After a dateless plate but don’t want to pay the premium price?

Northern Irish plates are a more affordable alternative that’ll transform your car, hiding its age and contributing to a bold new look. Like dateless plates, NI registrations don’t represent any specific year of assignment or manufacture.

They’re more cost-effective than dataless plates and can be displayed on any car in the UK. Design your NI plates today and be on the road in no time with our fast delivery service.

What are Northern Irish (NI) Number Plates?

Northern Irish number plates, also called NI plates or Irish plates, are registration plates for vehicles in Northern Ireland. They have different characteristics from plates in the rest of the UK. For instance:

• Dateless: NI plates have no year indicators, meaning they can be assigned to any vehicle regardless of age
• Format: They’re formatted differently, with one to three letters followed by a number from 1 to 9999
• Characters: NI plates always contain a ‘Z’ or an ‘I’, and sometimes both
• Price: NI plates are often more affordable than regular plates

Irish Number Plates have a prefix of 1, 2 or 3 letters that display an area code that referencing where the plate was originally registered. These letters are followed by 1, 2, 3, or 4 random numbers. Over time, an extra number was added to enable the DVLNI to increase the number of combinations they were able to register.

As Northern Ireland is in the UK, NI plates can be legally displayed on vehicles in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Irish plates can be assigned to vehicles of any age. This contrasts with plates in England, Scotland, and Wales, which can only be displayed on vehicles in or after the year stated in the registration’s year code.

Hiding the age of a car with an Irish registration plate is perfectly legal, and offers a simple and inexpensive way to refresh the look of your vehicle.

Design yours with a range of custom options with our plate builder today.

Why choose Northern Irish plates?

The main appeal of Northern Irish registrations is that they’re dateless and can be displayed on any age of vehicle.

Actual dateless registrations came to an end in 1963, but the suffix and prefix number plates that replaced them allow for a dateless feature.

These are popular for several reasons: they give a timeless appearance, they hide the age of your car, and can be personalised to suit your style.

However, they’re a more expensive option, and if the dateless feature is something you’re after, NI plates are a more cost-effective alternative.

When looking for a private number plate, Irish plates are a popular first port of call.

Why choose Number 1 Plates for your NI plates?

We’re a leading UK number plate provider in the UK with years of experience providing quality NI plates. We also offer:

Quality prices

Our prices for Irish private number plates start at just £299, making them some of the most affordable on the market.

An enormous collection 

With over 50,000,000 plates in stock, you’re sure to find the perfect ones for your car. Our impressive collection also includes:

• Motorbike Number Plates
• Replacement Number Plates
• 3D Number Plates
• 4D Number Plates
• Show Plates
• Private Number Plates
• Plates for Cars

Design your own with our plate maker today, or contact us if you’d like to learn more.

100% road legal plates

All our standard and Northern Irish plates comply with relevant standards to ensure they’re road legal.

This means you don’t need to worry about fines, failed inspections, and other issues that cost you time and money.

Enjoy peace of mind when you buy with us.

Endless customisation options

We offer endless customisation options, so you can design your plates however you like.

Choose bold designs and unique features that’ll make you stand out on the road. Our custom plate builder is fun and easy to use, and allows you to create a plate to match your unique style.

Premium quality guaranteed

Our premium materials and advanced technology ensure every plate meets our high standards.

Beautifully made and durable, they’re sure to look and perform fantastically for years to come.

FAQs

What is the Northern Ireland number plates format?

Northern Irish plates follow a dateless format. They start with two or three letters, one of which will be an ‘I’ or ‘Z’. The latter part of the plate displays a number between 1 and 9999. For example, NPZ 1234 could be considered a Northern Irish registration plate, as could DAZ 12 or KZK 511.

To find your perfect option, why not use our Irish number plate search function?

What else is different about Northern Ireland reg plates?

You may also have noticed that the characters ‘Z’ and ‘I’ can be used at the start of NI registration numbers, unlike registrations in the rest of the UK. This is because the DVLA reserved these characters specifically for use in Northern Ireland.

Can I use a Northern Irish registration on my car in England, Wales and Scotland?

Yes, absolutely! Irish car number plates are perfectly legal to purchase and use on your car anywhere else in the UK.

Do you have Northern Irish number plates for sale?

Yes, we have a significant number of Irish plates for sale. Search for yours today!

How much are Northern Irish registration plates?

Our prices for Irish private number plates start at just £299, making them a more cost-effective option than suffix and prefix plates.

Here at Number 1 Plates, you’ll find some of the cheapest Irish plates around.

How do I buy Northern Irish number plates?

We make it quick and easy to buy Northern Irish plates.

Use our search function and filter your results to display Northern Ireland styles only and take your pick! We have hundreds of cheap Northern Ireland registrations to choose from, so you shouldn’t be stuck for choice.

Once you’ve found your desired plate, just click purchase. We can then offer a bespoke service where we take care of the paperwork, allowing you to sit back and relax while your entitlement is processed.

How do I transfer Northern Ireland plates to my car?

If you’d like to deal with assigning your new Northern Irish registration yourself, it’s exactly the same process as it would be for any other kind of private registration.

Once you have your proof of entitlement, such as the V750, then head over to the DVLA website and make sure you have your V5C handy! Go through the process, follow the steps, and then you’ll be ready to put new number plates displaying your Northern Irish registration number on your car!

How do I transfer Northern Ireland plates to my car?

If you’d like to deal with assigning your new Northern Irish registration yourself, it’s exactly the same process as it would be for any other kind of private registration.

Once you have your proof of entitlement, such as the V750, then head over to the DVLA website and make sure you have your V5C handy! Go through the process, follow the steps, and then you’ll be ready to put new number plates displaying your Northern Irish registration number on your car!

Who handles Northern Irish plates?

Prior to July 2014, Northern Irish registrations were handled by the DVLNI. However, since 21 July 2014, vehicle registration in Northern Ireland has been the responsibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency DVLA in Swansea.

As a result, registration transfers for Irish private plates are now completed faster and cheaper than they previously were.

Are number plate suppliers in England allowed to distribute plates into Northern Ireland?

Although the DVLNI or DVLA Northern Ireland aid the governance of the country’s registration plate dealings, the exact same rules apply, and registered number plates suppliers in England are legally allowed to distribute plates into Northern Ireland.

 

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