Can You Buy A Private Number Plate With No Car?
For some people, their private number plate is their pride and joy. An instantly recognisable moniker for their car, or even just an easy way to identify their vehicle in a busy parking lot.
For that reason, private registration plates can be rather expensive, particularly those that clearly spell out names or words that might be desirable for potential owners.
Some people even invest their money into conceivably popular number plates with a view to selling them on. So does that mean that you can buy a private number plate without a car to put it on? Read on to find out.
Do I need to own a car to buy a private number plate?
You can in fact purchase a private number plate without having a car to put it on. While that might seem fairly pointless to some readers, there is a bit of method behind the madness.
For instance, many young drivers ask for personalised number plates for either birthday or Christmas presents. Therefore, somebody who isn’t able to drive or simply doesn’t own a car is still able to purchase a personalised plate for their loved one, without the need to attach it to a vehicle of their own.
Equally, some savvy investors put their money into private plates, predicting which might be potentially popular to people and hiking up the price as a way to make a better return on their investment.
How long can I hold onto a private number plate before losing it?
The DVLA, which manages the issuing and registration of private number plates allows people to hold onto a private plate for up to ten years before attaching and registering it to a vehicle.
Therefore, if you are considering purchasing one now for a son or daughter’s seventeenth birthday when they can learn to drive, it might make sense to put your money in now before the price goes up. Equally, if you do invest in a private plate but struggle to find a buyer for a while, then you have up to a decade to make a return on your investment.
How do I register my private plates when I do manage to get a car?
If you’ve been saving up to buy a car for a while but jumped the gun and secured the private plates you wanted before buying it, then fear not. You have plenty of time to register and attached them to your new vehicle, plus the process is relatively straightforward.
