What will 2022 number plates be? (2023)

What will the 2022 number plate be?

From 1^st March 2022, new cars will be registered with a new number plate, featuring a new '22' registration tag. More number plates are set to be released in September with a new '72-plate' – these will apply to any new vehicle registered until February 28^th, 2023.

Stealthplate is a self-adhesive, transparent polycarbonate cover that, when placed over your number plate, prevents most infra-red (IR) cameras from imaging your registration.

You will need to 'do your homework' and look at a number plate and its potential future value. Like anything in life, the value can sometimes go down as well as up. Even if it does go up, you are not likely to see its value rise quickly, so you need to be prepared to wait a number of years or possibly even for decades.

From today, March 1, 2022, new cars will be registered with a new number plate featuring the “22” registration tag. The new licence plates will also incorporate previous changes announced in 2021, which outlined the requirements needed for the plate to be road legal.

Any number plates that contain letters and numbers displayed with 3D or 4D effects are illegal. This two-tone look does not provide a clear display of the registration plate. In turn, it affects the readability of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras must also be able to read your number plate clearly. A tinted plate will not meet these readability standards, making it illegal for use on the road. DVLA rules on number plates state that: A number plate must be made from a reflective material.

Cleaning your dirty plates may save you money

Reason being, ANPR cameras are unable to identify with accuracy number plates with dirt on them, thus proving these vital cameras ineffective.

Under new rules both 3D and 4D plates have been made illegal.

The number plate system in place will only last until 2050, because adding 50 every September will eventually require an extra digit on the plate. Even though it's a long way off (32 years to be exact) there are no other new number plate systems in the pipeline.

Are 4D plates illegal?

While it isn't illegal to have a 4D plate, it is illegal to have a plate which isn't readable. If the letters are raised too far above the surface of the number plate, it can make them hard or even impossible to read from certain angles.

While it depends on one's criteria for rarity, many number plate aficionados consider the UK 25 O plate the rarest plate in the world. It's valued so highly because it matches up with the Ferrari-manufactured 250 GTO. It's currently fixed to a Ferrari 250 GTO that was once owned by rockstar Eric Clapton.

Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri's £7.2m '1'

The most expensive number plate in the world - made up of a single digit, '1' was sold to Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri for Dh52. million ($14m, £7.2m). He bought it from a number plate auction organised by Emirates Auction Company in 2008.

Personalised plates have soared in popularity and if bought wisely have been proven to be a worthy investment value particularly since recessionary times. In fact, the number plates are the only part of your vehicle that will appreciate over time.

Number Plate and Vehicle Age Restrictions

First of all, DVLA's rules state you cannot put a number plate on your car to make it appear newer than it is. For example, if your vehicle got manufactured in 2007, you cannot put a plate on it that you might associate with a car built in 2021.

From Tuesday 1st March, brand-new car registrations will feature “72” as the age identifier. In March 2023 this will be updated to 23.

Need some Replacement Number Plates? If either of your car number plates is cracked, broken, faded or has marks obscuring the letters and numbers, then they're illegal and need to be replaced.

This applies to 3D and 4D number plates too. If your number plates were road legal at the time of purchase, they'll still be legal providing they display the BSAU 145d code on the plate itself. If you have a number plate made AFTER 1 September 2021, it will display the BS145e code and must follow the new DVLA rules.

These are illegal for use on the road and will not pass an MOT. You cannot have any colour other than white, yellow, or black on a number plate.

The good news is that while they must conform to the rules laid down by the Motor Car Act, 3D plates are fully legal on UK roads as long as they were manufactured before the latest changes in September 2021.

Do you have to tell insurance about 4D plates?

You don't need to tell your insurance company when you get a standard printed number plate, so there shouldn't be any reason to tell the insurer about a fancy set of 3D or 4D number plates.

3D plates are easier and faster to make than 4D plates, which also makes them cheaper. Both plates are made by hand using alignment bars. You can tell the difference between 3D and 4D plates by how raised the letters are and how they look. 4D characters are more raised and more rectangular.

Well, here's a fun little trick I just saw on TikTok that could potentially help get you out of trouble on the road. All you need is a banana. Yup. According to one creator, this common yellow fruit can help make your license plates unreadable to traffic cameras.

Tinted number plates are not legal for road use.

Furthermore, the DVLA standards regard tinted number plates as obstructing the registration, even when the lettering is in front of the tinted acrylic, as in the case of 3D and 4D number plates.

“Number plates should show your vehicle registration number correctly. You can't rearrange letters or numbers, or alter them so that they're hard to read.” This clearly rules out trying to hide or disguise your number plate using these types of reflective sprays or films.

Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras may not read improperly spaced number plates, plates with incorrect fonts and those with colour-capped screws.

While it's often the case that a closed window means the camera isn't operational, you would be mistaken to think this is a hard and fast rule. Law enforcement are not above tricking speeding drivers and will often point their laser guns through a closed window.

DVLA releases latest list of number plate combinations deemed too inappropriate to be displayed publicly. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has released its latest list of registrations that are too rude for the road, this time for the 22-plate.

Number1Plates is a recognised reseller of DVLA registrations. The Plate Company (UK) Limited T/as Number1Plates is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We undertake both regulated and unregulated business, for which we are authorised under FRN 659570.

5D is a combination of 4D and 3D, where the 4D gives a sharp look while the 3D adds a glossy domed finish on top.

Why fancy number plates are not allowed?

The fake and fancy number plates creates issues in identification of such vehicles. Furthermore, the authorized number plates help the authorities in tracking the suspicious vehicles in case of a crime or traffic violation.

You can make money from number plates because they hold and increase in value as each one is unique. Realistically you're unlikely to find an interested buyer for a randomly assigned registration mark (that's the usual reg plates that we get with a car).

What has happened is that 2D plates that have used an unusual font or effect to give the impression of being 3D are now effectively banned. However, genuine 3D and 4D plates with actually raised lettering are still legal.

They are readable by ANPR systems. DVLA and the government tacitly agree that 4D plates may be supplied as long as they meet the legislation and the British standard. When buying your 4D plates, make sure you use a reputable supplier who has registered with DVLA.

Only vehicles registered before the 1st of January 1980 are allowed to display a black and silver number plate, providing they have applied to the DVLA and are registered with the 'historic vehicles' tax class.

As of the 1st September 2021, number plates that feature a 3D-effect font are banned in the UK. According to the DVLA, a number plate's lettering must only be printed in a single shade of black. This is because the various shades used in 3D number plates may make the vehicle difficult to identify in certain situations.

A Guernsey resident won the battle to buy the new (number-only) States of Guernsey registration, '007', in a recent auction. The buyer, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought it for a whopping £240,000!

You can search for the plate number you're after and the RTA will provide you with any available plates and the cost for it. U-coded plates will cost approximately Dhs1,620 each for five digits; while plates with fewer digits become far more expensive - sequential three-digit plates go for as much as Dhs500,000!

'F 1' Plate is Not for Sale

The 'F 1' plate was bought in 2008 for £440,000 by entrepreneur Afzal Khan who turned his passion for personalised number plates into a business. But he has no plans to sell the plate any time soon.

According to the latest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, the worlds oldest number plate was one issued to a Canadian vehicle in 1884, flying in the face of conventional wisdom, which states that plates were introduced by France in 1893.

Who owns the number 2 plate?

Emirati businessman Ahmed Al Mazroui won the bid to own the exclusive Abu Dhabi number 2 plate, for a whopping Dh10 million.

1) Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri's $14m '1'

The '1' is the most expensive number plate in the world. The registration plate was sold to Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri for Dh52 million ($14 million) in 2008. Khouri, who is the CEO of Abdul Khaleq Al Khouri & Bros Co and CEO of Milipol International Est.

Can I sell my number plate back to the DVLA? No, It's not possible to sell your private number plate back to the DVLA. The DVLA sells cherished number plates, but only new ones. They won't buy back registrations that have already been issued to a vehicle.

A good investment

Personalised number plates not only make you look cool, but they hold their value. Because each is unique, they can be as good as investing into ISAs and bonds. This is only true if you buy a personalise number plate that isn't too personalised.

Essentially you need to buy a brand-new car between September 1st and March 1st 2023. Your new car will then come with a 72 plate.

What is the September 2022 plate? From 1 September 2022, new cars will be registered with a 72-plate. The new 72-plate will apply to all new vehicles registered until February 28th, 2023.

While it depends on one's criteria for rarity, many number plate aficionados consider the UK 25 O plate the rarest plate in the world. It's valued so highly because it matches up with the Ferrari-manufactured 250 GTO. It's currently fixed to a Ferrari 250 GTO that was once owned by rockstar Eric Clapton.

Traditionally, new model year vehicles start to come out in the fall of the previous year. For example, a 2023 model will debut in the fall of 2022 — and dealerships usually want the old stock gone before the new model arrives.

An example of 2022 number plates might be AB22 CDE or AB72 CDE. The number on the plate refers to the year and six-month period in which the vehicle was first registered; either March to August or September to February. The age identifier changes on 1st March and 1st September every year.

Do car prices drop when new reg comes out?

Do used car prices drop when a new reg comes out? Typically, the answer is yes. The reason is that dealers experience lots of traffic around early March and September, and most buyers are on the lookout for a brand spanking new vehicle.

J reg year (J??? ???) - 1st August 1991 to 31st July 1992. K reg year (K??? ???) - 1st August 1992 to 31st July 1993. L reg year (L??? ???) - 1st August 1993 to 31st July 1994.

'1' – Rs 73 crore

In 2008, Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri, also from the United Arab Emirates, set a new record for the most expensive number plate ever sold with a single digit, worth $9.5 million (Rs 73 crore). After the auction, Mr. Khouri said that “I bought it because it's the best number”.

Registration Number '1'

Abu Dhabi property mogul Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri snapped it up in 2008. He later commented: 'I bought it because it's the best number'.

This applies to 3D and 4D number plates too. If your number plates were road legal at the time of purchase, they'll still be legal providing they display the BSAU 145d code on the plate itself. If you have a number plate made AFTER 1 September 2021, it will display the BS145e code and must follow the new DVLA rules.

While it isn't illegal to have a 4D plate, it is illegal to have a plate which isn't readable. If the letters are raised too far above the surface of the number plate, it can make them hard or even impossible to read from certain angles.

All the evidence available tells us that 4D number plates are road legal. They are in compliance with the regulations and the British standard. They are readable by ANPR systems. DVLA and the government tacitly agree that 4D plates may be supplied as long as they meet the legislation and the British standard.