Registering a custom number plate can be tricky if you are not sure exactly where to look, especially since a lot of combinations are already taken.

Companies like swiftreg.co.uk are a great option for people who want the complete package all at once, but how do you legally change your number plate?

Understanding number plates

Number Plates are a unique identifier, and that means that you can’t have another person’s number plate as your own if you are both registered in the same country. If somebody already has “MARK,” then you can’t have “MARK” for yourself in that exact combination.

To get around that, a lot of number plates are quite creative, mixing in numbers to replace certain letters or adding extra letters to make sure that the registration is unique. As long as a number plate is not taken, you can usually buy it for yourself, unless it is somehow reserved for a very specific vehicle or owner.

Getting a new number plate costs money since your car is being re-registered to suit that new number plate. The plate has to match your registry, so you could not have a single vehicle with two different vanity number plates.

How much do they cost?

Number plates are not a set price – they are priced based on how desirable they are. This can seem odd, but it all makes sense when you consider how valuable certain plates can be. For example, a plate that is literally just an existing name (like the MARK example above) can cost a lot of money because it is a very desirable thing to have. 

The same happens for any desirable combination of letters and numbers, whether they are song references, number plates of fictional cars in popular media, names, places, or even descriptive words. The more recognizable a vanity plate is, the more it will cost you in the long-run, especially if you are not substituting any numbers or letters.

Custom number plates do not have to follow the same seven-digit limit as most other cars, and you can often get custom plates that go below seven. However, this can also increase the cost, especially when you are at three digits or below. A single-digit plate can be incredibly hard to acquire since they are all taken and priced very highly.

Getting a new plate

With companies like swiftreg.co.uk, a lot of the process is handled by experts. This means that you are not forced to try and get the plate yourself, which could take a lot of phone calls and plenty of awkward money transfers to handle. But how does the process actually work, and what do you need to do?

Identify the plate that you want

It always helps to start out with an idea of the kind of plate that you are looking for. Even if that exact plate is taken, it means that you have something to work with, and you can start replacing or adding digits to find a suitable alternative option.

Remember that some plates may be completely taken, especially ones that only use a few digits. It also helps to keep the price in mind since more direct plates (such as names with no alterations) are going to be expensive even if they are not already taken.

Find the plate

You can look on the Swiftreg site to see which ones are available, as well as the price that they are being offered for. Note that some plates may not be transferrable to vehicles registered before a certain time since there are still legal quirks involved in how a plate can actually work and what it has to represent.

Once that is done, you are able to just buy the plate, either for yourself or as a gift. It is no different from buying anything else online, although you will still need to get the car properly re-registered. You can also choose whether you want physical plates to be included in your order.

Enjoy your plate

Whether you pay it off all at once or follow a finance arrangement, there is not much stopping you from having your plate installed. You are able to get more options for how the service is handled and how the plates are delivered, but once you own them, you should be able to use them straight away.

Just make sure that your car is properly registered. If your plates do not match, then you could get in a lot of trouble, even if you technically own them but have not registered the car properly yet.

Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian god depicted as a man with a jackal-like head, has remained as one of the most famous deities of Egypt throughout the ages. He is the god of mummification and the afterlife. One of his key roles was to weigh the hearts of souls to decide whether they were allowed to enter the realm of the dead.

Today, thousands of years after his supposed existence, Anubis features in many books, movies, and video games of popular culture. Here are the best games in which Anubis appears.

Anubis II

Despite the name, Anubis II is not a sequel. The 2005 action video game from UK game developer Data Design Interactive is set in Ancient Egypt. It is available for PlayStation 2, Wii, and Microsoft Windows.

You get to control Anubis in his quest to lift the curse of the pharaohs. When using the Wii remote, Anubis can perform some fantastic moves, such as swinging his Sceptre of Ra and throwing canopic bombs. If you are a fan of Egypt-themed video games, Anubis II is a fun one to play.

Book of Dead

Anubis does not only feature in video games. He can also be found in the fantastic slot game called Book of Dead, named after the Ancient Egyptian funerary text that was placed in the coffins or burial chambers of the deceased.

The Book of Dead slot game is the third title in the Rich Wilde series. The adventurer previously appeared in the Aztec Idols and Pearls of India games. In this slot, Rich Wilde heads to the Giza pyramids of Egypt, where Anubis has opened the gates to the underworld.

Spelunky 2

Spelunky 2 received much critical acclaim upon its release in 2020. The platform game involves controlling Ana, the daughter of the explorer featured in the first Spelunky game. As Ana, you must navigate deadly caves and battle hostile monsters and traps in order to collect treasures.

Along the way, you will come across The Temple of Anubis. Inside, you will find Anubis himself sitting dormant on his throne. When you get close to him, the deity awakes, and you must fight Anubis to take his sceptre.

Scribblenauts Unlimited

The fourth title in the Scribblenauts series is a puzzle sandbox game in which you control the protagonist Maxwell as he travels through an open world environment to collect Starites. Scribblenauts Unlimited is more adventure-based than the previous titles in the series.

You get to traverse through different themed areas and accept various challenges along the way. One of the many foes you will come across is Anubis. Other than the game’s pharaohs and mummies, Anubis is hostile to all other creatures. You can either face him head-on or run away if you do not feel like you are up to the challenge of taking on a god. Scribblenauts Unlimited was released in 2012. In 2013, the game won the Pocket Gamer Awards’ Best Casual/Puzzle Game category.

Persona 5

The sixth instalment in the Persona series of games, which are part of the wider Megami Tensei franchise, was released in 2016. Persona 5 soon became cited as one of the greatest role-playing video games of all time. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a student called Joker. He and other students gain special powers and they form a group of secret vigilantes called the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

The group then explores the supernatural realm known as the Metaverse to steal malevolent intent from adults’ hearts. Along the way, they encounter Anubis. If you manage to execute Anubis by electric chair in the Velvet Room, you obtain a Makouha skill card, which will come in very handy on the rest of your journey.