FAQs

We currently use the Royal Mail for all deliveries. We offer free tracked delivery via the Royal Mail Tracked 48 service on orders containing number plates, and free 1st Class delivery is offered on fixing kits & accessories. You have the option of paying for an update to Royal Mail Tracked 24 as your delivery service, if you wish.

If you are local to Durham, we have a walk-in store available for collections from Monday to Saturday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. You can place your order online and choose collection at the checkout, or order in person and pay via cash or card. Please bring your ID and proof of entitlement to the registration when coming to collect. Our workshop is based in Dragonville Industrial Park, Durham, DH1 2XJ.

The law permits the purchase of number plates as a gift, so the names do not need to match on both documents. You can use your own ID, and the entitlement certificate belonging to a family member or friend to purchase number plates from us.

Unfortunately, an email receipt is not sufficient proof under the DVLA regulations to prove entitlement to a registration. We’ll need to see an official document, such as the V750 certificate of entitlement - this will arrive in the post 2-3 working days after purchasing from DVLA, or longer from a third-party registration dealer.

Please see the full list of acceptable proof at this link.

Yes; our 3D & 4D plates are 100% legal, here is a link to the DVLA Government website that states “Characters on a number plate can be 3D.” - Government Number Plate Rules. (‘4D’ is just an industry standard name, they are still 3D)

Shortened number plates are fully road legal, as well. This is explained more in a question on this page.

We will only produce fully road legal number plates, and will not fulfil requests for show plates.

Absolutely, if your 3D or 4D number plates are from Utopia Plates, rest assured they are fully road legal and will pass an MOT. We strictly adhere to the standards and regulations set out by the DVLA, so you don't need to worry about legality issues when it comes to our plates.

However, we understand that some MOT centres might not be fully aware of the legality of 3D and 4D plates. If you encounter such a situation, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We can provide the necessary guidance and advice to help clear any misunderstandings. Additionally, you can also download our legality statement from our website, which clearly outlines the legal status of our plates. This could prove beneficial in case you need to share it with the MOT garage. Your peace of mind and satisfaction are our top priority at Utopia Plates.

Upon receiving your valid ID and entitlement documents, your order gets promptly placed in our production queue. Remarkably, 98% of orders are manufactured and dispatched on the very same day we receive your documents. Hence, the usual turnaround from placing your order to receiving your number plates tends to be between 2-3 days. Should any issue arise with your order, rest assured we'll promptly get in touch with you. With Utopia Plates, efficient production and speedy delivery of your number plates are our priorities.

Yes, you can cancel your order, however, it's important to note that we have a cancellation policy in place.

For number plates, you have the right to cancel from the moment the order is played, until either the manufacturing process begins or 90 days have elapse. A cancellation fee of £5 per number plate will be deducted from your refund.

For private registration orders, cancellations must be made within 30 minutes of placing the order. A cancellation fee equivalent to the Administration Fee on the order will be deducted from your refund. Please note that due to the bespoke nature of these orders, the 30-minute window for cancellations is strictly adhered to.

We strive to process your refund promptly upon cancellation. However, any order cancellations should be communicated to us as soon as possible by contacting our customer service team via email or phone. We're here to assist and ensure your experience with Utopia Plates is as seamless as possible!

If your order consists solely of accessories, we will dispatch it the same day if the order is placed before 3:30pm. We utilize Royal Mail First Class for these orders, which is free of charge and typically ensures next-day delivery.

If you've not yet received your order, please first verify whether you've sent your documents to us, as we can't produce your number plates until you've done this. Next, check for an email from us which contains your tracking link - it may be in your spam folder. If you've provided your documents, and can't find the tracking link, please contact us.

The DVLA Transfer Fee is a mandatory fee charged by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) for the transfer or assignment of a private registration number to your vehicle. This fee is currently £80 and covers the administrative costs for the DVLA to process the transfer or assignment of a personalised registration.

At Utopia Plates, we understand the importance of transparency. That's why the DVLA Transfer Fee is always included in the price of our private registrations. You won't face any hidden or unexpected charges when you purchase a private registration from us.

The admin fee is a mandatory charge that we apply when you purchase a private registration from Utopia Plates. This fee serves to cover our operational costs and ensures that we can provide you with the best possible service.

These costs include the expenses incurred by our payment processors, particularly those associated with our finance providers. The admin fee also covers the professional services of our team, from securing the rights to your chosen private registration to managing all the subsequent administrative work involved in the process. In addition, the admin fee covers the cost of sending you the V750 Certificate of Entitlement and an informative document outlining the next steps in the process.

We strive for transparency and efficiency in our pricing and processes. Rest assured that every fee is used to facilitate a smooth and satisfactory experience when purchasing a private registration from Utopia Plates.

The Done-For-You Transfer Service is a highly convenient and popular service offered by Utopia Plates. For just £24.99, our professional Transfer Team takes on the task of applying a private registration to your vehicle, significantly simplifying the process for you.

All you need to provide is a clear photograph of the front of your V5C Logbook, and we'll handle everything else. Our team handles the paperwork, communicates with the DVLA, and ensures the transfer is completed smoothly and efficiently.

We aim to remove the complexities and confusion often associated with completing paperwork. Our customers who have used this service have found it extremely valuable, saving them both time and the effort of navigating the transfer process. By using our Done-For-You Transfer Service, you can rest easy knowing that experienced professionals are taking care of your private registration transfer.

No, this is not road legal. By law, the small text on the bottom of your number plates must contain the details of the supplier of the number plates, the manufacturer of the materials and the British Standard they conform to.

Standard UK number plates have a dimension of 520mm length by 111mm height. This is what you will see on the majority of cars on UK roads.

Shortened plates by Utopia Plates are a unique product - they are all made to a custom size, unlike the one-size-fits-all approach used by most of our competitors. We shorten the plates, leaving a 16mm margin on all edges, producing a perfectly even appearance. You have the option of requesting a specific length for your plates; for example, you may want shortened plates but still need to cover screw holes in your bumper. This requirement can be requested by contacting us after placing your order. Legally, the minimum margin for the number plates must be 11mm.

We make every attempt to produce perfect plates every time, and we have a quality control procedure which means every number plate is inspected before dispatch. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the product you are receiving is a handmade custom product so in very rare cases, a slight imperfection may be present.

The letters on our 4D plates come with an extremely strong adhesive, so far we have had no problems with 4D letters coming off due to curved bumpers. However, if the plates are bent to an extreme with a bumper that we have not yet come across, you must accept this risk and the responsibility for the outcome. If you are worried about the 4D letters being a problem, please purchase 3D Gel as they are extremely flexible.

Yes, this is a legal requirement for all number plate suppliers. - To receive number plates from us, you must send us your original, physical proof of address document and entitlement document before we can produce them. This is to stop criminals from cloning number plates for nefarious purposes. After you have placed your order, effectively paying a deposit, you will be emailed instructions to post your documents. This is a DVLA requirement, you must show documents for any number plate order. For a full list of acceptable documents please click here. Any company which is providing number plates without seeing the original documents is operating illegally.

Each of our number plates is covered by a comprehensive 12-month warranty. This protects against issues like 'tunnelling', a condition where water ingress separates the reflective portion from the acrylic layer, as well as any de-lamination of the letters. For those seeking further protection, we offer an optional Accidental Damage Cover. This add-on service covers two free of charge replacements within two years of the original order, providing peace of mind against unexpected incidents. For more detailed information or further warranty-related queries, please reach out to us via our contact page.

Please view our “Valid Documents” page to see which ID documents are suitable - you can find this page here.

Please view our “Valid Documents” page to see which entitlement documents are suitable - you can find this pagehere.

Once we have processed your documents, and produced your number plates, we will safely package them both together and return them using a tracked mail service.

A private registration, also known as a private number plate or personalised plate, is a special kind of vehicle registration that doesn't follow the standard dated format. It can be purchased to personalise your vehicle and can include initials, names, or specific numbers.

You can browse our extensive collection of private registrations directly on our website. Once you find a registration that you like, you can purchase it directly from our platform. After purchase, we'll guide you through the transfer process and help you register it to your vehicle.

No, UK regulations state that you cannot make a vehicle appear younger than it is by assigning a newer registration number to an older vehicle. For instance, a '22' number plate cannot be applied to a vehicle registered before March 2022.

If you've purchased number plates from us as well as your private registration, you'll need to provide one proof of address document so that we may satisfy the legal requirement of seeing both a proof of address and proof of entitlement document to make up number plates.

After receiving your entitlement documents, we typically process private registrations within 2 weeks. However, we strive to make this process as quick as possible, and many customers receive their new registration certificate within 5 working days.

Yes, private registrations can be sold or transferred to another vehicle. This can make a private registration a good investment in some cases. When you remove a private registration from a vehicle, it is put on 'retention' and can be transferred to another vehicle.