Why convert an existing plate
Not everyone who wants a fancy plate is registering a vehicle for the first time. Some owners are years into ownership with a standard plate and simply decide they want their own combination of letters and numbers.
MVAA treats this as its own transaction, separate from a fresh registration. It also covers the case of a fancy plate that was lost, since both situations need a new fancy plate produced outside a normal new registration.
What it costs compared with a new fancy plate
A brand new fancy plate on a fresh registration costs ₦400,000 in Lagos. Converting an existing plate, or replacing a lost fancy plate, is priced lower than that on MVAA's own schedule.
See our fancy number plate fee post for the full side-by-side figures. The short version: converting costs less than starting from scratch, but more than doing nothing.
What you will need
Bring your vehicle's registration documents and your own identification, the same basics any plate transaction needs. You will also need to choose your combination of letters and numbers, which the station checks for availability before accepting your application.
If you are replacing a lost fancy plate rather than converting a standard one, be ready to explain what happened, since a lost plate is a different starting point from an owner simply wanting a change.
Have a backup combination in mind. A first choice already taken elsewhere is common, and a second option saves you a repeat trip.
Expect a conversion to take a little longer at the counter than a routine renewal, since the new plate has to be produced to your chosen specification rather than pulled from stock. Plan the trip with that in mind rather than expecting to leave with the new plate the same visit.
What happens to your old plate
If you are converting, hand your old standard plate back at the station when you collect the new fancy one. A vehicle should carry one active, registered plate, not two.
If you are replacing a lost plate, there is nothing to hand back, but keep any police or incident report you filed, since a station may ask for it as part of the record.
Common mistakes
Assuming the conversion costs the same as a brand new fancy plate is the most common mistake, when MVAA's own schedule prices them differently. Turning up without a backup combination in mind is another, especially since a popular choice can already be taken.
Driving around with both the old and new plate "just in case" is a third. Once the new plate is issued, the old one should come off the vehicle.
Forgetting that your vehicle licence and other registration papers still need to be current is a fourth. Converting the plate does not reset or replace any of your other renewal dates.
For more on plate types and fees, see the licences and vehicles hub and our FRSC vehicle licence renewal guide. Compare the exact new-plate figures with our standard number plate fee post.