Get your number plate

Gilbert Agius Deputy Chief Officer Land Transport Directorate

NUMBER PLATES: “HOW CAN I GET MINE? WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SIZES, AND WHICH SHOULD I CHOOSE? CAN I GET A PERSONALISED ONE AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? WHAT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FORMATS AND SCHEMES?”

In this article, we are going to go through the whole cache of situations where number plates are concerned, such as when buying a new vehicle, upon transfer of a vehicle, types of number plates including personalised ones as well as number plates issued according to the respective vehicle’s specific use. Issuance and regulatory applications of and for all number plates fall under the responsibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Unit of Transport Malta, which is the sole point of reference for clients.

As straightforward as the topic may seem, many such questions assail most of us when we see or need to get onto the process of obtaining our car’s number plates, and it’s important to know the difference between the formats and their respective uses. Here’s an easy guide to it all.

Let’s start with the different sizes: apart from personal preference, the size you choose should complement your vehicle at all times – having the right size that fits your vehicle’s front and rear is important in terms of both installation and visibility.

So, when and why should I have the need to apply for number plates? The first instance would be when you buy a new car from an

authorized importer or dealer, and in this case two distinct situations may apply: if the vehicle is a new registration, you will need to choose both format and size by filling the VEH 06 application form when signing the contract or transfer. Your dealer will guide you and help you with this. If you have a valid E-ID, you can reserve a personalised vehicle registration number (3 letters and 3 numbers) from the following url: https://ereg.gov.mt by clicking on “Choose Registration Plate”.

On Transfer of Vehicle

You might also buy and transfer on your name a vehicle from a dealer or any other individual which is already plated. In this case, you can either keep the plate already issued or apply for a different size or a personalised format of your choice. This can be done by filling the VEH 06 during the transfer. Plates will be generated and issued immediately. Your insurance policy expiry should also coincide with a change in date.

Types and Sizes

The registration plates are available in the following eight different sizes:

Type A - Length 52 cm Height 11 cm; Type B - Length 25 cm Height 20 cm (for motorcycles); Type C - Length 28 cm Height 20 cm; Type D - Length 34 cm Height 20 cm; Type E - Length 24 cm Height 13 cm (for motorcycles); Type F - Length 30.5 cm Height 15.5 cm; Type G - Length 19 cm Height 13 cm (for motorcycles); and Type H - Length 30.5 cm Height 11 cm

Customised and Personalised Plates?

Personalised number plates are exclusive number plates purchased by the vehicle owner if the latter wishes to have his or her car distinguishable from others. Let’s start from when a person purchases a second-hand vehicle which already has a personalised or a customised number plate. What happens in such cases? The procedure is quite easy as well: the seller, who has the personalised number plate, may choose to relinquish his or her personalised/customised number when the vehicle is transferred; if he or she does not and intends to keep them, you (the buyer) will need to produce the plates (together with the road licence if in hand or valid), and you will have to apply for a new set of number plates yourself. These also are issued on the spot.

Now, in this case, you may decide either to go for a random registration number, or a customised or personalised one. The customised number plate can have three letters and numbers of your choice, and a personalised number may be in the form of custom word of your choice up to 10 characters (depending, always, on whether the latter fully fits on the plate size which will be generated).

And how much do these cost? Random plates will be €70.00, while a customised one will be €200.00. In the case of a personalised number plate, the application costs €1500.00. All plates are subject to availability and are issued at the Authority’s discretion – combinations which are deemed offensive or commercially sensitive are not accepted. An extra third plate may also be applied for, for example in the instance of having a towing attachment. This is done against a cost of €35.00 plus €10.00 for a new logbook stating that this is in place.

Types of Number Plates according to the use of vehicle

In circulation, there are different types of number plates according to various schemes which indicate that the vehicle has a particular status or dedicated use: black plates show that the car is a certified vintage, and red bordered ones are for ones that can be driven only on weekends and public holidays. The latter are issued only against the owner’s choice to pay a reduced annual road tax, and therefore limit the use of such a vehicle for the mentioned days.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that your vehicle’s annual road licence is also bound to the first letter of your registration number plate, and that this will expire accordingly – for example, plates starting with an A will expire at the end of January, B end of February and so on. M and N will start the same cycle back from January and February again, as will do X and Y and so on.

The first letter of the registration number shall indicate the month at the end of which the vehicle’s road licence expires, as per table below:

Month of Expiry First Letter of the Registration No.

January A,M &Y February B,N & Z March C & O April D & P May E & Q June F & R July G & S August H & T September I & U October J & V November K & W December L & X

Lastly, damaged plates can also be easily replaced and reissued from either of our offices in Paola or Ħal Lija (at the cost of €35.00 each). For a lost plate, a declaration (VEH 39) must be filled in against a charge of €8.00 - in this case, you will also need to state the unique number of the plate still in your possession (this can easily be found under the hologram on the remaining plate).

So, as you can see, all that’s required is this basic knowledge in the applicability and use of number plates in general – as always, all related information is easily accessible and obtained from our website, and any other related queries you might have can be easily answered through our official channels. Be informed and get in touch if needed! FOR THE OCCASION OF THIS ARTICLE, WE ARE RE-PRODUCING A SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING HOW THE NUMBER PLATES ARE MADE IN OUR OWN WORKSHOP, BY PRODUCING A SAMPLE NUMBER PLATE FOR THE T-21: TM QUARTERLY PUBLICATION.