If there is a particular personalised number plate you’re after – and it’s not offered for sale then is there anything you can do to track down who owns the number plate or find out if it has ever been issued?
There are two scenarios – the first is that the plate is in circulation and on a vehicle or retention certificate somewhere – the second is the plate has never been issued. In both cases there is a chance to obtain the registration number- you just need to know how to do it…
Can I find out who owns a number plate from the DVLA?
In short- unfortunately not.
The DVLA’s data protection regulations mean that only in the interests of crime prevention and detection will they disclose the details relating to a particular personal number plate.
The DVLA is not the only place to turn to – with a little imagination you may still find who owns a particular number plate.
How to find who owns a number plate?
With a bit of detective work it may be possible to find out who owns a number plate. First stop is the internet – if you search for the number plate – let’s say “A123ABC” then you may find it IS offered for sale somewhere but perhaps you haven’t found it.
“Searching using quotation marks will return the most precise results”
You may also find that the owner of the plate has registered an eBay account, forum or even website with their number plate – this isn’t as uncommon as you may think.
You need to conduct a little thinking “out of the box”
Contacting the Number plate club is always a good move – these friendly people have many contacts up and down the country –so if the number plate you seek is quite distinctive- or even famous then they could point you in the right direction
“Contacting the Number plate club is always a good move”
Was the number plate ever issued?
Although there are many millions of number plates in circulation and many millions more number plates offered for sale it could be that the particular combination you require isn’t actually in circulation.
So how to find out? There are a couple of ways to do this –
Check the registration number on insurance websites – entering a reg number will automatically give you a vehicle model (if it’s registered to a vehicle)
Check the number plate classifieds and number plate dealers
Finally – you can check with the DVLA – you can Email the DVLA but they will only give you a yes/no answer (due to data protection)
How do I request a number plate
If the number plate you seek isn’t in circulation you can request the DVLA offer it at a forthcoming DVLA auction – this if free and a great way of getting the exact plate you want.
If the number plate you seek IS in circulation – you can place a wanted number plate advert and let the owner come to you.
