Cherished Number Plates

New Registration Numbers | Transferring a Number | Holding onto a Number | Where to Go

Overview

A cherished number plate is a "chosen" registration number, rather than a standard issue "next number in line".

There are ten bands of fees which apply to the cherished numbers incorporating MAN or MN. On the 3rd December 2012 an additional fourteen bands for the MANX range of numbers will be available for sale. All prices are inclusive of VAT

Bands and fees can be viewed in the link below or at https://www.gov.im/onlineservices/

New Registration Numbers

A new Cherished Number can be purchased by looking online at https://www.gov.im/onlineservices/ choosing a number and then calling 698525 to place the number on hold for 48hrs to enable you to pay at your local Post Office. Alternatively the number can be purchased online at the link above. A form to enable you to apply at your local Post Office is available to download below.

A retention certificate will be sent out to the designated nominee approximately 4 - 5 working days after the purchase.

If you wish to place the number straight onto a vehicle then please call 698525 to place the number on hold and then take the relevant vehicle documents to your local Post Office.

Transferring a Number

A Cherished Number can be transferred from one vehicle to another by re-registering the first vehicle with another number (which might be a standard £21.00 next in line number, or indeed another Cherished Registration Number). If the first vehicle is being scrapped or exported, you can simply ask to reuse or retain the number at a cost of £74.00. This service is not available online.

Holding onto a Number

A Retention Certificate is valid for one year from the date of issue. The Certificate can be renewed a year later if necessary (at a cost of £21.00). The renewal can be done at your local Post Office or online.

Please note that if the renewal lapses the Cherished Number reservation would not be retained and it could be taken up by someone else. It is your responsibility to ensure that you don’t let the reservation lapse.

The Retention Certificate is an important document and should be kept in a safe place. The certificate will not be replaced if it is lost. When you are ready to put the number onto a vehicle the Retention Certificate must be produced with the appropriate vehicle registration documents. The Certificate is your proof that the number has already been reserved by you, and paid for.

The person whose name appears on the Retention Certificate must be the same as the name into which the vehicle is registered, unless the retention has been signed over to another person. (There is a place on the Certificate, which can be filled in and signed as appropriate, if the retention is being signed over this will cost £21.00).

Please note that a Cherished Number can also be placed "on hold" for 48 hours only, at no cost. In order to retain the number however, the appropriate fee would then become payable.

Where to obtain a Retention Certificate, or to register a vehicle with a Cherished Number

Isle of Man Post Office deals with most vehicle registrations, i.e. Manx re-registrations, vehicles imported from England, Scotland and Wales and new vehicles imported from the UK. The contact telephone number is 698525.

The registration of commercial vehicles over 24000kgs in weight, PSV's, taxis and vehicles imported from outside England, Scotland and Wales are carried out by the Department of Infrastructure at the Sea Terminal Building in Douglas. Their contact telephone number is 686836.

The exporting and scrapping of vehicles is also dealt with by the Department of Infrastructure. It is possible to buy a Retention Certificate from them, at the time of scrapping or exporting the previous vehicle. If you do wish to retain a registration number from a scrapped or exported vehicle you need to do this at the same time; otherwise it immediately becomes available for use by another person.

Downloadable Documents