1) The Dream
You’ve just bought you dream car but it has a totally boring number plate – you dream of your own cherished number plate. But how to go about it?

2) The Reality
Money never seems to matter in dreams. How much will a cherished number plate cost? Do not despair. Prices for a cherished number plate start at hundreds not thousands. You get what you pay for, so if you budget is restricted, consider looking for your initials plus a year letter. More to spend? – The sky’s your limit! Remember, a cherished number plate can be a great investment also some companies offer 0% finance.

3) The Search
Type ‘cherished number plate’ into a search engine and you’ll come up with a list of companies. Give them a call or try their websites to explore your ideas for a cherished number plate. Alternatively, there are adverts in car magazines and newspapers.

4) The Purchase
O.K – you’ve found the ideal cherished number plate for you. It matched your price range, your vehicle age (you can’t make it newer than it is), the sales agent is well trained, the company is long-established, possibly in the C.N.D.A, affiliated to the R.M.I. You are ready to buy your cherished number plates. What should you expect?

5) The Procedure
You will be asked for a credit or debit card to reserve your cherished number plate. You are paying the cherished number plate company to take care of the transfer but, briefly, you will usually be asked for your vehicle documents (registration document, MOT if applicable and a photo copy of your tax disc). A cherished number plate will either be on a donor vehicle or held on a certificate. All companies liaise with DVLA to carry out transactions so, in addition to the cost of the cherished number plate plus V.A.T, you will have to pat a DVLA fee of either £80 or £105. Always ask questions, read terms of business and check time scales.

6) The Dream Come True
An envelope drops on your mat. Inside is your new tax disc showing all your tax transferred to your very own cherished number plate. Any MOT will be re-stamped and a form will be enclosed to authorise you to have your acrylics made. Alternatively, your cherished number plate will be supplied on a certificate which you can keep until you are ready to assign. Either way, you are now the proud owner of a cherished number plate.

This tutorial was kindly provided by National Numbers. National Numbers are dealers in cherished & private personalised number plates, to make an enquiry please visit www.nationalnumbers.co.uk.