A custom license plate can be a stylish addition to your car as well as a clever marketing ploy – original, visible and forever. But even that style tag has its rules. Not every “BOSS007” gets a pass, and sometimes the office will quickly send you back to square one. So what do you need to know before your car dons a new nameplate?
What is a license plate on request?
According to the Act on the Conditions of Operation of Vehicles on Roads,a registration plate on request is assigned on the basis of a request from the owner or operator of a vehicle. The law allows you to design your own combination of capital letters of the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals – this means you can choose your own personalised text for the driver or company.
The main catch with a custom license plate is that you can’t put absolutely anything on the plate. The authorities will refuse if it contains foul language, insults, anything that could incite hatred, or even words like “POLICE” or “CITY” that belong only to the state. Similarly, anything that looks like a regular license plate won’t pass – officials want to make it clear that it‘ s a custom plate.
Another problem can arise when such a mark already exists. If someone else has already registered the same combination, has it reserved, or perhaps it has been stolen, lost or destroyed, the office won’t give it to you. Each mark must be absolutely unique.
These rules show that a custom plate is not just a stylish addition to a car. It is an official indication that has its own clearly defined rules and is also used to protect against confusion on the vehicle register or the misuse of inappropriate or sensitive terms.
Contact our legal advice service. We can help you interpret the law and review your license plate application to avoid an unnecessary denial.
A custom licence plate must have between 6 and 8 characters, with only uppercase letters of the Latin alphabet (A-Z) and numbers from 0 to 9 allowed. No spaces, dashes, periods or other separators are allowed between characters. The letter ‘O’ is considered to be a zero (0) digit and is therefore not allowed to avoid confusion between characters.
As far as the content of the mark itself is concerned, you can choose any combination of numbers and letters, whether it is a word, a name, a nickname, a company abbreviation, a motto or even a funny inscription – provided, however, that it does not violate the applicable rules.
On the contrary, the sign must not contain any derogatory, vulgar or offensive language. Texts that could incite hatred or discrimination are also prohibited. Similarly, abbreviations or names of public authorities, such as “POLICE”, “MUNICIPALITY”, “CITY”, “OSSZ”, “ÚOOZ” or “BIS”, may not be used. Furthermore, the mark must not be interchangeable with the standard registration mark, i.e. for example formats such as ‘1AB 2345’ or ‘AA 123AA’ are not allowed.
Another important rule is that an optional plate cannot be assigned if it already exists – not only for the same vehicle, but also for another vehicle on the register. Similarly, a plate that is already reserved or that has been reported lost, stolen or damaged cannot be used. All these conditions must be met for the authority to approve your application for your own number plate.
Practical example:
According to the law, you can apply for an optional number plate together with the application for registration of the vehicle, if the vehicle is not already registered. When you apply for a custom plate, it’s not enough just to come up with an original inscription. You need to fill in your personal details correctly, give the exact form of the plate and if someone else is acting for you, they must have a certified power of attorney (if required by the authority).
You can reserve your sign in advance, for up to 6 months. But be warned, if you do not make a formal application for a mark within this time, your reservation will be forfeited. No exceptions. The main risk is that the reservation itself is no guarantee. If you don’t make it in time, someone else may well take the same tag. So if you really want it, don’t delay.
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Once the office receives the application for a custom plate and also registers that you have paid the administration fee, the statutory time limit starts to run. Within 15 days you should be physically issued with your assigned plate.
Sounds simple, but there are some important “buts” here too. If you apply but forget or delay paying the administration fee (currently CZK 5,000 for each plate), the deadline will not start at all. In fact, the office will only start acting when it has the money. The statutory 15-day period therefore starts only after payment, not after the application has been submitted.
Moreover, as we mentioned, a reservation is not a blank cheque. You can reserve a tag for up to six months, but if you don’t make a formal application and pay within that period, the reservation will lapse. And the law doesn’t allow for exceptions and you won’t get away with any “excuses”. Even if serious illness, business travel or other life complications intervene, after 6 months you are no longer entitled to the tag.
When you own a custom license plate and sell your car, there are several possibilities and some risks that come with them. The law says that you can transfer the plate to another vehicle of yours if you are the owner or operator. However, if you are selling your car to someone else and also want to keep the plates, you must apply for them and surrender the original plates to the appropriate office for safekeeping.
If you don’t want to transfer the plate, you can reserve it for six months for a future vehicle. However, even this reservation has limitations – if you do not take up the option to allocate the plate to a new vehicle within six months, your entitlement to the plate will be forfeited.
The legal risk is that if you don’t transfer or surrender the plate properly when you sell the vehicle, the plate may remain with the new owner but you lose control of it. That’s why it’s important to think of all the steps you can take to make sure you don’t lose your favourite plate.
If your license plate is damaged, the law allows for a new plate to be issued. All you have to do is submit the damaged piece and a request for replacement to the office. In this case, the office will issue you a replacement license plate with your original lettering.
However, if you lose your plate, destroy it or have it stolen, you must report this to the municipality as soon as possible. In such a situation, the authority will no longer issue you with a new plate on request, but will issue you with a classic registration plate. The exception is if you have reserved the plate in time or want to transfer it to another vehicle – this is governed by special rules.
The main risk is that you can never simply duplicate or renew a number plate on request. If you lose your plate, or if it is stolen, you will lose it forever unless you have taken timely action. In addition, it is important to report the theft of your plate to the authorities, because without doing so, you may have problems with your legal liability, for example if someone uses your lost plate to commit illegal acts. The authorities may not recognise your right to use the plate without reporting the theft or loss.
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Although you can choose your own combination of letters and numbers, the law prohibits the use of derogatory, vulgar or offensive language, texts that incite hatred or discrimination, and the names of public authorities such as “POLICE” or “CITY”. In addition, the mark must not be interchangeable with a regular registration mark, and each combination must be unique. You can apply for an optional plate with your vehicle registration application. You can also reserve one for up to six months. If you do not make a formal application and pay the administration fee within this period, the reservation will be forfeited. Once you have paid the fee of £5,000 for each plate, the statutory fifteen day period starts, during which time you should be issued with the plates. The plate must be between 6 and 8 characters long, consist of capital letters only (no ‘O’ due to confusion with zero) and numbers, with no spaces or special characters. When you sell your vehicle, you can transfer the plate to another car of yours if you are the owner or operator. If your license plate is damaged on request, you can ask for a refund in exchange for proof of the damaged plate. If you lose it or it is stolen, you must report it immediately. In such a case, the authority will not issue a new plate on request, but will assign a conventional registration plate if you have not made a reservation or transfer in accordance with the law.
No. Text must not be defamatory, interchangeable with official designations (e.g. “POLICE”) and must conform to the format required by law.
The law does not allow for a duplicate to be issued. You need to apply for a new mark and the original one comes.
Online availability verification is not officially available. Verification is only done when you apply at the office.
Yes, but only if the applicant is the owner or operator of the new vehicle. The transfer must be officially approved.
Yes, you can reserve the sign for 6 months. If you don’t get the vehicle by then and don’t apply, the reservation will be forfeited.
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Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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