DVLA number plate auction results
DVLA runs timed online auctions through the year, selling registrations that never reach its fixed-price list. We track the results of every one. This page has the latest auction in full, a ranked archive of every auction we have tracked, and the dates of what is coming next.
For the ranking of the single most expensive plates across all of them, see our most expensive number plates page.
The latest auction: July 2026
The July 2026 auction sold 1,974 lots for a combined £5,575,340, at an average of £2,824 and a median of £1,610.
It was a notable one. 2 of its lots entered the all-time top ten most expensive plates we have recorded, led by 97 O at £90,010.
At £2,824 a lot, it was 11% above the average of every auction before it, which makes it one of the strongest sales in our record.
New entries in the all-time top ten
The July 2026 auction put 2 plates into the ten most expensive we have ever recorded.
Every auction, ranked
Across 15 auctions we have tracked £75.8 million in hammer prices, at a steady rate of around £5 million a sale. The biggest was July 2026.
Total hammer price at each auction over time. DVLA does not hold an auction every month, so the line spans the gaps. Every sale clears around £5 million, and July 2026 was the strongest.
Select any auction for the full results and the cars behind the top lots.
| Month | Lots | Average | Median | Total | Top lot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 1,974 | £2,824 | £1,610 | £5,575,340 | 97 O£90,010 | View |
| June 2026 | 1,972 | £2,797 | £1,520 | £5,514,960 | BEA 5T£111,120 | View |
| May 2026 | 1,984 | £2,603 | £1,510 | £5,164,150 | 57 O£68,010 | View |
| March 2026 | 1,972 | £2,486 | £1,370 | £4,902,880 | 110 O£67,010 | View |
| February 2026 | 1,976 | £2,544 | £1,510 | £5,027,150 | ATL 4S£41,110 | View |
| January 2026 | 1,970 | £2,678 | £1,510 | £5,275,960 | 15 LAM£156,010 | View |
| November 2025 | 1,981 | £2,572 | £1,500 | £5,095,820 | TON 1S£51,020 | View |
| October 2025 | 1,977 | £2,524 | £1,520 | £4,989,870 | 303 O£30,010 | View |
| September 2025 | 1,972 | £2,464 | £1,370 | £4,858,170 | 52 O£102,010 | View |
| July 2025 | 1,970 | £2,456 | £1,510 | £4,838,870 | FER 12C£35,000 | View |
| June 2025 | 1,981 | £2,462 | £1,440 | £4,878,160 | 8 FU£90,000 | View |
| May 2025 | 1,983 | £2,521 | £1,510 | £4,999,720 | 54 O£56,510 | View |
| March 2025 | 1,983 | £2,542 | £1,510 | £5,040,750 | 101 O£91,020 | View |
| February 2025 | 1,969 | £2,503 | £1,510 | £4,928,510 | 3 FU£70,000 | View |
| January 2025 | 1,966 | £2,415 | £1,485 | £4,748,780 | 1544 C£33,670 | View |
How DVLA auctions work
The basics of buying a registration at a DVLA timed online auction.
DVLA holds timed online auctions several times a year, listing registrations that are not available at a fixed price. Bidding runs for a set period and the highest bid at close wins. The winning price is then subject to VAT and an assignment fee, and the plate is held on a certificate until it is put on a vehicle, which does not have to happen straight away.
Several times a year. Across the period we have tracked, that has worked out at around 10 auctions a year, each running for a few days as its lots close.
Yes. Anyone can register to bid on the DVLA auction site. If you would rather buy a plate outright at a known price, most registrations are available on the fixed-price list, and our prices page explains the difference between the two.
Yes. The hammer price includes VAT and the DVLA assignment fee, so it is the full amount rather than a figure with charges added at the end.
The highest we have recorded is 15 LAM, which sold for £156,010. The full ranking is on our most expensive number plates page.
The next DVLA auction runs 2 to 8 September 2026.
Upcoming DVLA auctions
DVLA has published its next auction dates. Each is a timed online auction that closes on the final day of its window.
- 2 to 8 September 2026
- 14 to 20 October 2026
- 18 to 24 November 2026
- 6 to 12 January 2027
- 10 to 16 February 2027
- 17 to 23 March 2027
Dates and entry lists are published by DVLA. We are not affiliated with DVLA and do not run the auctions; we track and analyse the published results.
Results come from DVLA's published timed online auction records, covering 15 auctions and 29,630 sold lots. Prices are hammer prices and include VAT and the assignment fee. Where a registration has since been assigned to a vehicle, the vehicle is identified from official records.
Auctions are grouped by the month in which they closed. For some older auctions DVLA republished its results files with adjusted dates, so we date those sales to the auction month rather than the exact day. Monthly totals and rankings are unaffected.
Updated after each auction closes. Free to cite with a link. Data cuts available to journalists on request.