Private & Personalised Number Plate Glossary For Quick Reference About DVLA & General Vehicle Registration Terminology
Welcome to the CarReg Glossary – your complete guide to the terminology used throughout the personalised number plate industry.
Whether you’re buying your first private registration, transferring a cherished number plate or investing in a rare dateless registration, understanding the language can make the whole process much easier.
We’ve created this glossary to explain the most common words, abbreviations and DVLA terms in plain English. Every definition has been written by our experienced team to help you understand exactly what each term means and how it relates to buying, selling, valuing and transferring personalised registrations.
The glossary is updated regularly as legislation changes and new terminology is introduced.
If you’re looking for a specific term, simply browse the A–Z sections below or use your browser’s search function (Ctrl + F or Command + F).
A
Age Identifier
The age identifier is the part of a current-style UK registration that indicates when a vehicle was first registered. For example, “25” represents vehicles registered between March and August 2025, while “75” is used between September 2025 and February 2026.
Assignment
The process of placing a personalised registration onto a vehicle.
Assignment Certificate
A document confirming that a personalised registration has been successfully assigned to a vehicle.
Auction Plate
A registration sold through a public auction, often because it is particularly rare or desirable.
B
BS AU 145e
The current British Standard that all road-legal UK number plates must meet. It sets the requirements for durability, reflectivity and construction.
C
Certificate of Entitlement (V750)
The official DVLA document confirming the right to assign a personalised registration to a vehicle.
Cherished Number Plate
A traditional term for a personalised or private registration, often used to describe registrations that have personal or financial value.
Current Style Registration
The registration format introduced in September 2001, consisting of two letters, two numbers and three letters, for example AB25 CDE.
D
Dateless Registration
A registration that does not reveal the age of a vehicle. Dateless registrations were issued before suffix and prefix formats and are among the most sought-after personalised number plates because they can be displayed on vehicles of any age.
DVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, responsible for vehicle registrations and personalised number plate administration in Great Britain.
E
Entitlement
The legal right to assign a personalised registration to a vehicle, usually confirmed by a V750 Certificate of Entitlement.
F
First Registration
The date a vehicle was originally registered with the DVLA.
G
Grantee
The person named on a V750 or V778 document who has the right to assign or retain a personalised registration.
I
Investment Number Plate
A personalised registration purchased with the expectation that it may increase in value over time due to rarity, desirability or demand.
L
Legal Number Plate
A number plate manufactured to comply with all current DVLA regulations and the British Standard BS AU 145e.
N
Nominee
A person authorised by the grantee to receive a personalised registration when it is assigned to a vehicle.
P
Personalised Number Plate
A registration chosen for its letters or numbers rather than being issued at random, often reflecting initials, names, hobbies or businesses.
Prefix Registration
A registration format used between 1983 and 2001, where the age-identifying letter appears at the beginning of the registration.
Private Number Plate
Another commonly used name for a personalised registration.
R
Registration Mark (VRM)
The official term used by the DVLA for a vehicle’s registration number.
Retention
The process of removing a personalised registration from a vehicle and keeping the rights to it for future use.
Retention Document (V778)
The DVLA document confirming that a personalised registration has been retained and can be assigned to another vehicle at a later date.
S
Show Plate
A decorative number plate intended for display purposes only. Show plates must not be used on public roads unless they comply fully with current legal requirements.
Suffix Registration
A registration format used between 1963 and 1983, where the age-identifying letter appears at the end of the registration.
T
Transfer
The process of moving a personalised registration from one vehicle to another.
V
Valuation
An estimate of the current market value of a personalised registration based on factors such as rarity, desirability, character combination and previous sales.
V750
The DVLA Certificate of Entitlement that allows a personalised registration to be assigned to a vehicle.
V778
The DVLA Retention Document that confirms a registration has been removed from a vehicle and retained for future use.
Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM)
The official DVLA term for a vehicle’s registration number.
Need More Help?
If you can’t find the term you’re looking for, or you’d like advice about buying, selling, valuing or transferring a personalised number plate, the CarReg team is always happy to help. Alternatively, you can ask Alice, our AI assistant, for an instant answer 24 hours a day.
