Can you put a new number plate on an old car?
No, you can’t make an older car appear younger simply by changing its number plate. However, you can use a personalised number plate to hide the age of your car.
Here in the UK, Personalised number plates are a thriving trade and to many car owners it adds the finishing and personal touch to a vehicle.
These plates are available for purchase from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and various online brokers, with prices that range from a few hundred pounds to several thousand, depending on demand.
Interestingly, you don’t need to own a vehicle to purchase a private number plate, you can buy the plate and keep it on a retention certificate for future use.
Before investing in a personalised plate, it’s crucial to ensure that you can legally assign it to your car first, as there are certain exceptions to consider.
How do I know the age of my car?
How can you determine your car's age in the UK? Unlike in many other countries, UK number plates contain age identifiers that reveal the vehicle's age. The age identifier consists of the third and fourth digits of the current style of number plate.
Every year, two sets of plates are issued, one in spring and the other in autumn. If your car is registered between March 1st and September 1st, the third and fourth characters of your number plate will reflect the last two digits of the registration year. For instance, if your car is registered between these months in 2019, the characters will be 1 and 9, clearly indicating your car's age. For vehicles registered after September 1st, 2019, and before March 1st, 2020, the numbers on the plate are derived by adding 50 to the registration year, resulting in characters like 6 and 9.
Using this registration plate system allows car buyers to easily determine a vehicles age within a six-month window. It's important to note that if your car is registered in, say, 2016, your personalised plate should not include characters like "19," as this could misrepresent the vehicle's age and be considered illegal.
The same principle applies to older number plates that use letters to indicate the registration year instead of numerals. These letters should not be added to older vehicles to make them appear younger, as this practice is also unlawful.
What if a vehicle does not require an MOT or HGV test certificate?
There are certain vehicles that are exempt from an annual MOT test or heavy goods vehicle certification and therefore face restrictions in assigning personalised plates as it is not possible to assign a personal number plate to a vehicle that doesn’t need an annual MOT test or a HGV certificate. For example, these would be such vehicles as a farm tractor or machinery that is used for road repairs like a steam roller etc.
Registration numbers are issued by the DVLA when the agency has doubts about a vehicle’s identity or age. The vehicle registration mark will begin with the letter Q and this DVLA classification on a vehicle forbids it carrying a personalised number plate.
If you’ve got a kit car that’s Q-plated, you can apply to the DVLA to use a private plate if you have evidence of its age.
What if my car already has a personalised plate on it?
If you’d like to assign your personalised plate to a car that already has a private plate, you can do this through the DVLA, alternatively if you have bought the plate through us, we can sort it for you.
Your old private plate can be kept on a retention certificate and your new one will be assigned to your chosen vehicle. To do this, you’ll need your car’s V5 registration document (also known as a logbook) and £80 to cover the DVLA fee.
Contact Moonstone Plates
If you are struggling, have any questions or would like to buy/sell a number plate, get in touch with our team today and we can help you. Either click here to contact us, give us a call on 01995 213112 or drop us a message on our social media and we would be more than happy to advise and assist you.
