Northern Irish Number Plates

Northern Ireland Number plates are also known as Irish registration number or Irish Plate, before the separation of Northern Ireland and The Republic Of Ireland. These number plates can be transferred to England, Wales, and Scotland now. One advantage of this Irish Plate is that they allow you to conceal the age of your vehicle entirely. DVLA can also assign Northern Ireland number plates.

What are the Characteristics of Northern Ireland Number Plates?

The Northern Ireland format is quite different from the main format used in England. They have some unique attributes which help to hide the age of your vehicle entirely. These attributes are:

Northern Ireland number plates have different letter combinations but must always include an I or a Z.
It also combines the letter with a number sequence starting from number 1 up to 9999.
Irish plates are dateless registration and can be assigned to any vehicle regardless of the age, unlike the current style of the prefix or suffix plates.
They can help hide the age of your vehicle as they have no year indicator.
Northern Ireland number plates are cheap and can be assigned with little or no stress.
They always contain Area code which indicates the area where they are registered. ‘AZ’ indicates Belfast, while ‘NZ’ is for London, and ‘KZ’ is for Antrim.
Irish Plate also uses the European Union symbol or GB country code for their badges.

Why is Irish Plate Permitted in England?

It is surprising to many that Northern Irish number plates can be used on vehicles in the UK. You might also wonder why Southern Ireland number plates cannot be used. The reason is that since the separation of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland has formed part of the United Kingdom. Southern Ireland is a separate country on its own. This merge makes it possible for vehicles in England, Wales, and Scotland to make use of the Northern Ireland number plates format.

However, the process of transferring and assigning Northern Ireland number plates is only done by DVLA Swansea. The vehicle registration in Northern Ireland has always been separate. As such, there is a need to have the registration done under an independent parliament. It also has made the registration of Northern Ireland number plates faster and cheaper.

FAQs on Irish Number Plate

Many people have a lot of questions to ask when it comes to the Northern Ireland number plates. We have been able to compile some of the issues with answers below:

Are Irish number plates age-specific?

No. Northern Ireland format is dateless, making it easy to be used on any vehicle regardless of the age.

Can I transfer my Irish number plate to my new vehicle?

Yes, of course. However, it will attract a DVLA fee of £80.

Can I get Northern Ireland number plates on retention?

You can get your Northern Ireland number plates on retention if you are not ready to use it now.

How long will it take to transfer my plate number?

Transferring of number plates will only take 5-7 working days before completion. However, you can quickly get it done without stress through a valid agent provided your V5C is printed in your name and location with an up to date MOT.

What will happen to my previous DVLA registration after transfer?

DVLA will reclaim their registration number, which means you’re no longer permitted to use it anymore. However, you can choose to get it in retention if you decide to make use of it in future.

Can I make use of my new Irish Plate in GB mainland?

Yes, because Northern Ireland number plates are legalised for use in the UK. As such, you can make use of it anywhere in England, Wales, and Scotland.

Will there be age restrictions for transferring my vehicle number to Northern Ireland number?

Since Northern Ireland number plates are dateless and not age-specific, there are no age restrictions for the assigning and the usage of Northern Ireland number plates.