Revealed: The record sums being paid for personalised plates

Personalised registration plates have been sold for record numbers in 2025 with one being sold for almost a million pounds, new figures show. 

In the last six months, the record for the most expensive licence plate has been broken twice despite having previously stood for over a decade. 

It was first smashed in July with a J B registration plate being purchased for more than £600,000. Later in November, another buyer bought an 1 F plate for £936,000.

Among the new novelty plates on the roads, approved by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), included 8008 S, 91 SS, and AUT 15M.

Each number plate was sold for thousands of pounds, as experts reveal the recent boom may boil down to buyers seeking potential investment opportunities. 

Meanwhile, the priciest number plate sold by the DVLA itself was 52 O, which was later auctioned off for over £100,000, and was firmly placed on a BMQ 520. 

According to experts, interest in personalised number plates have seen an increase overall, with as many as 72 new number plates selling for more than £20,000.

DB1 and JK 1 became the eighth and 14th most expensive plates to ever be sold in the country, with each sold for £437,000 and £336,000, respectively.

Elsewhere, a DAM 1T licence plate was auctioned for £21,090 while 8008 S and 91 SS were purchased for £27,410 and £23,100, respectively.

Catherine Jansson-Boyd, a professor of consumer psychology, believes the recent interest to drivers wanting to reflect their personalities on their cars. 

'We know from a psychological perspective that people tend to consume things they think are extensions of who they are. We merge into one with them,' the Anglia Ruskin academic told The Telegraph.

'If you bought a car because you think it's an extension of yourself, you are also then particularly attached to it and you're going to want that to be a little bit more special because otherwise, it's just like everybody else's car.'

There are millions of number plates available from the DVLA from upwards of £250. But, more sought-after plates often head to the auction room.  

This tends to happen if the licensing authority believes the plate will be in-demand, such as shorter number plates or ones that look similar to certain names or words. 

Professor Jansson-Boyd added that buyers often go for more humorous plates to send a message to other drivers in a sea of 'often very dull' registrations. 

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And buying them at auction encourages those bidding to spend even more, the academic explained. 

She added that in this scenario, buyers often forget about being frugal as they become attached to the item and perceive it as part of their identity. 

Members of the public can ask the DVLA for unissued number plates to be on offer at future auctions. But, the authority first has to weigh up if they are suitable. 

According to the DVLA, any offensive registrations are stripped from the auction with the cash, in turn, given to the Treasury and the Department for Transport. 

The driving authority previously prohibited certain plates, which referenced COVID-19, amid worries they would spark offence and were 'in poor taste'.  

New plates from the DVLA are sold by John Pye auctioneers, which since its first sale in October, has seen ten go for over £20,000. 

Angela Banh, a marketing manager at Regtransfers.co.uk, described 2025 as a 'really exciting year' for the industry of personal registration plates. 

Ms Banh, who works for the UKs biggest private number plate specialist, said interest for the novelty plates were the highest they had ever been.

A DVLA spokesman said: 'Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration, with almost endless combinations available to suit a person's taste, interest, and budget.

'Each year, approximately 18,000 unique registrations are released through our online auctions, with around 85 per cent based on customer requests.

'There are also over 65 million registrations available to purchase on our website, with fixed prices starting from £250.'