If you see any vehicle you will notice that it has a number plate attached to it, no matter what country you are in. Although number plates differ across the globe, they are all used as a way of identifying the vehicle and making it unique.

In Ireland, if you have a Northern Irish number plate that has been DVLA registered then it can be transferred to a plate in England, Scotland and Wales. Otherwise, number plates from the republic of Ireland are not eligible to be transferred. In this article, we will look at the format of a Northern Irish number plate and how you can transfer it to another vehicle.

What is the format of an Irish number plate

Northern Irish number plates different from traditional UK number plates are they consist of between 1-4 numbers followed by a block of letters. Within these letters there will always be an I or a Z. The combination of letters works as an area-identifier so you know whereabouts in Northern Ireland the vehicle was first registered.

One of the most popular reasons for purchasing a Northern Irish number plate is because they are dateless and therefore you cannot tell the age of the vehicle by its registration. This means that if you want to hide the age of the vehicle then you can do so with a Northern Irish plate. These are a more cost-effective alternative to English number plates which are often pricey.

How to transfer a Northern Irish plate?

If you’ve found a Northern Irish plate that you are looking to transfer to your own, or you want to sell your number plate then there is a certain process that you have to go through.

As a Northern Irish number plate is the same as an English number plate, the process of transfer is fairly simple. You can choose to transfer the number plate online or via post.

Online

When transferring the plate online, you will need to have you V5C (logbook) available to fill out the relevant details for the application. Simply find the section for number plate transfer on the DLVA website and you can begin the process. It will cost £80 to transfer a number plate online.

Post

If you want to transfer a number plate by post then you will need to print off the relevant application and fill it out, as well as attaching part of your V5C to be sent on. In order to pay the £80 fee via post you must pay by cheque or postal order.

Plate retention

If instead of transferring the plate from one vehicle to another, you want to keep hold of the plate you can then choose to retain it instead. There is also an £80 fee for retaining a plate, however retention lasts up to 10 years. When you apply to have a plate retained either online or via post, you follow a similar process to transferring the plate. However, once the plate has been retained you will receive a Certificate of Retention by the DVLA which is legal proof that you are allowed to keep your number plate off a vehicle.

When it comes to Irish number plates always be aware that there are different rules for number plate transfer with Northern Irish plates and plates from the Republic of Ireland. If you are from the UK and looking to purchase a Northern Irish plate then this isn’t a problem, however it will not be possible with a plate from the republic of Ireland.