Major change to number plates coming this month – here’s what you need to know

DRIVERS have been warned about a major change to number plates coming this month.

New number plates will be included with all new vehicles sold in Wales, Scotland, and England starting on March 1.

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Handily, car experts at Cuvva have revealed everything drivers need to know about licence plate changes and how they might affect them.

The changes will impact the first two numbers on the licence plate, known as the age identifiers.

As drivers enter a new six-month period, the number will switch from 72 to 23, followed by 73 in September.

But, the rest of the letters and numbers will be assigned as usual, with the first few letters indicating the region, while the end of the number plate is randomly generated.

Manufacturers making the plates must also follow specific rules around fonts, font sizes, colours and placements.

Drivers could be fined up to £1,000, and their car will fail its MOT if they don’t display their number plate correctly.

But there’re several myths around licence plates too.

Darryl Bowman, from Cuvva, said: “While they indicate the car’s age, it’s a common misconception that number plate changes decrease the car’s value.

“If you’re looking to sell your car soon and want the best price possible, it’s best to sell before the new plates come out.

“And if you want to grab a bargain for a nearly-new car, buying a car that’s registered one plate back might be a good idea.

“There are ways to lower the depreciation of a car, including regular servicing, MOT checks, choosing a popular model and reducing your driving time to keep the mileage low.”

And number plates don’t directly impact a driver’s car premium, but older and newer cars, as indicated by the age identifier, are valued differently.

Mr Bowman added: “As cars lose value as they age, older cars are typically cheaper to insure as the potential insurance payout would be lower than a new car if a claim was made.

“Although it’s not the case for classic cars.”