Cover plates: the number plates that hide your car's age
Dateless, Northern Irish and Irish number plates carry no age identifier, so they can make an older car look ageless. Here is how cover plates work.
28 Jul 2026
Promo.co.uk · Number Plate Stories
Number Plate Stories
What official DVLA data shows about private number plate demand, initials, prices and the rules behind a good buy.
How to read a number plate like a dealer
Dealers see names and words where others see random letters and numbers. Learn the character swaps and mirror tricks that turn an ordinary plate into a personal one.
27 Jul 2026
Northern Ireland: often the cheapest personal number plates
Northern Irish number plates are widely available, carry no age identifier and often read as initials, which can make them some of the best-value personal plates.
25 Jul 2026
Prefix number plates: the letters and numbers still in demand
Prefix plates from 1983 to 2001 remain popular. Official data shows which leading letters and numbers buyers still chase, and why the low numbers carry a premium.
23 Jul 2026
Private number plates: AA leads the initials buyers want
Official DVLA data on private number plates shows the initials, combinations and numbers buyers are taking off the market, led by AA.
22 Jul 2026
Private number plates: what makes one a good buy
A plain-English guide to what makes a private number plate worth more, from the number 1 rule to reading a plate as a name, using official DVLA formats.
20 Jul 2026
The cheeky number plates the UK loves to buy
British buyers love a plate that says something. Using numbers that stand in for letters, official data shows hundreds of word plates selling, some cheeky.
18 Jul 2026
The most in-demand initials on private number plates
Official DVLA data shows which initials buyers want most on private number plates. Two-letter pairs AA, AE and MR lead, with short name-like combinations selling fastest.
17 Jul 2026
The number plates that show your initials twice over
Some buyers pick a current-style plate that carries both their two-letter and three-letter initials at once, like SJ11 STJ. Official data shows how many go this far.
15 Jul 2026
The private number plates couples buy to share
Some number plates are chosen so two people can both relate to them, usually through a shared surname initial. Official data shows thousands sold in the last month alone.
13 Jul 2026
Why March and September spark a private number plate rush
Twice a year a new age identifier is released and millions of number plate combinations change hands, from personalised buys to the marks taken out of circulation.
12 Jul 2026
Why private number plates are getting harder to find
Official data shows private number plates leaving DVLA availability far faster than new ones are added, which means the pool of the best combinations keeps shrinking.
10 Jul 2026
Why the number 1 is the most valuable digit on a number plate
On a number plate the digit 1 is worth more than any other. It takes up less space, reads more cleanly and stands for being first, which is why buyers pay a premium.
8 Jul 2026