Welcome to our Blog! Stay informed with the latest private plate and motoring news. Our interesting articles reflect our dedication to great value and honesty, so we're always covering the latest relevant topics. It's not all serious though - we also post fun games and quizzes!

Stay tuned for regular expert insights into cars, important DVLA updates, and number plate laws.

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An image of a woman holding number plates. Her plates look like the words 'Love Gifts' and other plates on the image look like 'Valentine'. Text reads 'Gift Guide'
Blog 09/02/2024

Valentine's Guide: Find the Perfect Partner Plate?

Looking for a great Valentine's day gift? It's never too late to go searching for a Partner Plate, as we offer Gift Presentation Certificates as great last-minute Valentine's gifts. If you're feeling brave, you can head straight to our Smart Search and start exploring all on your own: https://www.plates4less.co.uk/

Of course, we've got some special Valentine's Day tips for you in this article, too! And, don't forget to check out the Valentine's Guide in our Gift Hub.

The text 'Summer Contest Winner 2023' is on a white background. In the left corner is our logo, and in the right is a yellow sun. The bottom of the image is taken up by two polaroids of the winning private plates, with colourful brush strokes behind them
Blog 22/09/2023

Private Number Plate Competition Winner, Summer 2023!

We are thrilled to announce the winner of our Summer Number Plate Contest 2023 - Jon Davies with the registration number SD04 JFD. We chose our winner based on their reasons for wanting a personalised plate and we loved Jon's answer. To get to know our winner a bit better, we interviewed him about his plate, and we've included some of his responses here.

A Black and white image. On the left, a car is facing left, under a streetlight. The image is mirrored on the right. Text across the top reads 'NUMBER PLATE CLONING'
News 15/09/2023

Number Plate Cloning On the Rise

We recently put out a press release on the issue of number plate cloning, a crime which makes victims of innocent motorists. With the London ULEZ zone expanding, cloning is unfortunately on the rise, stressing out motorists who are being sent ULEZ charges and speeding fines for offences they have not committed.

UK number plates guide to what's legal
Blog 16/06/2023

Are your UK number plates legal?

In the United Kingdom, displaying number plates on your vehicle is a legal requirement. The purpose of the number plate is to identify the vehicle and its owner, and to help enforce road traffic laws.

Every day we have clients ask us if they can mis-space or alter their number plates to their liking and wish to further customise their Private Plates so that they have more meaning to them.

We wanted to put together this handy guide of answers to the most-asked questions on this subject to help you understand the do's and don'ts when it comes to displaying a vehicle number plate on the UK roads.

number plate quiz
blog 15/12/2022

Can you spot an illegal number plate?

We've noticed, especially on social media, that many people flaunt or unknowingly display illegal private number plates, so here at Plates4Less we've created a quiz to see if people can recognise these potentially expensive mistakes.

Can I sell my number plate
Blog 27/10/2022

Can I sell my number plate?

There will probably be no interest in your physical number plates, but if you own a personalised registration mark OR have an interesting registration mark that came on a vehicle then it is very likely that you'll be able to sell it, should you be able to find a buyer.

Car window with penalty notice charge
News 07/10/2022

Drastic Increase in Number Plate Cloning

Heycar are reporting a 857% increase in cancelled Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) from April 2021 to April 2022. With car cloning on a high, more and more people are receiving fines through their door for offences they have not committed.

Winning with plates4less
Blog 17/06/2022

Winning with Plates4less

We like competitions at plates4less, be it our annual Christmas draw or simply to celebrate those who choose to name their vehicles, and over the years we've given away a fair few personalised registration marks.

Changes to the highway code 2022
News 08/03/2022

Changes to the Highway Code in January 2022

In order to ensure we all stay safe on the roads, The Highway Code often needs to change so as to better protect those deemed most vulnerable, such as pedestrians, horse-riders, and cyclists. With this in mind, some major new changes came into effect from 29 th January, 2022.

Iconic cars and number plates of 007 main image
Blog 01/02/2022

Have you named your car?

We've all called our car a name or two when it won't start, but have you given it a proper name? Well apparently 1 in 6 of us have, with those aged between 35 and 54 the most likely to have done so.

This statistic comes from a recent survey carried out by the DVLA*, which also revealed some of the most popular and the most unusual.

Iconic cars and number plates of 007
Blog 10/11/2021

Live and Let Buy Premium 007 Bond Cars in Auction

James Bond is as synonymous with style and sophistication as he is with action and espionage; his tailor kits him out well, Q ensures he has the most cutting-edge gadgets, and there's always a very fine car or two for him to use on his mission. Whether it's a classy Aston Martin, a sporty supercar, or a more robust off-roader, Bond never fails to use his licence to thrill, driving the action from one film to the next.

The Iconic Cars and Plates of 007 Bond
Blog 22/09/2021

The Iconic Cars and Plates of 007 Bond.

Bond (James Bond) has driven many cars in his career. From a missile-launching Aston Martin to a fully submersible Lotus Esprit or a change-to-a-plane AMC Matador, Bond's vehicles always come with a license to thrill, so fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourself for some of Bond's best drives...

Road trip - map of UK with marked points
Blog 09/07/2021

Road trip! The best roads in Britain

If you happened to read our article on road-trip movies it might be that you've been inspired to go on one yourself. Or maybe it's the lockdown cabin-fever setting in that's inspired you. Tricky to do at the moment, of course, what with Brexit and COVID restrictions bringing their own complications when it comes to travel, but thanks to today's technology you can still go virtually anywhere. Emphasis on the virtually.

James Bond images
Blog 15/06/2021

You Know His Name Associating the Best with Bond

He's known by his surname, likes his martinis shaken (not stirred), and travels all around the world on Her Majesty's Service. He also tends to dress well, drives the best cars, and is never short of romantic attention. He is 007. He is Bond… James Bond.

planning a road trip
Blog 15/06/2021

How to plan a road trip

If you read our article on films you might have been inspired to go on one yourself. Tricky to do under the current lockdown rules, of course, with hitting the road reserved for essential travel, but you could always start planning for when this is all over, seeing the sights you always told yourself you'd see, or finally visiting friends and family you've not seen for a while.

Green number plate
News 27/01/2021

Green plates are a go!

You may remember a while ago we wrote about the proposal for 'green' number plates, an incentive designed to promote an awareness of electric vehicles and those producing zero CO2 emissions while also making these cleaner vehicles more instantly recognisable

Chrismas competition winner banner
Blog 26/01/2021

Making a splash!

We had such a great response to our Christmas competition that we decided to announce two winners, rounding off 2020 with something positive!

Road Trip Number Plate Flicks Article
Blog 11/01/2021

Road Trip Number Plate Flicks

Thanks to the coronavirus, most of us are self-isolating and refraining from travel that isn't absolutely necessary. But don't worry; just because you're stuck indoors doesn't mean you can't go on a road trip, there are plenty of films that'll take you on just such a journey, many of them available on streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video. Such as these…

Green plates image
Blog 18/09/2020

Will green plates get the go ahead?

With so many parts of our country currently exceeding the legal limits of toxic air pollution, it's obvious we have a serious pollution problem in the UK. One contributing factor to this is the large number of vehicles on our roads, with the average car emitting somewhere between 4 and 6 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Car showing an illegally spaced number plate
News 17/07/2020

Northumbria Police Clamp Down on Illegal Private Plates

Northumbria police have recently posted on their website that there is a crackdown on illegally modified private plates and that they are leading the charge on the problem. A team of 15 hand-picked Special Constables have been assembled to join their Sergeant in stopping vehicles with illegal private plates.

private plate quiz night
Blog 24/04/2020

Hosting a Private Plate Quiz

Have you ever wondered how to host your own virtual quiz? Consider this as your virtual quiz guide along with a downloadable 'Spot the illegal plate quiz' to get you started on your journey to mastering eQuizzery.

Best games for isolated motorists
Blog 07/02/2020

Game On! Best games for isolated motorists

Calling all isolated motorists… Stuck indoors, trapped in isolation, while avoiding unnecessary travel? We know the feeling. That's why we'll be sharing a series of articles thematically linked to cars and driving – including how to drive from the comfort and safety of your own home!

clone wars number plates
News 21/01/2020

Attack of the Clones Episode II A New Hope

In a recent article we told you about one of our customers, Mr 'Jones' (real name withheld for safety), who found himself the victim of number plate cloning, receiving several fines as the result of someone else's motoring offences. Well, we're pleased to say he was able to prove his innocence and is now the proud owner of a new private registration mark.

Christmas Winner image
Blog 16/01/2020

We have a Christmas Winner!

You may have noticed that we recently ran a Christmas competition, giving away a private registration mark! We asked those entering the competition to pick the perfect plate and let us know why it was so suited to them.

Attack of the Clones Number Plate Theft and Vehicle Cloning article
News 19/12/2019

Attack of the Clones Number Plate Theft and Vehicle Cloning

These days, Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology (or ANPR) is everywhere. In fact, there are more than 8500 such cameras around the UK, able to capture up to 35 million registrations per day. It is used to help combat crime, and to issue fines to those guilty of motoring offences. However, as a result of this new technology a new crime has emerged number plate theft and vehicle cloning.

reindeer with the text 'Plates4Less Christmas Buying Guide'
Blog 14/11/2019

Christmas Gift Advice

Private registration marks make the perfect, unique gift. You can secure a registration mark for your loved one now - we have provided the following advice to help you further.

Car with an illegal number plate
Blog 10/09/2019

Illegal number plates are on our roads, but does it bother you?

You may have recently seen (and even played!) our number plate game to see if you could spot an illegal number plate. Many vehicles these days are displaying illegal personal number plates, so we challenged people to test their knowledge, identifying from amongst a number of real UK number plates those that were legal and those that were not.

Can you spot an illegal number plate
Blog 20/08/2019

Can you spot an illegal number plate?

We've noticed, especially on social media, that many people flaunt or unknowingly display illegal personal number plates, so here at Plates4Less we've created a quiz to see if people can recognise these potentially expensive mistakes.

Camera that will track number plates on the road
News 14/07/2019

Can you be tracked by your number plate?

These days, the importance placed on data protection means many of us can rest easy regarding the handling of our personal information, while CCTV and other technologies help to make us feel safe. But as anyone who's had a speeding ticket can testify, cameras and databases can identify who and where we are

Smart Search Launch
News 01/05/2019

Plates4Less Smart Search Launch

Hi! My name's Charlotte and I'm part of the sales team at Plates4Less, and I'm here to explain our new and improved Smart-Search system to help customers find the perfect private number plate.