Before we move on to personalized plates, it is worth recalling a previous publication that discussed the so-called “prestigious” license plates in Ukraine, ways to purchase them, and pricing. Today we will talk about personalized (individual) plates.
How to order and register
It should be clarified right away: personalized plates do not replace standard ones. They are installed on the car as an addition to the main state plates. Standard license plates must be kept in the vehicle at all times and shown upon the first request of law enforcement officers.
When creating a personalized plate, it is important to remember a number of restrictions:
First, it must not repeat, copy, or reproduce the symbols, abbreviations, or names of state institutions of Ukraine and international organizations, nor contain obscene expressions or offensive formulations. The use of punctuation marks and hyphens is also excluded.
Second, the minimum length of the plate is 3 characters, the maximum is 8. At the same time, there must be at least three letters and no more than six digits. The alphabet is not limited: both Latin and Cyrillic can be used.
There is an interesting nuance here. Despite the established limits, some car owners have noticed cars on the roads with plates of 10 letters, for example, shevchenko. It seems that such plates are issued as an exception (possibly for a certain fee). Or these are simply homemade plates installed without registration (like wedding plates with inscriptions “Sasha Masha”).
Registration procedure
The first step is to submit an application to the Road Safety Center of the State Automobile Inspectorate, to which you must attach the vehicle registration documents and passport. The application will be considered after a series of checks, including checking the car against databases for theft, verifying license plate numbers, and so on. Also, the State Automobile Inspectorate database will check whether a plate with the same inscription is already registered in other regions of Ukraine (the same inscription cannot be repeated in different regions, although this was previously allowed with the region code indicated). After that, you need to pay for the center's services and the cost of manufacturing the plate (prices are given below).
Then the applicant receives a cover letter and within 10 days contacts the State Automobile Inspectorate unit at the place of vehicle registration, where the plates are registered. After that, it is necessary to visit the Motor Vehicle Registration and Examination Department (MREO) at the place of residence for re-registration of the vehicle, during which the technical passport will be replaced.
The official cost of re-registration for cars of domestic production is 535 UAH 43 kopecks, for foreign ones — 572 UAH 95 kopecks. Do not forget that when paying receipts, the bank will deduct a commission for its services in the amount of 35–50 UAH (depending on the bank).
Cost of personalized plates
According to Order No. 466 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine dated November 30, 2007 “On approval of the procedure for ordering, issuing, and accounting of license plates made by individual order of their owners,” the following prices are established:a) For cars (type 7-1) per set:
3 characters — 486 UAH;
4 characters (letters, digits) — 511 UAH;
5 characters (letters, digits) — 535 UAH;
6 characters (letters, digits) — 561 UAH;
7 characters (letters, digits) — 586 UAH;
8 characters (letters, digits) — 612 UAH;
Personalized inscription and graphic element — 681 UAH;
b) For motorcycles (type 7-2) per one:
3 characters (letters, digits) — 180 UAH;
4 characters (letters, digits) — 228 UAH;
5 characters (letters, digits) — 282 UAH;
6 characters (letters, digits) — 330 UAH;
Personalized inscription and graphic element — 396 UAH.
For those readers who are willing to pay more just to avoid dealing with the paperwork themselves, there is the option of turning to intermediaries. Currently, the market offers many specialized companies that, for a fee, will take on all the hassle.
The starting price for basic plates in such firms (3 characters) is from 1350 UAH to 3000 UAH.
Additional payment for each next character is from 200 to 300 UAH.
The timeframes for receiving all documents and license plates also vary. Some companies promise to do it in a month, others in two. Judging by customer reviews, plates and documents are often issued even faster than the agreed time.
How it works abroad
Russia: the legislation of our closest neighbor does not provide for the possibility of registering individual license plates.
USA, Canada, Mexico: in these countries, license plate standards define only the region code, annual registration renewal stickers, dimensions, state name, or region number. Anyone can order almost any combination of letters or digits. The fee for a plate does not depend on the number of characters.
Germany: standards regulating the shape and manufacture of license plates allow the creation of personalized plates. The police register only the combination of characters. After receiving registration confirmation, the owner can contact any company that manufactures plates. It is worth noting that the standards do not specify the materials for making plates. They can be metal, plastic (flat or with embossed letters), and even cardboard (temporary). The cost of registering personalized plates does not differ from the regular one.
European Union: almost all countries allow vehicle owners to order personalized plates. Only the dimensions of the plates and the type of font are regulated by law.
Middle East: since the local population takes numerology very seriously, certain combinations of digits can be especially desirable for local drivers. Therefore, the sale of such license plates is a well-established business here. For example, recently a sheikh from the UAE purchased a license plate with the digit 1 for “only” 14 million US dollars. The next buyer paid 9 million for the digit 5. The country publishes special catalogs of license plates with prices for various combinations.
It is worth noting that only in Arab countries and Ukraine does the state earn money from the sale of personalized plates. In the United States and Europe, this is the prerogative of private individuals. The scheme is quite simple: you register particularly popular license plates in your name, and then you cede them to those who want them for a certain amount. Its size depends entirely on demand.
