Number Plates in Durham

Utopia Plates makes number plates in Durham at Unit 1, Dragonville Industrial Park, and you do not need an appointment. Walk in between 9:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Saturday, and a pair of plates usually takes about ten minutes to make while you wait.

What happens when you walk in

Bring one document that proves your identity and address, and one that proves your entitlement to the registration. Hand them to a member of staff, with your order number if you have already ordered online. Your documents are recorded and given straight back to you, and you can wait in the waiting area or in your car while the plates are made.

A driving licence and a V5C logbook are the usual pair, but there are plenty of other documents we can accept. Your proof of address has to be in your name, but the entitlement document can be in someone else's, so you can buy plates as a gift for a family member or a friend. The full list of accepted documents sets out what we can take.

If you have ordered online you can choose local collection and pick the plates up here, instead of posting your documents and waiting for a delivery. Either way they are same day number plates: made while you wait, during opening hours.

Collection is quickest of all from here: order online, choose collection, and the plates can be made and fitted within an hour of the order reaching us, provided we are open and it is a fitting day, Monday to Friday. Posting your documents and waiting on delivery adds a few days.

Number plate fitting in Durham

We fit plates as well as make them, at £9.99 per plate or £19.98 for a pair, Monday to Friday. No appointment is needed for fitting either, and it is done while you wait.

You can choose how they are fixed to the car:

• Sticky pads: our recommendation, strong and clean, with no drill holes.
• Screws: the traditional method, firmly fixed.
• Plate holders: fitted by our team if you want a surround.
• Velcro: worth considering if you swap your plates often.

We will fit any road-legal plates, including ones you did not buy from us, but we will not fit illegal plates. Our fitting guide explains the options if you would rather do it yourself.

The plate styles we make in Durham

Everything that leaves the workshop is road legal and built to the British Standard, BS AU 145e, from printed plates through to 3D gel and 4D laser cut. We do not make show plates or tinted plates.

The letter styles we carry:

• Printed: flat characters printed onto the plate, the standard finish.
• 3D Gel: a clear resin dome over each character, raised and glossy.
• 4D 3mm: 3mm laser-cut acrylic characters with a sharp edge.
• 4D 5mm: the same laser-cut characters at 5mm, so they stand further off the plate.
• 4D 3mm with Gel: 3mm acrylic characters finished with a gel dome on top.
• Retro: raised characters with a classic diamond profile.
• Outline: a 3mm character with a 2mm outline around the edge.
• Hover: a thinner character sitting behind a 3mm one, so the top character appears to float.
• Shadow: a 3mm character on the plate with a thinner character stepped on top.

Legal flags and identifiers are available on any of them: the Union Flag, St George's Cross, the Scottish Saltire, the Welsh Dragon, and the Green Flash EV identifier with or without a Union Flag.

Plate shapes and sizes

We hold the shapes as well as the styles, so most vehicles are covered from stock:

• Standard UK plates.
• Shortened and hex plates.
• Square 4x4 plates.
• Oversize plates for Land Rover, Range Rover, Defender, Bentley and anything else needing a larger plate.
• Trailer plates.
• Motorbike plates.
• Japanese import plates.

Private registrations

We are a registration dealer as well as a plate maker. There are over 74 million DVLA registrations to search, plus 60,000+ pre-owned registrations, covering dateless, prefix, suffix and current style private registrations.

Buying one online from a company you have never met can feel daunting, particularly the first time. Being in Durham means you can come in, talk it through with the team, and have the process explained from searching to assigning the registration to your vehicle.

Areas we cover

We are at Dragonville in Durham, and customers travel in from across the North East, including Chester-le-Street, Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe. If you are closer to one of these, each has its own page:

• Number plates in Washington
• Number plates in Sunderland
• Number plates in Gateshead
• Number plates in Newcastle
• Number plates in Darlington
• Number plates at Team Valley
• Number plates in Bishop Auckland
• Where to get number plates in North East England

Durham number plate FAQs

Do I need an appointment? No. Walk in between 9:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Saturday, for plates. Fitting is available Monday to Friday.

How long does it take? A pair of plates usually takes about ten minutes once we have seen your documents, and you are welcome to wait in the waiting area or in your car.

What do I need to bring? One document proving your identity and address, and one proving your entitlement to the registration, such as a driving licence and a V5C logbook.

Can you fit plates I bought somewhere else? Yes, as long as they are road legal, at £9.99 per plate. We will not fit illegal plates.

Where do I park? There is free parking right outside the unit at Dragonville Industrial Park.

Finding us in Durham

We are at Unit 1, Dragonville Industrial Park, Dragon Lane, Durham, DH1 2XJ, just off the A1(M) at Junction 62, with free parking right outside the unit.

Opening hours are 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Saturday. Fitting is available Monday to Friday.