DVLA auction results: October 2026
Updated 21 October 2026
DVLA's October 2026 timed online auction of personalised registrations closed on Tuesday 20 October. 1,977 of 2,000 lots sold, led by 48 O at £85,210, with a median hammer price of £1,510. Every sold plate now has its own Plate Circle page.
Top 10 prices: October 2026
| # | Registration | Hammer price | Total incl. fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 O | £85,210 | £105,399.56 |
| 2 | DSK 2 | £46,210 | £57,195.56 |
| 3 | 788 HS | £45,610 | £56,453.96 |
| 4 | 315 A | £25,190 | £31,214.84 |
| 5 | 98 UK | £25,000 | £30,980.00 |
| 6 | F90 FER | £24,110 | £29,879.96 |
| 7 | CTA 1T | £21,910 | £27,160.76 |
| 8 | 110 T | £20,830 | £25,825.88 |
| 9 | 180 P | £20,010 | £24,812.36 |
| 10 | LOU 16E | £20,010 | £24,812.36 |
Hammer prices are DVLA's final winning bids. Total including fees is calculated using the B286 terms: 3% buyer's premium, 20% VAT on the hammer price and premium, plus the £80 assignment fee. These are calculated standard purchase totals, not independently verified buyer invoices. See the official DVLA buyer guide.
October against May
October sold 1,977 lots against 1,940 in May. Both auctions had the same median hammer price of £1,510. This is not a copied figure: October's middle sale (989th of 1,977) was £1,510; May's two middle public records (970th and 971st of 1,940) were both £1,510. Short dateless registrations again took the top places, with three plates passing £45,000. Only 23 lots went unsold.
The May comparison uses Plate Circle's 1,940 publicly visible, non-sample sale records, excluding 44 suppressed duplicate or review records. It is a comparison of the available clean records, not a claim that DVLA offered only 1,940 lots in May. Both medians use hammer prices before fees, so the comparison is on the same basis.
What stood out in October?
The final B286 sheet records £5,216,520 in hammer prices across 1,977 sold lots: a 98.85% sell-through rate from 2,000 offered registrations. That leaves just 23 lots without a recorded sale. The strong sell-through is evidence of demand at this particular auction, although it does not mean every private number plate will sell quickly or at a similar price.
48 O led the results at £85,210, or £105,399.56 including the standard auction fees. Its two digits and single letter give it the compact appearance buyers often seek in a dateless registration. DSK 2 and 788 HS followed at £46,210 and £45,610 before fees, showing that initial combinations and short formats can also attract substantial bids. These are interpretations of the registrations, not confirmed explanations of the buyers' motives.
The top ten also include F90 FER, a combination with a potential Ferrari association, and LOU 16E, which may appeal to someone reading it as a name. The mix is a useful reminder that visual neatness, initials, names and personal meaning can all matter. The three highest hammer prices exceeded £45,000, but the £1,510 median is a better indication of the middle of the sale than its headline lots.
How much did buyers pay after fees?
For this auction, the standard calculation is hammer price × 1.236 + £80. The 23.6% uplift comprises 20% VAT on the hammer price, a 3% buyer's premium and 20% VAT on that premium. The fixed £80 assignment fee is then added once per registration.
For example, DSK 2's £46,210 winning bid becomes £57,195.56: £9,242 VAT on the hammer, £1,386.30 buyer's premium, £277.26 VAT on the premium and the £80 assignment fee. A registration at October's £1,510 median would cost £1,946.36 on the same basis. Keep that full amount in mind when comparing an auction result with a marketplace asking price.
The sale-history records remain hammer prices; the additional column shows the calculated purchase cost separately. An auction result is evidence of one sale on one date, not a guaranteed valuation or a promise of what the plate will achieve when resold. Compare several relevant results, the registration's format and current availability rather than relying on one headline.
Source: DVLA's B286 results spreadsheet, with fees checked against the October auction terms. Analysis checked on 21 October 2026.
For comparison: the May 2026 DVLA auction
Plate Circle recorded 1,940 sold lots from the May 2026 DVLA auction, with a median recorded price of £1,510. The highest recorded prices were:
- 157 O£68,010
- 2849 T£39,450
- 3122 A£30,010
- 4BUL 1T£22,450
- 51 LRV£21,510
- 6930 TBO£21,500
- 7450 M£20,030
- 8488 Y£17,230
- 9442 A£17,010
- 10849 SPY£16,110
These are recorded hammer prices before buyer's premium, VAT and the assignment fee, matching the basis of the October comparison.
Find out more
New to DVLA auctions? Read DVLA number plate auctions explained or browse every recorded result in sold number plates.