DVLA Auction Records: Highest Prices and Results Since 1989
The highest price ever paid at a DVLA auction is £518,480 including fees, for 25 O in November 2014. Since its first personalised registration auction in December 1989, the DVLA has sold more than 335,000 registrations at auction. This guide sets out the record prices, the biggest sales of each decade and how the number of auction sales and the prices paid have changed, using the documented DVLA results in our database.
DVLA auctions at a glance
- 335,527 documented DVLA auction sales between December 1989 and September 2026.
- £815.8 million in winning bids (hammer prices), or about £1.04 billion including VAT, buyer's premium and assignment fees.
- The highest DVLA auction price is £400,000 hammer for 25 O in November 2014, £518,480 including fees.
- In 2025, half of all DVLA auction lots sold for £1,510 or less (hammer), and a third sold for under £1,000.
Total prices are calculated from the hammer price using the VAT and buyer's premium that applied at the time, plus the £80 assignment fee. See DVLA auction fees explained.
What are the highest DVLA auction prices?
| # | Registration | Sold | Hammer price | Total with fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 O | November 2014 | £400,000 | £518,480 |
| 2 | 1 D | March 2009 | £285,000 | £352,411 |
| 3 | DEV 1L | December 2021 | £240,010 | £308,253 |
| 4 | IG 1 | July 2019 | £222,000 | £287,792 |
| 5 | 51 NGH | April 2006 | £201,000 | £253,888 |
| 6 | 1 RH | November 2008 | £196,000 | £247,653 |
| 7 | K1 NGS | December 1993 | £185,000 | £239,192 |
| 8 | KR15 HNA | May 2015 | £180,000 | £233,360 |
| 9 | 1 O | January 2009 | £170,000 | £210,243 |
| 10 | 1 A | December 1989 | £160,000 | £202,400 |
LSK 1 also reached £160,000 hammer in October 2021 (£205,520 with fees). Ranked by total price, it sits just above 1 A, because fees were higher in 2021 than in 1989.
These are DVLA auction results only. Registrations resold later by private owners at other auctions have fetched more: the record for any UK registration is 1 F at £926,000 in 2025. See the most expensive number plate sales.
What were the biggest DVLA sales of each decade?
| Period | Highest hammer prices |
|---|---|
| 1989 (first auction) | 1 A £160,000 · MUS 1C £65,000 · 1 T £56,000 |
| 1990s | K1 NGS £185,000 (1993) · S1 NGH £86,000 (1998) · 1 RR £85,000 (1995) |
| 2000s | 1 D £285,000 (2009) · 51 NGH £201,000 (2006) · 1 RH £196,000 (2008) |
| 2010s | 25 O £400,000 (2014) · IG 1 £222,000 (2019) · KR15 HNA £180,000 (2015) |
| 2020s so far | DEV 1L £240,010 (2021) · LSK 1 £160,000 (2021) · 15 LAM £156,010 (2026) |
The first auction is covered lot by lot in the original 1989 DVLA auction.
How many registrations does the DVLA sell at auction?
The number of registrations sold at auction each year has grown almost ninefold since the early 1990s, while the typical price has fallen as the DVLA has released many more everyday combinations.
| Year | Lots sold | Total hammer | Median hammer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,029 | £10.3m | £3,200 |
| 1995 | 2,452 | £10.2m | £3,200 |
| 2000 | 3,338 | £11.7m | £3,200 |
| 2005 | 8,023 | £22.4m | £2,500 |
| 2010 | 10,589 | £20.5m | £1,300 |
| 2015 | 13,086 | £22.3m | £1,000 |
| 2020 | 14,251 | £33.9m | £1,530 |
| 2021 | 17,646 | £46.6m | £1,570 |
| 2025 | 17,519 | £43.8m | £1,510 |
| 2026 (January to September) | 13,650 | £36.4m | £1,510 |
2021 was the busiest year by value, with £46.6 million in winning bids. Since then, annual totals have stayed in the low to mid £40 millions with around 17,500 lots a year.
What does a typical DVLA lot sell for?
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quarter | £2,000 | £2,300 | £500 | £610 | £730 |
| Median | £3,200 | £3,200 | £1,300 | £1,530 | £1,510 |
| Upper quarter | £5,200 | £4,300 | £2,700 | £3,200 | £3,110 |
| Top 10% from | £10,000 | £6,000 | £4,100 | £5,060 | £5,700 |
| Share at £10,000 or more | 10.9% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.1% | 2.7% |
All figures are hammer prices. In 2025, only one DVLA lot passed £100,000: 52 O, at £102,010 hammer (£131,061 with fees).
What do the record lots have in common?
- Single letters and numbers. 1 A, 1 D and 1 O are single-letter, single-number registrations, the scarcest format the DVLA has sold.
- Numbers and words. Registrations ending in O, such as 25 O and 52 O, can be read as the numbers 250 and 520, while 51 NGH, K1 NGS and S1 NGH read as names or words.
- Names. DEV 1L, KR15 HNA and 15 LAM spell names or words using the shapes of letters and numbers.
- Initials. Two-letter and three-letter Number 1 registrations such as IG 1 and LSK 1.
How can you search DVLA auction results?
Every documented DVLA auction sale can be searched by registration, letters, numbers, format, year and price in our DVLA auction sold prices search. For results from other auction houses and private sales as well, use the Sales Explorer.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the hammer price differ from the total?
The total adds VAT, the buyer's premium and the £80 assignment fee. The premium has changed several times since 1989, so totals are not directly comparable across decades. See DVLA auction fees explained.
Does the DVLA still sell single-letter registrations?
Our records show 160 single-letter, single-number registrations sold at DVLA auctions between 1989 and 2010, most of them between 1992 and 1996. None has appeared in a DVLA auction in our records since 2010.
Are the 2026 figures complete?
No. The figures cover DVLA auctions up to September 2026 and are updated as results are recorded.
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