Buying Guide
Your guide to buying with RegDrop
Buying a private registration with RegDrop is simple. Find a plate you like, watch its price fall and claim it when the time feels right.
This guide explains how the process works and what happens after you buy.
1. Search for your registration
Use our search to explore millions of available private registrations.
You can search using letters, numbers, names, initials or words that mean something to you. If you are flexible, try different combinations—you may discover a plate you had not considered.
2. Check the live price
Every registration on RegDrop has a live price that gradually falls.
The registration begins at its starting price and continues dropping until someone claims it or it reaches its lowest price. There is no bidding and you do not need to create an offer.
The price shown on the page is the price available at that moment.
3. Decide when to claim it
You can buy the registration immediately or wait to see if its price falls further.
Waiting could save you money, but it also gives someone else the opportunity to claim the plate first. Registrations are unique, so once a plate has been purchased, it may no longer be available.
When the price feels right, select Claim This Plate to begin checkout.
4. Review the full cost
Before you pay, we will show you a clear breakdown of your order.
This may include:
- The registration price
- VAT, where applicable
- The compulsory £80 DVLA transfer fee
- Any optional physical number plates or additional services
You will see the total cost before confirming your purchase.
5. Complete your details and payment
Enter your contact details and check that everything is correct before making payment.
Your registration is not secured simply by placing it in your basket. It is only claimed once checkout and payment have been successfully completed.
We will send confirmation to the email address you provide.
6. We arrange your registration certificate
After your order has been confirmed, we arrange the official DVLA registration certificate.
The certificate proves your entitlement to use the registration and is normally issued as either a V750 Certificate of Entitlement or a V778 Retention Document.
Processing times can vary, particularly if the DVLA needs to carry out additional checks.
7. Assign the registration to a vehicle
Receiving the certificate does not automatically put the registration onto your vehicle. It must first be formally assigned through the DVLA.
To qualify, the vehicle must:
- Be registered with the DVLA in the UK
- Be able to move under its own power
- Be available for inspection if requested
- Be of an age that allows it to display the registration
You cannot use a registration to make a vehicle appear newer than it really is.
Do not display the new registration on your vehicle until the DVLA has confirmed that the assignment is complete.
8. Order physical number plates
You can choose to order physical number plates alongside your registration.
Before number plates can be manufactured, legally accepted proof of identity and entitlement must be provided. This verification takes place before manufacture and dispatch, so any delivery estimate begins after the required documents have been approved.
Buying as a gift
A private registration can make a memorable gift. You do not need to assign it to a vehicle immediately, so it can remain on its certificate until the recipient is ready to use it.
Make sure the registration is suitable for the intended vehicle and does not make it appear newer than it is.
Ready to start searching?
Your perfect registration may already be falling in price.
Search the collection, follow the live price and claim it before someone else does.