Realistic cost of selling a numberplate

[aeytr5]

Hi all.

Bought a car a number of years ago with a private plate already on it. I don’t know much about the transfer process as I’ve never had a private plate otherwise. I’m intrigued to know whether the plate is worth selling.

If anyone has done so recently, what is the realistic cost of transferring my reg to a broker, retrieving my original reg and getting plates made up?

TIA

[miniman]

£80 to put the plate onto retention which will give you back the original number or a new generic number. £20 - £40 for a set of plates depending on where you get them.

What’s the plate?

[smokey mow]

aeytr5 said:

Hi all.

Bought a car a number of years ago with a private plate already on it. I don’t know much about the transfer process as I’ve never had a private plate otherwise. I’m intrigued to know whether the plate is worth selling.

If anyone has done so recently, what is the realistic cost of transferring my reg to a broker, retrieving my original reg and getting plates made up?

TIA

It’s £80 to put a numberplate onto retention so you can sell it and Halfords will charge you £36 for replacement numberplate. I’m sure you will find cheeper elsewhere. On top of that you’ve then got your insurance companies admin charge to change your policy details.

Unless it’s something very special forget about brokers, they won’t be interested in buying it themselves so will just take a significant % for advertising it for sale. If its worth anything put it on eBay.

[RSTurboPaul]

You can let a broker know you have it and they will price it with x% margin for them.

Alternatively, you can sell on eBay with the associated fees, either as Buy It Now or as an auction with or without reserve.

Collecting Cars auction process also includes a fee, 7.2% for number plates IIRC.


A lot will depend on how much the plate is worth. If a 1x1 (1 letter, 1 number) it will be six figures. If it is IRZ 5732 or some similar Irish plate, that will be probably less than the DVLA Retention Fee lol

[aeytr5]

Thanks all for the very prompt responses. I don’t envisage it being worth more than about £600 in any case. It’s ‘M10’ followed by three very common initials.

[miniman]

aeytr5 said:

Thanks all for the very prompt responses. I don’t envisage it being worth more than about £600 in any case. It’s ‘M10’ followed by three very common initials.

Honestly £600 is optimistic for that.

[Sebring440]

aeytr5 said:

Thanks all for the very prompt responses. I don’t envisage it being worth more than about £600 in any case. It’s ‘M10’ followed by three very common initials.

Lots on here:
https://dvlaregistrations.dvla.gov.uk/

It's a £250 plate.

[aeytr5]

miniman said:

Honestly £600 is optimistic for that.

Hence I regard it as a maximum possible.

Thanks for all the advice. From the above, I think I’d end up £200-300 up in any circumstance. Perhaps worth doing if I’m selling, as the car isn’t worth much.

[worsy]

If it's not worth much you could simply transfer it off. You don't need to retain it to put the original reg back. It would then pass to the DVLA.

[interstellar]

aeytr5 said:

Hence I regard it as a maximum possible.

Thanks for all the advice. From the above, I think I’d end up £200-300 up in any circumstance. Perhaps worth doing if I’m selling, as the car isn’t worth much.

I wouldn’t waste £80 on trying to sell it. Plates are quite hard to sell so you could be £80 down and have no buyers.

Unless it was quite desirable (most are not, just personal) it’s not worth it in most cases.

[RSTurboPaul]

interstellar said:

aeytr5 said:

Hence I regard it as a maximum possible.

Thanks for all the advice. From the above, I think I’d end up £200-300 up in any circumstance. Perhaps worth doing if I’m selling, as the car isn’t worth much.

I wouldn’t waste £80 on trying to sell it. Plates are quite hard to sell so you could be £80 down and have no buyers.

Unless it was quite desirable (most are not, just personal) it’s not worth it in most cases.

Inclined to agree with this.

Leave it on the car if it is not visibly irritating to you and perhaps just put a post in the Plates and Parts section on here in case anyone might be interested. If they are, then you can spend the 80 quid to get it onto a Retention Certificate for transfer - otherwise, leave it as-is.