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JPJ Number Plates Malaysia — Transfer, Bidding & Vanity Rules

· Roda Editorial · Updated

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General information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with JPJ.

In Malaysia, a vehicle registration number is issued by JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan, the Road Transport Department) and recorded against a specific vehicle and owner. Short, repeating or themed numbers are popular and can change hands for large sums. This guide explains how numbers are issued, how JPJeBid bidding works, what JPJ allows when a number moves to another vehicle, what the plate itself must look like, and how to protect yourself when you buy a number from another person.

Rules and fees change. This guide reflects JPJ and MyGOV information as of October 2026. Check JPJ's official channels before you bid, buy or apply.

How numbers are issued

Every newly registered vehicle gets the next number in the current series for its registration area, unless the owner chooses a specific number. The letters at the start usually show the state, for example W or V for Kuala Lumpur, B for Selangor, P for Penang, J for Johor, S for Sabah and Q for Sarawak. JPJ also releases special series, such as themed or commemorative letters, from time to time.

Bidding through JPJeBid

JPJeBid is JPJ's online system for choosing a number in an open series or a special series. Based on JPJ's FAQ and terms:

  1. You need a MySIKAP account. Bidding is online.
  2. There is no separate deposit. Your bid is a payment of at least the minimum price set for that number's category, made when you bid.
  3. Results are announced after the bidding period closes.
  4. If you lose, your payment is refunded. JPJ's FAQ gives the refund period.
  5. If you win, the payment is not refundable. You must register the number to a vehicle within the period JPJ sets, which its FAQ gives as 12 months from the result letter.
  6. JPJ limits how many numbers one bidder can win in a series. Check the current limit in the series announcement.

Recent special series in 2026 included the "FH" series in February and a series for JPJ's 80th anniversary in April. JPJ announces each series with its dates and rules.

Moving a number to another vehicle

JPJ has a procedure called "Pemindahan Nombor Pendaftaran" (vehicle registration number transfer). According to JPJ, it moves a number from a registered vehicle to another vehicle of the same owner, such as a new vehicle being registered, under set conditions:

  • The vehicle the number comes from must not be blacklisted by JPJ or PDRM.
  • That vehicle needs a PUSPAKOM inspection.
  • A fee applies. Check JPJ's fee table for the current amount.

Check JPJ's procedure page for which vehicles qualify before you plan around it.

Buying a number from another person

Numbers for sale on marketplaces are usually offered in one of two ways:

  • On a registered vehicle. The number is on a vehicle the seller owns, often an older car or motorcycle kept as the "carrier".
  • A JPJeBid win not yet registered. The seller won the number and has not yet registered it to a vehicle.

What this means in practice: the price you agree with a seller is a private deal, but the number only becomes yours through a JPJ process, such as an ownership transfer of the carrier vehicle followed by a JPJ number transfer, in your name. If that process cannot be completed, the money may be hard to recover.

Protect yourself

  1. Ask the seller exactly how the number will reach you, step by step, and which JPJ procedures it uses. Check each step with JPJ.
  2. Confirm the seller's identity and that the registration record is in their name.
  3. Check that the carrier vehicle is not blacklisted and has no outstanding ownership claim from a bank.
  4. Put the price, who handles the paperwork, who pays the JPJ and inspection fees, and the deadline in a written agreement.
  5. Do not pay in full before the number is registered in your name. Agree on a payment schedule tied to the JPJ steps.
  6. Keep every receipt and JPJ confirmation.

Number plates on Roda are posted by sellers, and each ad shows whether the number is on a registered vehicle or is an unregistered JPJeBid number. Roda does not check ownership or handle transfers.

What the plate must look like

JPJ sets the specifications for registration plates:

  • Normal vehicles use white characters on a black background. Taxis use black characters on white, and embassy and similar vehicles use their own colours.
  • Characters must be clear and readable. Displaying a number that is hard to read is an offence on JPJ's list, with compounds.
  • Electric vehicles registered from 9 September 2024 must use JPJ's ePlate.

Fancy fonts, extra symbols, stickers and tinted covers can make a plate hard to read. Ask your plate maker to follow JPJ's specification.

Selling a vehicle with a special number

If you sell a car that carries a number you want to keep, plan before you advertise. Ask JPJ whether you can move the number to another vehicle you own before the sale, and how long it takes. Once the car is transferred to the buyer, the number goes with it. See the JPJ ownership transfer guide and 5 tips to sell your car faster.

Sources

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