Swiss Number Plate Auction Record Breaker

Reg Plates Article

Swiss Number Plate Auction Record Breaker

Would you pay CHF150,000 ($148,000) for a number plate? A bidder made the record offer for “VS 1” on Tuesday – still three weeks before the auction ends, so the record could rise further.

Very Special? Vain Show-off? Victoria’s Secret? In fact, the VS represents canton Valais. Swiss vehicle registration plates comprise a two-letter code for the canton followed by up to six digits. The plate on the back of the vehicle also shows small shields representing the flags of Switzerland and the canton.

Until now, the Swiss record was CHF135,000 for “SG 1”, bought by a driver presumably from canton St Gallen.

Valais began the month-long auction of sought-after number plates last week. In future, the plan is to auction 60 car plates and 36 motorbike plates a year. Over the next decade, the canton expects the auctions to generate around CHF1 million, which will go towards the cantonal structural deficit.

Although CHF150,000 might seem a lot for a number plate, it’s small change compared with the world record of 52.2 million dirhams (CHF14.4 million) paid by an Emirati businessman in 2008 for the minimalist “1”.

Vehicle to Vehicle Registration Transfer Process

You can complete the registration transfer online or by post, although online is by far the easiest option. It is a two stage process. The first involves removing the registration number from your current vehicle and the second step involves assigning the registration number to the new vehicle.

To complete a registration transfer by post you will need a V317 form from the DVLA. You can download this online or pick it up from your local Post Office, provided they are a Post Office that deals with road tax. Filling out the form is fairly straightforward:

Section two is for details of the vehicle the registration number is being transferred from.
Section three is for details of the vehicle the registration number is being transferred to. You will also need to include details of the owner of the vehicle the registration number is being transferred to in this section.

As well as the form, you will need the vehicle registration certificate and a copy of the insurance for both vehicles involved in the transfer, i.e. the vehicle that currently has the registration number, and the vehicle the registration number is being transferred to.

number plates reg transfers