What Is A Dateless Number Plate?

Number plates are much more interesting than many people realise. By design no two are the same are they? But how exactly do number plates work in the UK and what makes a dateless number plate so special?

In the UK a number plate features a variety of letters and numbers. But what do these really mean? Well think about it like this the first two letters are the local memory tag. The next two numbers are the age identifier that tells you when the vehicle was registered.

After these, there is going to be three random numbers or letters to complete the plate. So, while your typical plates don’t feature a traditional date reading the age identifier will essentially tell you the age of the vehicle. But what makes a dateless number plate different?

Well as you can tell by the name a dateless number plate is a number plate that doesn’t feature any kind of age identifier. They also typically won’t follow the same set-up as a regular number plate. A dateless number plate will usually have two sections.

The first will either be a single letter or a short sequence of them. The second section will be one number or as you have likely guessed a short sequence of them. They are essentially a type of personalised licence plate and one of the most popular variants.

A Closer Look At Dateless Number Plates

So, why are dateless number plates so valued? While personalised number plates do have a lot of benefits, dateless plates allow you to essentially hide the age of your vehicle. The format of dateless number plates is also very versatile which means you can create many unique and eye-catching designs.

Dateless number plates can be used for all manner of vehicles including any kind of car or van. Depending on how you set the numbers and letters out you can also make your vehicle appear older than it actually is as well. Although most people will prefer to use dateless number plates to hide the age of the vehicle entirely.

While the formats have changed over time nowadays setting out a dateless number plate is quite simple. Letters in the first group have a huge range from AAA to YYY while numbers can range from 1 to 999. This set-up allows greater levels of personalisation so people can set out their plates however they like, in most cases anyway.

The Benefits of Dateless Number Plates

One of the biggest benefits of dateless number plates is something we have already looked at. Being able to hide the age of your vehicle however, they also offer some amazing personalisation options. People with short names can even get their whole name on the plate! But even if you can’t fit your whole name you can easily fit your initials.

Being able to just use one number and one letter can also prove to be both very eye-catching and valuable as well. Dateless number plates that utilise more letters and numbers are going to be cheaper on average although the value of plates will change. Because of this buying, dateless plates can actually be a very wise investment, especially if you think ahead.

You could buy plates that will be more relevant in a few years by simply changing the numbers to reflect upcoming years. Number sequences like 007 or 101 have already proven to be very popular. But whether you are buying them for greater personalisation, to hide the age of your vehicle or as a future investment it can’t be denied that dateless plates have a number of benefits.

Where To Buy Dateless Number Plates

So, if you are tempted to get a dateless number plate for your vehicle what should you do? Contacting the DVLA should be your first port of call as you can buy new plates from the DVLAs personalised registrations page. If you are unlucky and the dateless number plate you want is actually already in use or owned by someone what can you do?

Well, the good news is you might still be able to get the dateless plate you want but you’ll have to buy it from the person who already owns it. Because some dateless number plates are so valuable there is a thriving private marketplace for them. And if you buy one from a private dealer they will transfer the dateless number plate to your vehicle.

So, that completes our look at dateless number plates and the many benefits they have. You might not have always realised it but you likely have seen plenty of them about during your day to day travels. If you want your own then the costs can certainly vary but they have some great benefits worth pursuing.