Individuals looking for a personalised registration plate can use the DVLA site, or there is a range of registered dealers who have their own websites. This allows anyone to search online, at their own convenience, to locate the ideal plate.

Personalised registration plates vary greatly in terms of cost. Anyone looking for a plate consisting of a three-letter combination will find that they are readily available and are generally quite affordable. However, registration marks with only one or two letters are rare and as such, can be much more expensive.

The market is huge and there is no end to the options available. At any one time there will be millions of combinations available to search through. Of course, you are limited if you have one particular registration mark in mind, as each one is unique. Also, many marks no longer exist, as when a vehicle is scrapped or written off, the registration mark is no longer in use and not available for purchase.

If you are looking for something specific from a personalised registration plate, remember that names and initials are always in high demand. However, many use this unique format to showcase their hobbies and interests or to promote their businesses.

It is also common for purchasers of personalised registrations to seek to hide the age of their vehicle. Many registrations can do this for you, but you cannot make your car appear newer than it really is. Northern Ireland registration marks can also be transferred onto UK mainland vehicles. Many of these contain the letters I and Z, which UK plates do not; this opens up many more combinations of letters and numbers.