Local DVLA offices / Number Plate Suppliers

[sunny-dave]

I'm in the process of putting a personalised plate on my bike - I have all the documentation now and need to :

1. Get a new plate made - not interested in any fiddling around, just a proper legal plate - anyone know good/cheap suppliers ?

2. Get the number transferred - which I can do by post or in person at my local (B'ham) DVLA office.

I'm reluctant to trust the post with the documents - even recorded delivery seems unreliable and the sheer faff involved if the stuff goes missing doesn't bear thinking about.

In person will also be quicker & the office is easy enough for me to get to, but my experience of DVLA offices (admittedlly many years ago) is that they are horrible places and you can wait hours and hours.

Are they any better now ?

Are there any particularly good/bad days of the week/month to go ?

Cheers

dave

[friedgreentomato]

1. Halfords or check yellow pages for local suppliers
2. never waited more than 1hour in our DVLA office

[BlueScorpion]

I don't know about the DVLA offices but you can get a plate done at your local Halfords, all you need is your registration document & I think proof of identity. We had one done about 6 months ago & if I remember rightly it was about £15

[mazie]

I bought a plate a couple of years ago. Went to my Local DVLA and it was heaving. However, there were a couple of chaps from the DVLA walking up the line of people asking what you were waiting for. This chap took my form gave me a number and said take a seat and they'll call you, which they did after about 20 minutes. All the documentation was done and I just had to pay. Not too painful Dave, I'd give it a go.

[jno]

for reasons I forget, I went to the DVLA office last year, and it was huge but well organised; I took a number and waited about 10 minutes (lots of windows open). No complaints. But equally I've had no problems with tax discs arriving in the mail in good time

[sunny-dave]

Thank you all - the reassurance about the DVLA office is very helpful - I'll take my kindle and go and wait.

Halfords wanted 'about £15' for a plate plus another £5 for drilling and fitting (fitting is trivial, but drilling I don't fancy doing myself). I could buy on ebay for £10, but not sure about the legality and would have to drill it myself. So I rang my local bike dealer who also charge about £15 - but will drill for free if I take the old plate as a pattern :=)

Swinton want £25 for changing the reg number on the insurance ... seems a bit harsh, but I guess they know that there is no alternative :+(

[knownuffink]

www.nationalnumbers.co.uk
i used these for my personal plates and they also supplied the plates. They came the next day and were very good quality. They will probably supply plates if you already have your number. I was really surprised how easy it is to change over the number at the licencing office. I used Chelmsford. Very quick and efficient. Take a number and wait to be called. Took less than half and hour even with wait.

[knownuffink]

Dont forget to take ALL your documents and the tax disc because that has to be changed as well.