N.I. Number Plates to English

Duran69

I'm in the process of buying a vehicle that was originally registered in Northern Ireland and has Northern Irish number plates. The vehicle has been in England for about 6 months and is registered to an English address.

What I'd like to know is can I apply for an age-related mainland 'standard' number plate that we're all used to over here?

If not, I'm assuming a cherished number could be added no problem?

Thanks for any help.

Iceweasel

What an unusual but interesting question!

You're the first person I've ever heard of who wants to get age-related plates.

Many many people are buying NI plates specifically to get away from the age-related ones that you want so that their vehicle does not become 'dated'.

You could easily sell you dateless NI plates - they can go on any age of car, and are popular because of that.

However as you already have a UK number I cant see DVLA allocating you another one, without you having applied to transfer your NI plate to another UK vehicle. So I imagine if you want a bog-standard number or a cherished one you'll have to buy it rather than be allocated it.

I bought a 'Norn Iron' plate with a 'Z' in it and my old number was deleted.

But the whole 'cherished number' system is pretty complicated, so I would advise checking with DVLA.

Duran69

Thanks for your reply Iceweasel. I hadn't thought about selling the N.I. plate but it's potentially a good idea.

I agree this is probably unusual but as it's a semi-classic vehicle I'd like a period mainland-style plate for it.

I've done quite a bit of searching online about this and can't find a definitive answer anywhere. DVLA will perhaps be the best bet.

lazer

My husband changed his the other way round from an English Plate to an NI one when he bought it (and we are in NI, the car was already registered here) - it was no hassle at all

Iceweasel

Duran69 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply Iceweasel. I hadn't thought about selling the N.I. plate but it's potentially a good idea.

I agree this is probably unusual but as it's a semi-classic vehicle I'd like a period mainland-style plate for it.

I've done quite a bit of searching online about this and can't find a definitive answer anywhere. DVLA will perhaps be the best bet.

Are you saying that you have an old NI plate?

Two letters and four numbers?

Or four numbers and two letters?

If that't's the original plate and the car has had that number all it's life I would suggest that you are being foolish/short-sighted in changing it.

That could well be worth a bit more.

AdrianC

I'm with the OP on this - and would do exactly the same. Nor'n Iron plates (three letters, four digits, one letter will be an I or a J or a Z) on the mainland always look like the cheapest pikiest "private plates" imaginable (because they are...), as if the owner's somehow embarrassed that he's not running a current-reg car.

Sod that. Try and flog the plate - eBay, 99p, no reserve, buyer to pay transfer fee. DVLA will then issue you with a "normal" mainland age-related plate. If nobody buys it - and they may well not - then you can request DVLA move it to retention, which you can then either sell or let expire. It'll cost you the £80 transfer fee, though.

Iceweasel

AdrianC wrote: »

I'm with the OP on this - and would do exactly the same. Nor'n Iron plates (three letters, four digits, one letter will be an I or a J or a Z) on the mainland always look like the cheapest pikiest "private plates" imaginable (because they are...), as if the owner's somehow embarrassed that he's not running a current-reg car.

Sod that. Try and flog the plate - eBay, 99p, no reserve, buyer to pay transfer fee. DVLA will then issue you with a "normal" mainland age-related plate. If nobody buys it - and they may well not - then you can request DVLA move it to retention, which you can then either sell or let expire. It'll cost you the £80 transfer fee, though.

You obviously don't know much about the current popularity or cost of Nor'n Iron plates - or else have a strange concept of 'cheap'.

Yes they start at £19.99 on eBay, from private sellers, which I agree is cheap, but they can go to several £100s or over £1000 if the plate is special, or old, or spells initials etc.

TXI on a taxi is a good example - especially if it has double or repeated numbers, or ends in several zeros.

The OP may well have an 'interesting' plate from many years ago, which would be a shame to dispose of cheaply, in a rush to get a mainland UK set.

To sell on eBay at 99p is nuts.

Duran69

Iceweasel wrote: »

Are you saying that you have an old NI plate?

Two letters and four numbers?

Or four numbers and two letters?

If that't's the original plate and the car has had that number all it's life I would suggest that you are being foolish/short-sighted in changing it.

That could well be worth a bit more.

No I'd guess the plate is not worth much. It's not an old one like you suggest. There really isn't anything attractive about the arrangement of letters either.

Duran69

AdrianC wrote: »

Sod that. Try and flog the plate - eBay, 99p, no reserve, buyer to pay transfer fee. DVLA will then issue you with a "normal" mainland age-related plate. If nobody buys it - and they may well not - then you can request DVLA move it to retention, which you can then either sell or let expire. It'll cost you the £80 transfer fee, though.

Sounds like a plan! I've also emailed DVLA to see what they say.

Duran69

Wanted to update this thread in case anyone finds it useful in the future.

Spoken to the DVLA via their website (very helpful and quite quick, suprisingly!). In a nutshell they say this: "you are able to make a request to surrender the Northern Ireland number plate and have a UK age related registration number allocated"

No cost involved, I just need to send them certain documents once the vehicle has been registered to me and a letter from me requesting this change. I would completely give up the NI plate doing it this way (and can't get it back) but I think it's worth very little anyway.

Thanks again to those who answered above.

Iceweasel

Every day is a school day - something new every day.

I never knew you could do that.

Thanks for coming back with an up-date.