My number: The Transport Department will begin accepting applications for the Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks Scheme from April 1.

The Transport Department will accept applications for the Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks Scheme from April 1.

Speaking at a press conference today, Assistant Commissioner for Transport Stephen Ip said a vehicle owner can choose his preferred vehicle registration mark, apply to the department and use it upon approval following a bidding exercise.

Scheme details

Mr Ip said personalised car registration mark combinations may have a maximum of eight letters of the alphabet (except "I", "O" and "Q" which are not allowed), numerals and/or blank spaces. A blank space will be counted as one of the permitted characters.

More than one blank space is allowed in a registration mark, but there shall be no more than one blank space between any two letters or numerals, or between a letter and a numeral in the registration mark.

There can be no more than four identical letters or numerals placed together side by side in a registration mark. The combinations may be displayed in a single row or in two rows, and the display must be in accordance with the approved format. If it is displayed in two rows, the maximum number of letters, numerals and/or blank spaces in each row is four.

The combinations must not duplicate existing vehicle registration marks or be of a similar pattern to existing forms of vehicle registration marks or permit/licence numbers, and they must not duplicate the registration marks reserved for certain vehicles.

Application process

An application for Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks will go through the following process before it can be assigned:

* submission of application;

* selection of applications by lot;

* checking of applications selected against the basic combination requirements;

* payment of deposit of $5,000 by selected applicants whose applications meet the basic combination requirements;

* vetting of the applications;

* announcement of approved applications; and

* auction of approved Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks.

The department plans to invite the first batch of applications on March 31 by notice published in the Gazette and advertisements in newspapers.

Starting from that day, application forms and guidance notes will be available from the department's website.

Completed application forms must be submitted during the period from April 1 to 30. One thousand applications will be considered in the first exercise.