If you’re considering a personalised number plate, you might wonder whether it will increase your insurance premiums. The short answer is that it’s unlikely, but it’s worth checking.
More and more people are opting for private number plates. In 2024-25, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reported nearly 10 million registrations, according to Freedom of Information data from Stratstone.[1]
Just remember to check with your insurer to confirm whether the plate can also increase your insurance premium before you invest in it.
EASY AS HACK
Notify your insurer as soon as you change to personalised number plates, as your insurance is attached to your car registration number.
At a Glance
Before you buy a personalised number plate, here’s what you should know:
- It’s unlikely to affect your insurance premium
- No policies automatically cover private plates
- You must tell your insurer if you change your reg number
- Changing your details online with Ageas is free
- DVLA holds 9 online auctions a year
- Make sure you stick to the rules
- Act quickly if your car is stolen or written off if you want to retain your plate
Should you inform your insurer about a personalised reg?
When you change your car’s number plate, your insurance policy will require you to notify your insurer as soon as possible. If you fail to provide the correct vehicle registration number, you risk invalidating your insurance, and any claim may not be covered.
Does a personalised number plate increase insurance premiums?
Whether a private reg would increase insurance depends on your provider. Some insurers consider a personalised number plate to be a modification to the car, which could increase your premiums.
It’s a common mistake to think you only need to update the DVLA when using a personalised number plate. [2] You must also notify your insurer as your insurance policy is attached to your car registration number.
Ageas covers personal number plates with no additional terms and conditions, at the same premium as a regular number plate. However, you still need to inform us of any changes, as failing to do so will invalidate your policy.
Does car insurance cover personalised reg plates?
Most car insurance policies recognise a personalised number plate as part of your vehicle's identity rather than as a separate high-value item. While your insurer may cover the vehicle itself, many policies do not cover the value of the personalised registration if it is lost following a theft or write-off.
Research by GoCompare, based on Defaqto data from 2022, found that only 19 of 333 comprehensive car insurance policies covered the loss of a personalised number plate when a vehicle was stolen or written off. [3]
If your car is declared a total loss after an accident, it's important to act quickly to keep your personalised registration. You should arrange to transfer the plate to another vehicle or place it on a retention certificate before the claim is settled. Otherwise, you could lose the right to the registration along with the vehicle.
If your car is stolen and not recovered, you must usually wait six months before transferring the personalised registration to another vehicle. You'll also need to show that the vehicle had a valid MOT and vehicle tax when it was stolen. [4]
The best way to understand what cover you have is to check your policy documents. You should also tell your insurer as soon as you add a personalised number plate to your vehicle, as failing to share this change could invalidate your cover.
How to buy a personalised plate
It’s straightforward to buy one from either a private dealer or the DVLA, which holds online auctions 9 times a year, each lasting 7 days.[5] You can search the DVLA’s dedicated website to see which plates are available. You can also check registrations sold at previous auctions using the DVLA’s Auction Sold Search. DVLA’s list of registered dealers is also worth checking, as it includes dealers that comply with its terms and trading practices.
Once you’ve found your desired private number plate, you can even preview how it would look on different cars – from a family hatchback to a Ferrari.
Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive a V750 certificate of entitlement. This proves you have the right to use a private number plate – it doesn’t mean the DVLA supplies the physical plates (a registered number plate supplier must make them).[6]
You then need to assign the plate to your car, either online or by post.
You can keep the original registration number, which will be reassigned to the vehicle when you remove the private number.
How to register a personalised number plate
Here’s how to register your personalised number plate: [7]
- After you’ve received your V750 certificate of entitlement (your right to use a registered number), find your nearest registered number plate supplier.
- Apply to assign the number to your vehicle. If you have just bought the vehicle, make sure you wait until you have a new V5C in your name before applying.
- Ensure you have one of the following documents available: the V750 when you buy a new registration, or the V778 retention certificate if you want to transfer a private number from another vehicle.
- Remove your old number plates and attach your new ones immediately after applying, ensuring they meet legal requirements.
- Inform your insurer.
Find more government information about personalised vehicle registration numbers.
What are the rules for a personalised reg plate?
It is illegal for a private reg number to be different from the one shown on the vehicle’s logbook, or V5C, as it’s known. You risk a £1,000 fine and a failed MOT test if the number displayed is incorrect. [6]
Your number plates must comply with the following specifications, or you could fail your MOT, be fined and lose your registration number: [8]
- Be made from a reflective material (with immovable non-reflective characters).
- Display black characters on a white background at the front.
- Display black characters on a yellow background at the rear.
- Have no background pattern.
- Show the supplier’s mark.
- Carry a British Standard number (BS AU 145e for plates fitted after 1 September 2021 or BS AU 145d for those before this date). [6]
You aren’t allowed to display a registration with a year code later than the vehicle’s date of first registration. [6] For example, if you have a 76 plate issued from 1 September 2026, it can be assigned only to a vehicle first registered on or after that date.
Learn about Ageas car insurance and get a quote.
FAQs
Can you put a personalised number plate on any car?
No. You can’t put a personalised number plate on any car. For example, you can’t put a private number on a Q-registered vehicle or assign a number starting with Q or ANI. You are also not allowed to use a number that makes a vehicle look newer than it is. [7]
How much does a personalised number plate cost?
The cost of a personalised number plate varies depending on its desirability. Buying a personalised plate can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to £400,000 – the most expensive, 25 O, was sold at a DVLA auction in 2014. [1]
Does it cost money to update your car insurance policy with personalised plates?
You may be charged a small administrative fee to update your documents. For example, Ageas charges a £25 admin fee to change your policy, unless you change it online. Changes to an online account are free.
Sources
[1] https://www.stratstone.com/blog/uk-private-plate-market/
[3] https://press.gocompare.com/news/the-pitfalls-of-personalised-number-plates-is-yours-covered
[4] https://www.gov.uk/what-to-do-if-your-vehicle-has-been-stolen/personalised-registration-number
[5] https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/buying-a-private-number-plate
[7] https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/keep-or-assign
[8] https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/rules-number-plates
