The DVLA is the agency responsible for maintaining the database of drivers and vehicles in Mainland Britain. The DVLA, which is based in Swansea, is also the body responsible for issuing motor vehicle registrations and setting out regulations.

When you have your cherished number plate it’s yours for as long as you want to keep it and you can, for a fee, change it to any other vehicle that you subsequently own, subject to the new vehicle meeting regulations. The basic rule is that you may not transfer a number plate to any vehicle if the vehicle itself is older than the year indicated by the indicator numbers or letter on the plate.
As a simple example of this if the prefix of the cherished number plate that you have bought is a W, you cannot transfer this to a car which was registered before then, for example an H or J as this would suggest to a potential buyer of the car that it is younger than it actually was.

You do not have to own a car before you buy a cherished number plate, you can still find one and then buy it and this will be retained on a special certificate until you are ready to transfer it to a car, motorcycle or whatever. The process is straight forward and you can soon personalise you car or bike.

Number Plate