This week DVLA Released 150,000 previously un-issued prefix number plate combinations.
The combinations up for grabs (whilst stocks last) are prefix letters A to H, with number 25 or 26, followed by 3 letters. eg B25 BEN or H26 AMY. Therefore there are a maximum of 16 available for each 3 letter combination that follows the prefix letter and number. There are names galore which all tend to sell out within a few months including the likes of DEB, JAC, JEN, JON, KEL, ROB, SEB and TOM to name but a few.
The Prefix system was devised and operated on vehicles from 1982 to 2001, but is a lifetime ago and many young drivers will only know the current number plate system which has a mandatory 7 characters (format AB74 ABC)
When DVLA started selling Prefix number plates around 1989/1990, A and H prefix were the first, and back then only numbers 1-20 were released. On later releases numbers up to 31 and higher numbers like 33,44,55,66 were issued.
The Prefix letters between A and H, A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H, with numbers 1-20 were quickly exhausted and popular combinations soon dried up. In recent years it was identified that there was sufficient demand for more prefix number plates and DVLA can sell them as they have done for many years on behalf of the UK Government, Department of Transport.
The DVLA, CarReg and the Cherished Number Plate trade have been selling prefix style number plates for almost 35 years. Some of the most valuable prefix number plates ever sold include K1 NGS, A5 TON, C1 NDY, B4 RRY, D1 ANE, D1 XON, F1 RST, H4 RRY, S1 NGH, N1 CKY, J4 MES, J1 MMY, G42 ETH. K1 NGS made a huge £193,000 plus fees over thirty years ago in December 1993 and still to this day holds the record for a prefix number plate. Just last month at DVLA auction K111 NGG made a surprising £20,030 hammer price.
Over time people have come to accept that their budget may not stretch to thousands or tens of thousands, so will purchase something that, to the eye looks a little like the name or word they are trying to resemble. For example H26 RRY for Harry, or G26 ETH for Gareth, E25 MMA for Emma would be considered over much more expensive options which of course will and have achieved top prices in times gone by. These registrations are easily readable , obvious (to most people) the name or word they represent and are affordable to many.
A25 TON was available this week for just £799, compared to A5 TON which made £61,000 at auction some twenty four years ago. The likelihood is this number will re-appear on the second hand market for considerably more than £799. Our estimate on its true achievable value would be perhaps five times that £3500-5000.
Looking specifically at historic top sellers under the A to H prefix and numbers you may wish to search for names and words replacing the single numbers as shown below with the numeric 25 or 26 and see how much you can save!
High Achieving Prefix Number Plates (A-H)
Many of the examples listed under each Prefix letter made well over £10,000 with H1 NDU making £144,000 at an online DVLA Auction Sale August 2023. A5 TON made £61,000, whilst F1 RST made £33,000 and G1 LLY £70,000, both way back in 1989/1990 respectively. Some other examples of high price achievers are listed below.
A - A5 TON , A1 DAN, A4 DAM, A5 HOK, A5 COT, A8 DUL,
B - B1 LLY, B1 NGO, B1 RDS, B1 KES, B1 MBO, B2 OOO, B3 AST, B4 RRY, B4 KER,
C - C1 NDY, C1 DER, C1 GAR, C1 ARK, C4 REY, C4 ROL, C4 LUM
D - D1 ANE, D1 ANA, D1 XON, D3 VON, D4 WNS, D4 NNY, D4 VES, D4 RYL
E - E1 FEL, E1 GHT, E1 ANE, E5 SEX, E5 TER, E99 MMA
F - F1 RST, F1 LLY, F1 RTH, F1 NCH, F1 ONA, F4 CUP, F4 SAL,
G - G1 LLY, G1 LES, G1 NNY, G1 ENN, G4 RYS, G1 PSY
H - H1 NDU, H1 LDA, H1 GGY, H1 CKS, H4 RRY
Thousands to choose from only £154
Options are never ending and you dont always have to make a name or word. Many customers prefer initials which are more discreet. With 2025 fast approaching A-H 25 prefix plates can be used on any vehicle registered after August 1983 for A or August 1990 for H. They would also serve well should you wish to mark a special occasion happening next year, whether it be a marriage , special birthday or birth of a new baby. Initials do tend to be cheaper than 3 letter names and abbreviated names which tend to be priced between £600 and £1500 excluding VAT.
Don't delay, start your own search today. All prefix number plates of this nature can be supplied on DVLA Certificates valid for almost 10 years so they can be filed away for later use if they are not required to be transferred immediately.
Some Prefix Examples Available Now
