Transferring a private registration

You can take a private registration plate off one vehicle, to either transfer to another vehicle or keep it to use at a later time. The registration is retained in the name of the registered keeper.

The DVLA charge £80.00 to retain a number plate for each 10 year period. Once retained, there is no cost to assign the plate to a vehicle.

You cannot keep a registration plate beginning with Q or NIQ for Northern Ireland vehicles. Your V5C document should state if the number plate is transferable.

Transferring a Registration

You CANNOT transfer a registration if it will make the car appear younger e.g. transferring a 15 plate to a 2006 registered vehicle.

Both vehicles must be:

• Registered with the DVLA
• Available for inspection
• Have a valid MOT (including pre-1960’s vehicles)
• Be taxed, or have been taxed in the last 12 months and then transferred to Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)

You can transfer your vehicle registration:

• From your vehicle to another one in your name
• To a vehicle you're buying
• To someone else's vehicle

If you wish to transfer a personalised plate to a leased vehicle, the lease company would need to apply as the registered keeper.

You can transfer a registration online or by post

A postal application requires the V5C documents for both cars to be sent to the DVLA, so you cannot give the dealership the V5C at time of sale. Most dealerships will accept that there will be a delay until they have the V5C documents where there is a number plate transfer.

Another option is to apply to retain the personalised plate in advance of selling your car. Your vehicle will be assigned a new registration. In most cases this will be the original number plate of the vehicle, but this is not always the case. You will need to put these plates on the vehicle in place of your personalised registration.

Your new V5C registration document is posted to you (typically within 3-5 working days for an online application, but slower with a postal application).

You can then sell your car with the updated number plate, and apply to assign your private registration plate to the new vehicle on purchase.

Online

You can apply online Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm

There is a two step process for a registration transfer:

• First take the registration off the current vehicle
• Then put the registration on the new vehicle

(If you are registering a brand new vehicle, this requires a different process refer to the DVLA)

Taking the registration off the current vehicle

You will need:

• The 11 digit document reference number from the latest V5C vehicle registration certificate (logbook)
• A valid credit or debit card

Your vehicle must be:

• Registered with the DVLA
• Taxed or have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in place within the last five years
• Available for inspection

You will receive a certificate number which you can then use to put the registration onto another vehicle.

The DVLA will post an updated V5C, typically this takes 3-5 working days for an online application.

Putting the registration on a new vehicle

If the vehicle already has a personalised plate, you must take it off before transferring the new plate on, otherwise you risk the original registration plate.

You will need:

• Your certificate number from Step 1 or from a V750 certificate of entitlement or V778 retention document
• The 11 digit reference number from the latest V5C registration certificate
• A credit card or debit card to pay any outstanding renewal fees

Your vehicle must be:

• Registered with the DVLA
• Taxed or have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in place within the last five years
• Available for inspection

 

Or you can apply by post

To remove or transfer your registration send the following documents to the DVLA:

• A V317 'transfer or train a vehicle registration number' form
• The registration certificate (V5C) for the vehicle or the new keeper's supplement with a V62 'application for a vehicle registration certificate V5C' form
• If you are transferring the registration you will need to send the V5C form for the new car
• The £80.00 transfer fee

You will then be sent:

• A V778 retention document showing you as the 'grantee'
• A V5C registration certificate showing the replacement registration number

To assign a registration previously retained or a registration bought from the DVLA send the following documents to the DVLA:

• The completed V750 (certificate of entitlement for new personalised registrations bought from the DVLA), or V778 (retention document when the personalised registration is taken off a vehicle)
• The registration certificate (V5C) for the vehicle, or the new keeper's supplement with a completed V62 application for a vehicle registration certificate V5C.
• You can add a nominee (this allows the registration to be transferred to a vehicle owned by the nominee) when assigning the registration number by completing Section 2 of the V750 or V778.

What happens next?

You will be sent:

• A V778 retention document showing you as the 'grantee'
• A registration certificate showing the replacement registration number

If you retain the registration number in someone else's name, the retention document will be sent to them, as they are recorded as the grantee.

Other actions

The DVLA reserves the right to inspect any vehicles subject to registration plate changes. If this is the case, you will be notified and the application timescales may be extended.

Queries?

DVLA contact details for vehicle registration enquiries:

Telephone: 0300 790 6802

Textphone: 18001 0300 123 1279

Monday - Friday 8am-7pm

Saturday 8am to 2pm

Fax: 0300 123 0798

You can also use the email DVLA service: emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla