What Documents Do You Need to Get Number Plates Made?
Short answer: the documents needed for number plates come down to two things. One document that proves who you are, and one that proves you’re entitled to use the registration. Any legitimate UK number plate supplier has to see both before making a road-legal plate. No exceptions, whether you’re buying a pair of standard plates or a set of 4D gel plates.
That’s the easy bit. The questions we actually get asked at the counter are more like “the logbook’s still in the last owner’s name”, “it’s a lease car, I’ve never seen the V5C” or “I’m buying these for my dad”. So this guide covers those too.
Written by the PlateBoss team, a DVLA-registered number plate supplier with a workshop in Hounslow, west London. Checked against DVLA and GOV.UK guidance, September 2026.
In this guide
- Why you have to show documents at all
- Proof of identity: what counts
- Proof of entitlement: what counts
- Your situation, and what to bring
- How it works when you order online
- Why “no documents needed” is a red flag
- FAQs
Why do you need documents to buy number plates?
Because a number plate is how the police, ANPR cameras, speed cameras and car parks identify a vehicle. If anyone could walk in and get any registration made, cloning a car would be trivial. Cloned plates are how people dodge fines and congestion charges, and it’s the innocent keeper who ends up with the penalty letters.
So only a Registered Number Plate Supplier (RNPS), registered with the DVLA, can legally make road-legal plates. We have to check your documents and keep a record of every sale for three years: the registration, your name and address, and a reference number from the documents you showed us. If a supplier doesn’t keep those records, they can be fined up to £1,000 and taken off the register.
PlateBoss is a DVLA-registered supplier. That’s why we ask.
Document 1: proof of identity
You need one document from this list.
Shows your name and address:
- Driving licence (photocard, or an old paper licence)
- Utility bill from the last 6 months (gas, electric, water, phone, broadband)
- Council Tax or rates bill from the last 6 months
- Bank or building society statement from the last 6 months
- National identity card
Shows your name only:
- Passport (doesn’t have to be a UK one)
- Bank or building society debit or credit card
- Police warrant card
- Armed forces identity card
Most people just use their driving licence and they’re done.
Document 2: proof you’re entitled to the registration
You need one of these as well. This is the one that trips people up.
| Document | What it is | When you’d use it |
|---|---|---|
| V5C | The logbook (vehicle registration certificate) | The normal one. Most orders use this. |
| V5C/2 | The green “new keeper” slip | You’ve just bought the car and the new logbook hasn’t arrived yet |
| V750 | Certificate of entitlement | You’ve bought a private reg that isn’t on a vehicle yet |
| V778 | Retention document | You’ve taken a private reg off a car and are holding it |
| V11 | Tax reminder or SORN notice | Handy if the logbook is missing |
| V379 | Temporary registration certificate | Issued by the DVLA while other paperwork is sorted |
| V948 / eV948 | Number plate authorisation certificate | Issued by the DVLA, for example after a reg change. The paper V948 needs an official DVLA stamp. |
| Fleet letter of authorisation | A letter from a lease, hire or fleet company | Lease and company cars, where the company holds the V5C |
You only need one. If you’ve got the V5C, that’s all you need for this half. So in most cases, the full list of documents needed for number plates is just your driving licence and your V5C.
Got your ID and V5C ready? That’s the full list of documents needed for number plates. Standard road-legal plates start at £29.99 with free tracked delivery, or collect from our Hounslow workshop.
Order road-legal platesAsk us on WhatsAppYour situation, and what to bring
The documents needed for number plates don’t change, but which entitlement document you use depends on where you’re at with the car.
“I’ve just bought the car”
Bring the green V5C/2 new keeper slip the seller tore off and gave you, plus your ID. You don’t have to wait weeks for the new logbook to arrive before you can get plates.
“The logbook’s still in the old owner’s name”
If you’ve got the new keeper slip, use that. If you haven’t, you’ll need to sort out the keeper change with the DVLA first. Until it goes through, the car isn’t in your name on paper, and we can’t make plates without some proof it’s yours.
“I’ve lost my V5C”
Use a V11 tax reminder or SORN letter if you have one, or apply for a replacement V5C online or by phone (£25, usually 5 to 7 working days). The replacement costs the same whichever route you take, so don’t pay a third-party site to do it for you.
“It’s a lease or company car”
You won’t have the logbook, because the leasing company keeps it. Ask the leasing, hire or fleet company for a letter of authorisation. It has to quote the document reference number from the car’s V5C. Most lease companies have a template for this, so it’s usually one email to their customer services. Bring that letter plus your own ID.
“I’m buying them as a present”
That’s fine. The person buying the plates doesn’t have to be the registered keeper. Plenty of people buy plates for a partner, a parent or their kids’ first car, especially a new private reg. You’ll still need your own ID and one entitlement document for the registration, so borrow the V5C (or the V750 if it’s a private plate) from whoever it belongs to.
“My plates were stolen”
Report it to the police first and get a crime reference number, then order replacements with the usual ID and V5C. We’ve written a separate guide on what to do when your number plates have been stolen.
“I’ve just put a private reg on my car”
Once the DVLA has assigned it, you’ll have a new V5C, or a V948 / eV948 authorisation while you wait. Either one works.
How it works when you order online
The documents needed for number plates are the same whether you buy online or in person. We still have to see them before your plates go out. You have two options:
- Post them to us. Send your documents by tracked post to our Hounslow workshop and we’ll send them back to you with your plates.
- Bring them when you collect. Order online, pick a collection slot, and bring your documents to our Hounslow workshop. Most standard replacement plates are ready while you wait.
Some documents only exist digitally, like an eV948 or a paperless bank statement. Those can be emailed straight over as the file you were sent.
Not sure what to send? Message us on WhatsApp with your situation and we’ll tell you exactly what we need. It’s usually a two-minute conversation.
Full checklist: our valid documents page. Step by step: how to order.
“No documents needed”: why cheap plates often cost double
This one happens a few times every week. Someone buys plates from a marketplace listing or a seller on social media, with no documents asked for, a bargain price and next-day delivery. Then:
- they fail the MOT, because the plates don’t carry the supplier’s name and postcode or the BS AU 145e marking, or
- they get pulled over, because the characters, spacing or 3D effect isn’t legal, or
- the plates simply fall apart by winter.
So they end up paying for a proper road-legal pair from us anyway. The £1,000 fine for incorrect plates is the worst case. Paying twice is the likely one.
If a seller doesn’t ask for the documents needed for number plates, they either aren’t a registered supplier or they’re selling “show plates” that aren’t meant for the road. Show plates are fine on a show car. They aren’t fine on the M25.
Want to double-check what makes a plate legal? Our guide to road-legal number plate rules covers the fonts, spacing and markings, and there’s a separate piece on whether 4D plates are legal.
Ready to order?
Once you’ve got the documents needed for number plates sorted, the rest is easy. Choose your style, from standard replacement plates to raised 3D gel and laser-cut 4D, then order online or visit our Hounslow workshop. Every plate we make is road legal, made to BS AU 145e, and comes with free tracked delivery.
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Shop all number platesCollect in HounslowWhatsApp usDocuments needed for number plates: FAQs
Can I get number plates without a V5C?
Yes, as long as you have another entitlement document: the V5C/2 new keeper slip, a V11 tax reminder or SORN, a V750, V778, V379, V948/eV948, or a fleet letter of authorisation for a lease car.
Does my name have to match the name on the V5C?
No. The buyer doesn’t have to be the registered keeper, so you can buy plates for someone else. You still need your own ID plus an entitlement document for that registration.
What do I need for lease car number plates?
A letter of authorisation from the leasing company that quotes the document reference number from the car’s V5C, plus your own ID.
Is a bank card enough ID?
Yes. A debit or credit card counts as proof of your name.
How recent does a utility bill or bank statement have to be?
Issued within the last 6 months.
Do I need documents for show plates?
Show plates aren’t road legal, so they aren’t sold under these rules. If you’re putting plates on a car that’s driven on the road, you need road-legal plates and the documents that go with them.
How much is a replacement V5C?
£25 from the DVLA, usually arriving within 5 to 7 working days.
Why does PlateBoss keep a record of my details?
Because the law says registered suppliers must keep a record of every sale for three years. It’s there to stop plate cloning.
