Both March and September are exciting times for car enthusiasts. This is because the latest models hit the showrooms, complete with their new registration plates.
If you’re one of those on the lookout for a new car, it could be time to take advantage of temporary car insurance.
What do I need to know about new number plates?
The car registration plates are updated twice a year on 1 March and 1 September. They’re not linked to the owner, but to the vehicle until it’s destroyed or exported. Although you can transfer their plate over to another vehicle if you want to.
When there was only one release of new plates in a year, there would be a surge in demand on the release date. Now, the new number plates help balance sales throughout the year and make it easier to work out a vehicle’s age.
Some drivers love to have a brand new car and canny buyers may be able to save money by purchasing their outgoing cars. Dealers may also be more willing to offer savings on these slightly older cars when they have new vehicles to sell. These ‘older’ cars may still have their warranty and low mileage, making them an exciting prospect for potential buyers
Here’s what the different parts of a number plate mean:
- The first section is the local memory tag, with the two letters reflecting where the vehicle was registered.
- The numbers on a plate are known as age identifiers.They show the year the vehicle was registered.
- The last three letters are chosen at random.
- March’s plates take the last two digits of the registration year. This year it will be 25.
- September’s plates take the last two digits of the registration year plus 50. This September will be 75.
What you should know about insuring your new 25 plate car
Making sure your brand new car is insured before hitting the road might not be as straightforward as you think. That's because you need to ensure your vehicle is registered with the DVLA and you have a valid car insurance policy in place.
Registering your car: So, the ball isn't always in your court when it comes to registering your brand spanking new car. The garage or dealer that sold you the vehicle may have already arranged the registration, in which case, you don't need to do anything!
You may need to do this yourself, but it's is fairly uncommon. If you do, you'll need to apply for vehicle tax and register your new car using a V55/4 form - this costs £55. You can always check a vehicle's details using the DVLA database.
Insuring your new car: We don't blame you if you want to drive straight out of the dealership! With that said, it's important you have car insurance in place to do so, as it's a legal requirement. There are a few options available to you, including:
- Change your existing policy: If you have an existing car insurance policy, you could consider changing it to cover your new car. You'll need to speak to your insurer, they could permit you to amend your policy - but the price can change to reflect your new car.
- Explore temporary car insurance: You don't necessarily have to commit to an annual policy straight out of the gate. If you're still assessing the best policy for you, temporary car insurance could be a convenient stopgap option. It's a flexible solution while you look at annual policies - more importantly, it ensures you're covered in the meantime.
- Choose an annual policy: You can actually insure your new car before collecting it from the dealership. Just make sure you have all of the vehicle's details at hand when you're searching for a car insurance quote! There are three levels of cover - comprehensive giving you to broadest cover and third party only being the legal minimum car insurance in the UK.
How do I insure a car without registration?
It could be that your new car isn't registered until the day you pick it up or if it's delivered to you. Most price comparison websites (PCW's) like Confused.com can identify your car using the numberplate of your car.
This isn't always available if you're trying to insure a brand new car, so you may have to manually input the details of the vehicle yourself. Don't worry if you do have to do this, you should still find cover after filling out the quote form.
How long does it take for a new car to appear on the DVLA?
The process only takes between 3-5 days for used cars, but it's longer for brand new cars.
After your new car has been registered, you'll typically receive your V5C registration certificate after 4 to 6 weeks. It takes a similar amount of time for DVLA records to update and reflect the registration.
When is a good time to buy or sell a car?
Auto Express states that March and September are the busiest times of the year for traders. This is because many buyers like to trade in their old vehicles and buy brand new cars as soon as they are available. From the smallest update to a major overhaul, there’s so much on offer in these new ranges.
While planning which new car they want to buy, drivers may be keen to sell their current vehicles. If they decide to go down the private route, potential buyers are going to want to take the car out for a test drive. This is where temporary car insurance comes into its own.
What are the benefits of temporary car insurance?
Buying a new car is a significant investment, so you’ll want to get a feel for the vehicle. With temporary insurance, you can get comprehensive cover for an hour or two (or longer) and take the car out for a spin.
Temporary car insurance is designed to fit around your lifestyle. It’s a good idea if you’re the one selling the car too, especially if you want to accompany the potential buyer on their test drive.
While your potential buyer is testing out the car, you can have the peace of mind that you’re comprehensively covered for the following:
- Accidental damage to the covered car and other cars.
- Injuries to another person following an accident.
- Third-party European cover or the equivalent (depending where you visit).
The seller won’t have to worry either, as their no claims discount is fully protected.This is because it’s a completely separate policy to their annual premium.
Using temporary car insurance just helps make the process that bit simpler. Some temporary car insurance policies have restrictions, so do make sure you check what’s covered before buying a policy.
How do I get temporary car insurance?
Getting temporary cover is easy-peasy. Just do the following:
- Got to our temporary car insurance page.
- Enter your car registration.
- Fill in your cover and driver details.
You’ll then see a quote. If you’re happy with this you can go ahead and buy. This'll start at the time and date you requested.
Why do we need number plates?
The DVLA monitors the cars on the UK’s roads through our number plates.They can use the numbers to check cars are insured and have valid MOTs. They can also be used to identify cars that are caught speeding or by police cameras.
Things to watch out for on number plates
If your number plate is not clearly visible (for example, if it's covered in dirt, muck or simply broken), you could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle will also fail its MOT.
The UK government states the number plates on your vehicle must:
- Be made from a reflective material.
- Display black characters on a white background (front plate).
- Display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate).
- Not have a background pattern.
- Be marked to show who supplied the number plate.
- Be marked with a British Standard number - this is ‘BS AU 145e’ for plates fitted after 1 September 2021.
The characters must not be removable or reflective. If your number plates were fitted after 1 September 2021, they must also be a single shade of black.
Different types of number plate
Personalised number plates are an example of a different type of number plate. If you want one, you’ll need to buy these from the DVLA online or a private dealer at an auction.
Once you have the number plate of your dreams, it’s simple to assign it to your car and just as easy to take it off, sell it or transfer. Simply head over to GOV.UK.
Green number plates are registered to all fully electric or hydrogen fuel cell cars manufactured from December 2020. They have a green flash on their left-hand side that shows they're zero-emission.
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