reg cannot pre drill number plates as the fixing holes would differ on vehicle to vehicle. Absolute Reg supply self-adhesive fixing kits for ease of use.

What happens to my private number plate if my vehicle is written off?

In the unfortunate event of a vehicle being written off you would need to ensure the transfer of your private registration mark has been completed BEFORE signing ownership of the vehicle to the insurance company.

You can either transfer the registration mark to another vehicle or place the number on a retention document for use at a later date.

Can I transfer a number plate to or from an agricultural vehicle?

In most cases you cannot transfer a registration to or from such vehicles. In order to be able to transfer a number to or from vehicles these need to be included in the UK MOT scheme in order to comply to restrictions.

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