The new 24 registration plate has arrived. The following guide delves into various aspects that every vehicle owner and enthusiast should be aware of. From the intricacies of the latest UK registration system, understanding the distinct number plate system, to exploring how the registration of a vehicle can significantly influence the value- in this guide we have covered it all.
What This Guide Includes
The UK Registration System This Year
The registration system changes every 6 months: Cars registered between 01 March and 31 August 2024 will have a ’24 plate, while those registered between 01 September 2024 and 28 February will have a ’74 plate.
Understanding the UK Number Plate System
How does the UK number plate system work?
Over the years, the number plate system has changed many times. The latest system has been in place in England, Scotland, and Wales since 2001.The first 2 letters illustrate where the car was first registered. The DVLA call this a memory tag and is basically a means of identifying the location where the car was originally registered.
Registration now takes place online and your new car’s initial letters will reflect the region where the dealership is based.
All regions in England have their own letter codes whereas cars registered in Scotland all start with S and those registered in Wales will stat with a C standing for Cymru.
To avoid confusion, the letters I, Q and Z are never used because of their similarity with the numbers 1, 0 and 2 respectively.
The 2 numbers identify the age of the car, (when it was first registered), and is straightforward when you understand that the numbers change every 6 months – every March and September.
March-August registrations are easy to recognise as they contain the last 2 numbers of the year of their registration, (as with the recent to August 2024 registration, the number is 24).
Cars registered between September and February will carry the number of the current year +50. The next registration plate for cars March registered between September 2024 and February 2025 will carry the number 74 (24=50=74).
For your reference, we have included an age identifier chart below.
| Year | 1 March to end August | 1 September to end February |
|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | 51 | |
| 2002/03 | 02 | 52 |
| 2022/23 | 22 | 72 |
| 2023/24 | 23 | 73 |
| 2024/25 | 24 | 74 |
| and so on | ||
| until 50/00 in 2050/51 |
What is the significance of the last 3 letters? These letters are randomly generated and allocated to the dealership.
To save confusion as before, the letters I and Q are not used although Z is OK on this section of the plate.
Anything deemed to be offensive or inappropriate will be withheld by the DVLA.
What about personalised number plates? The DVLA will again censor any personalised number plates if it is considered offensive or inappropriate.
What is the significance of the green strip on number plates? You may have noticed that some vehicles now have a green strip down the left-hand side of the number plate. This shows that it is electric.
This green flash is important in identifying electric cars with consideration of various concessions. Whether this is car parking, exemption from taxes such as ULEZ around London, etc.
You do not have to comply with this, but it is becoming increasingly popular.
What is the Impact of Vehicle Registration on its Value?
New number plates are very desirable, and many people eagerly anticipate their release. It is worth noting that depreciation, (the difference between a car’s value when you buy it and when you come to sell it), is typically between 15 and 35% in the first year and up to 50% or more over 3 years.
This percentage depends on various factors including what make and model the vehicle is, how much mileage is done, and how eco-friendly and fuel efficient it is.
You can research the vehicle to estimate depreciation costs and our experts @Motorfinity can advise you about forecasts if you are unsure.
How Do New Registrations Impact Old Vehicles?
There is certainly a link in the new car registrations coming out and a drop in used car prices.
The number plate is an age indicator, and the value of your car will generally drop year on year.
Depreciation does slowdown as the vehicle gets older, so it is worth considering purchasing a nearly new car rather than a brand-new car.
This said, discounted prices of brand-new cars ordered through Motorfinity make the benefits of owning a brand-new car even more attractive. You can save thousands on many new cars exclusively available for you.
Legal and Compliance Issue
What are the legal requirements for UK number plates?
The number plates on your vehicle must:
- be made from a reflective material.
- display black characters on a white background (front plate)
- display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
- Not have a background pattern.
- Be marked to show who supplied the number plate.
- Be marked with a British Standard number - this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 01 September 2021.
The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 01 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
Your number plates can also:
- Have 3D (raised) characters
- Display certain Flags, symbols and Identifiers.
- display a green flash, if you have a zero-emission vehicle.
Letter spacing, size and style.
There are specific rules regarding letter spacing, size and style.
For more information on this, visit this rule guide by the government regarding displaying the number plate.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOUR VEHICLE DISPLAYS ILLEGAL/INCORRECTLY DISPLAYED NUMBER PLATES, YOU COULD BE FINED UP TO £1,000 AND YOUR VEHICLE WILL FAIL ITS MOT TEST.
Personalised Number Plates
How do personalised number plates work?
More and more people are investing in personalised number plates with British motorists spending millions of pounds on them every year, The Cherished Transfer Scheme was introduced by the DVLA to enable motorists to make their vehicles more individual. This comes at a cost. How can I purchase a personalised number plate? You have 3 options:
- Directly through the DVLA.
- Through a broker.
- In a private sale.
- Be made from reflective material.
- Display black characters on a white background on the front plate.
- Not have a background pattern.
- Not have an altered front or spacing.
- Not make your car seem younger than it is.
Missing out the middleman, you can choose from over 45 million registrations available to buy.
The DVLA’s search tool enables you to browse the collection of plates based on your criteria, (e.g. your initials).
There are traditional auctions throughout the year where you can bid in person, online, or over the phone, or you can take part in a timed auction where you submit a bid hidden from other buyers and the highest bid wins the plate.
Through a broker
If you can’t what you want from the DVLA, it’s worth searching brokers’ sites. You will probably pay a premium for this.
In a private sale how much does a personalised plate cost?
Personalised plates do incur a cost and start from £250 on the DVLA website.
The rarest plates fetch six figure sums of over £400,000 for the most expensive in the UK.
What are the rules about personalised plates?
There are strict rules regarding private number plates which must:
Can I transfer my personalised plate?
Yes. Should you buy a new car, you can hold on to your personalised plate. You need to be aware that the DVLA will charge you £80 to complete the transfer. Certainly! To create a small section for your note using HTML and CSS, you can use the following code. This code will create a simple and visually distinct note area on your webpage:PLEASE NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU INFORM YOUR INSURER ABOUT YOUR PERSONALISED PLATE TO AVOID INVALIDATING YOUR COVER.
Are 4D number plates legal?
Although 4D number plates are legal in the UK, they can cause issues with the police because of readability. For this reason, it is not advisable.
Are green number plates legal?
A green line on a number plate means that the vehicle produces zero tailpipe emissions. Only pure electric vehicles can legally be fitted with these.
Motorfinity and New Reg
Buying a new car through Motorfinity means that there isn’t really a right or wrong time to buy - the amazing discounts remain consistent throughout the year whereas dealerships are much more target focussed according to seasonality.
Terms directly forged with major motoring manufacturers by Motorfinity exclusively for our eligible audience, mean you could be driving a new plate vehicle at old plate prices.
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