how to transfer a personalised number plate online

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Private (personalised) number plates

Assign a private number to a vehicle.

To assign a private (personalised) number to a vehicle, you need one of the following:

• a V750 certificate of entitlement - you’ll get this if you buy a private number
• a V778 retention document or online reference number - you’ll get one of these if you take a number from another vehicle you own

Eligibility

You cannot:

• assign a number starting with ‘Q’ or ‘NIQ’
• put a private number on a ‘Q’ registered vehicle
• use a private number that makes a vehicle look newer than it is - for example, an ‘07’ registration number on a 2003 registered vehicle

The vehicle must:

• be registered with DVLA in the UK
• be able to move under its own power
• be of a type that needs an MOT or heavy goods vehicle ( HGV ) test certificate
• be available for inspection - DVLA will contact you if they need to inspect your vehicle
• have been taxed or had a SORN in place continuously for the past 5 years
• be taxed currently or have a SORN in place - if it’s had a SORN in place for more than 5 years, it must be taxed and have an MOT certificate

If you have a historic (classic) vehicle you’ll also need a current MOT certificate, even if your vehicle is usually exempt from MOTs.

Apply to assign a number

If the vehicle is:

• registered to you - apply online or by post
• a used vehicle you just bought - wait for DVLA to send you a new V5C in your name before you apply online or by post
• brand new - give the dealer your V750 or V778 document and ask them to apply
• registered to someone else and you want the private number to be transferred to them - apply online or by post

It’s free to apply online or by post. You need the vehicle’s log book (V5C) .

If you already have a private number on your vehicle, apply to take it off first. You could lose the right to use the number if you do not.

Apply online

The number will be assigned immediately if your vehicle does not need an inspection. Be ready to put new number plates on the vehicle as soon as you’ve applied.

Assign a number online

This service is open from 7am to 7pm. It’s also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) .

Apply by post

Send all of the following documents to DVLA :

• the completed V750 or V778 - the address is on the form
• the vehicle’s log book (V5C) or green ‘new keeper’ slip with a completed V62 ‘application for a vehicle registration certificate V5C’

If you’re assigning the number to someone else’s vehicle, add them as a ‘nominee’ - complete section 2 of the V750 or V778.

To tax your vehicle at the same time, include all of the following:

• a V10 ‘application for vehicle tax’ form
• the right amount of vehicle tax
• an MOT certificate

After you assign a private number

You’ll be sent:

• a new log book (V5C)
• your original MOT back (if you sent it to tax the vehicle)

You must put new number plates on the vehicle before you drive it.

You can keep the original registration number and plates - they’ll be reassigned to the vehicle when you take off the private number.

You must not sell or get rid of a vehicle until you get the new log book (V5C).

If you have not received your log book

You’ll usually receive your log book after 4 weeks.

Contact DVLA if you have not received your log book and it’s been 4 weeks since you applied.

If you have not received your log book after 6 weeks and you have not notified DVLA , you’ll have to pay £25 to get a replacement.

Who to tell about your new registration number

You must tell your insurance company.

Update your registration number for any automatic payment accounts you have, for example to pay:

• the Congestion Charge
• the Low Emission Zone Charge
• the Ultra Low Emission Zone Charge
• the Dart Charge
• charges for driving in Clean Air Zones

You may get a penalty charge if you do not update your registration details and enter one of these zones.

If your vehicle has Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation scheme certification, you also need to tell them your new registration number.

Part of Get a private (personalised) number plate: step by step

Step 1 : buy a private number.

• Find out how you can buy a number

Step 2 : Assign your private number to a vehicle

• You are currently viewing: Apply to assign a private number to a vehicle

or Keep your private number

You do not have to assign your number to a vehicle.

You must renew your right to use the number every 10 years.

• Check how to renew your number

Step 3 : Get a new number plate made

If you assign your private number to a vehicle you must get a number plate made up from a registered supplier.

• Check the rules for number plates
• Check what documents you need to get a number plate made
• Find your nearest number plate supplier

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How to Transfer a Personalised Number Plate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Personalised number plates can add a unique touch to your vehicle, reflecting your personality or interests. If you're considering transferring your personalised plate to another vehicle, whether it's because you've purchased a new car or you're selling your current one, the process is straightforward but requires attention to detail. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Ensure Eligibility

Before starting the transfer process, make sure both vehicles (the one currently holding the plate and the one you wish to transfer it to) are eligible. They must be registered with the DVLA , capable of movement, and of a type that requires an MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) test.

Step 2: Gather Necessary Documents

You'll need the following documents to transfer a number plate:

• The V5C (log book) for both vehicles.
• A valid MOT certificate for each vehicle, if applicable.
• The transfer fee (check the latest fee on the DVLA website ).

Step 3: Apply to Transfer the Number Plate

You can apply to transfer a number plate either online or by post.

Visit the DVLA's website and use their online service for transferring number plates. You'll need to enter the registration numbers of both vehicles and the keeper's details as shown in the V5C documents.

Fill out the V317 form, available for download from the DVLA website or at most Post Offices. Complete the form with details of both vehicles and their keepers. Attach the required documents and the transfer fee, then send it to the DVLA's address provided on the form.

Step 4: Wait for Confirmation

Once your application is submitted, the DVLA will process it, which can take up to two weeks. During this time, they'll check the eligibility of both vehicles and ensure all documentation is in order. You'll receive a confirmation from the DVLA once the transfer is approved, along with new V5C documents for both vehicles.

Step 5: Update Your Plates

After receiving confirmation, it's time to get your new plates made. As specialists in bespoke premium 3D and 4D number plates, Limitless Plates offers a wide range of customisation options to ensure your new plates perfectly match your style and vehicle. Visit our website to design and order your new plates, ensuring they comply with DVLA regulations regarding font, size, and material.

Step 6: Inform Your Insurance Company

Once the transfer is complete, inform your insurance company of the change in registration number for the vehicle. This ensures your insurance policy is updated and remains valid.

Transferring a personalised number plate is a great way to keep a cherished registration number within your possession, even when changing vehicles. By following these steps carefully, you can ensure a smooth and successful transfer. Remember to always check the latest guidelines and fees on the DVLA website , as regulations and procedures can change.

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How to transfer a private number plate

Our guide will walk you through the steps required to successfully transfer a private plate.

There are 3 types of private plate transfers

Vehicle to vehicle, document to vehicle, vehicle to document.

The process of transferring a registration number from one vehicle to another is fairly straightforward. It can be done online in a few minutes or by post.

The procedures are as follows.

Transfer online

Step 1 take your private number plate off of your vehicle..

• Visit the Take a registration off a vehicle page on the DVLA website.
• Type in the registration number you want to remove.
• Fill in the relevant sections with your V5C (logbook) document reference number and the registered keeper's postcode as it appears on the logbook.
• Confirm that you are the registered keeper by clicking ' yes I am .'
• Pay £80 to complete the removal of the private number plate.
• You will be provided with a reference number. Make a note of this to use in Step 2 .

As long as your vehicle does not require an inspection, the private registration will be removed straight away.

Step 2 Assign your number plate to your vehicle.

• Visit the Assign a number page on the DVLA website.
• Where asked, enter the private registration number that you're looking to put on your vehicle.
• When asked if you are the grantee/purchaser, select the option ' Yes, I am the grantee/purchaser '
• Complete all details as requested. You will need to refer to your V5C registration document.
• When asked, enter the reference number you were given at the end of Step 1 "Take your private number plate off your vehicle" above.
• Submit the completed form.

Transfer by post

• Download the V317 form .
• Follow the 'Option A' instructions on the V317 document. You will need the information from the V5C (logbooks) of both the vehicle you are taking the private number plate off of and the vehicle you are transferring the private number plate to.
• Enclose a cheque of £80 payable to ' DVLA Swansea ' along with the V317 form and the V5C (logbooks) of both vehicles.
• Send the documents to the DVLA. The address you need to send them to is displayed on the V317 document.

Assuming a successful application, you will be sent new, updated V5C registration documents for both vehicles, usually within 2 weeks. Failures and delays usually only occur if there have been errors or omissions.

It is possible to replace a vehicle's current registration number with a private number plate from a V750 Certificate of Entitlement or a V778 Retention Document.

• Check the expiry date on your V750 or V778 to make sure it is still valid.
• Ensure that the registered keeper for the receiving vehicle matches the Grantee or Nominee name on the certificate.
• Visit the Assign a private number page on the DVLA website.
• Fill out your vehicle details including your current vehicle registration number and the latest logbook (V5C) document reference number.
• Then enter the registered keeper's postcode as it appears on the logbook.
• When asked, enter the required details from your V750/V778 certificate.
• Complete relevant sections of your V750 or V778 document and sign it where instructed.
• Send a cheque for £80 payable to 'DVLA Swansea' along with your certificate (V750/V778) and the V5C (logbook) of your vehicle to the DVLA at the address shown on the documents.

A registration that you want to remove from a car and keep for later use or sale may be stored in the form of a certificate. This is known as retaining a registration.

Please see our comprehensive page on how to retain a number plate for details of the process and how to complete it.

What are the 2 types of number plate certificates?

When a registration is not assigned to a vehicle.

Registration entitlement is granted on a Certificate of Entitlement (Form V750) OR on a Retention Document (Form V778).

Certificate of Entitlement (Form V750)

The Certificate of Entitlement (Form V750) is a pink document issued by the DVLA for a vehicle registration that hasn't been put on a vehicle before. A V750 shows that the original purchaser is entitled to the number plate for 10 years.

Retention Document (Form V778)

The Retention Document (Form V778) is a green document also issued by the DVLA for a registration number that has been previously assigned to a vehicle. A V778 shows that the grantee is entitled to the number plate for 10 years.

We encourage renewal of Certificates and Retention Documents well in advance of the expiry date.

The steps you need to take are found on our How to retain a number plate page.

What are the vehicle requirements for transferring a number plate?

To satisfy the rules governing the transfer of a private registration, the vehicle to which the number is being transferred must:

• be registered with DVLA in the UK
• be able to move under its own power
• be of a type that needs an MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) test certificate
• be available for inspection - DVLA will contact you if they need to inspect your vehicle
• have been taxed or been covered by a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) continuously for the past five years
• have current road tax or be covered by a current SORN. If the vehicle has had a SORN in place for more than five years, it must be taxed and have a current MOT certificate
• If you have a historic (classic) vehicle you'll also need a current MOT certificate, even if your vehicle is usually exempt from MOTs.
• If the registration is being transferred from one vehicle to another, then both vehicles must satisfy the criteria listed above.

Trust the team

Transferring a vehicle registration is a simple process. Of course, many people prefer the peace of mind provided by an experienced, professional team. That's why Regtransfers offers our customers the option of a fully managed transfer service, taking care of all red tape and formalities.

When you buy a registration with us select ' Hassle-free Transfer Service '.

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The role of DVLA

Car registrations and number plates, including personalised number plates, in the UK, are the responsibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, usually known as the DVLA. It issues new registrations twice a year and also maintains the central database that records details of all vehicles licensed to drive on UK roads, along with their keeper and registration information.

Regtransfers works closely with DVLA to complete registration transfers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Regtransfers is a DVLA-registered supplier of personal car registrations and number plates and is listed on the DVLA Registrations website. All number plates supplied by Regtransfers comply with DVLA's prescribed standards and regulations.

DVLA administers all UK registration transfers and issues updated registration documents when the registration number of a car is changed, or when a registration is removed from a vehicle and placed on a retention document in accordance with the DVLA Retention Scheme .

DVLA is a registered trade mark of the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. Regtransfers is not affiliated with the DVLA or DVLA Personalised Registrations. Regtransfers is a recognised reseller of unissued Government stock.

Number plate regulations

When a car is on the road, it is an offence to display number plates bearing any number other than the vehicle's officially recorded registration number. If you purchase a private registration, learn how to transfer private plates before displaying the new number.

All registration number plates displayed on UK vehicles must comply with the official number plate regulations . DVLA oversees enforcement of number plates display regulations and maintains a register of approved manufacturers and retailers of vehicle number plates.

Regtransfers is not part of, and is not formally affiliated with DVLA.

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• Tips and advice

How to buy or transfer a personalised number plate

Treasured, cherished or vanity – whatever they’re called, personalised number plates are big business. we explain all you need to know.

A private number plate is a common way for people to personalise their vehicle. Sometimes known as a personalised number plate, the design must fit a legal format as issued by the DVLA. Some companies use cheap personalised number plates to identify vehicles in a fleet simply using either sequential numbers or letters; a useful trick when you have a UK fleet of white vans..

A personalised number plate can vary widely in cost depending on its desirability. The cheapest plates can cost from around £200 but the most popular can be upwards of six figures.

Am I restricted on what letter/number combination I can use?

Yes, there are four distinct number plate styles that can currently be purchased from the DVLA. There is also the Northern Irish-style which is legal to use throughout the UK. In fact if your car was originally registered in Northern Ireland it most likely still has the Northern Irish-style number plate.

The five styles each have names. First there is ‘current’ style. This is the same as a new car would get today: two letters followed by two numbers and then a further three letters. When choosing between ‘current’ style number plates you should be aware that the two numbers are restricted. For example a ‘10’ or ‘11’ will be an option but a ‘45’’ or ‘50’ is not. This is because these numbers have not yet been issued in the ‘current’ style.

Second, there is the ‘prefix’ style, these were used before September 2001 and have a letter followed by one, two, or three numbers, and then three letters. An example being ‘A123 ABC’.

The ‘suffix’ style number plates were used prior to 1983 and are the opposite of ‘prefix’, so you begin with three letters, then have one, two, or three numbers, and then finally a letter. An example is ‘ABC 123A’.

Finally there are dateless number plates and Northern Irish number plates. Both of these can be fitted to a car of any age as the letter and numbers do not represent the year the vehicle was registered. A dateless number plate is three letters and three numbers (ABC 123), although some very rare, and very expensive versions can be a number and letter, for example ‘A 1’. Northern Irish number plates always contain the letters ‘I’ or ‘Z’ and are three letters followed by up to four numbers (1-9999), an example being ‘AZA 9999’.

Are there any restrictions on what number plate I can buy?

Yes. It is important to remember that a number plate that was issued for vehicles of a certain year can only be placed on cars of that age or newer. For example, if you buy a number plate of the newer ‘suffix’ design and it is ‘XX02 XXX’, the number plate can not be placed on a vehicle that is older than March 1st 2002 because that is the oldest a car could be when this plate was issued. The same for the old ‘prefix’ style; the number plate M123 ABC, can not be fitted to cars older than August 1994 because ‘M’ was assigned to vehicles registered between then and July 1995.

The DVLA also bans a variety of number plates each year before making them available because they deem them too offensive.

It is legal to fit a number plate to a vehicle that is newer than the number plate age. Using our ‘XX02 XXX’ number plate, you could fit it to a car registered in 2016 without a problem because the car is much younger than the number plate would suggest. This restriction exists to stop people making an old car appear younger with a later registration plate that could fool an unsuspecting buyer into thinking they are getting a newer car than they really are.

How do I buy a personalised number plate?

There are three ways you can buy a personalised number plate. The first is to buy directly from the DVLA, the second is to use a company or broker and the third is to buy privately.

Buying from the DVLA

Buying directly from the DVLA means cutting out the middleman, meaning at least one less fee to pay. The DVLA’s dedicated website has an excellent search tool that allows you to enter your criteria and browse a collection of plates that meet (or almost meet) your search terms. 

A way to potentially make a big saving is via the DVLA’s number-plate auctions, which are held periodically. These are either physical auctions - where you can bid in person, online or over the phone - or Timed auctions. Timed auctions are similar to those on typical online auction sites, where you place a highest-bid that cannot be seen by others and then the system bids on your behalf up to this maximum amount.

Buying from a broker

There are several companies out there that buy and sell personalised number plates. If you can’t find the plate you’re after on the DVLA’s website, it’s worth searching brokers’ websites. Number plates sold through brokers tend to be more expensive than those sold directly by the DVLA, as you’ll essentially be paying for two lots of profit: the DVLA’s original price and the broker’s mark-up.

Buying individual plates privately

If you’re after a specific number plate you know exists, but can’t find it through a broker or the DVLA, it can be worth keeping an eye on classified adverts in car magazines and newspapers’ motoring supplements. The number plates that crop up in classified adverts tend to be rare ones, and they’re often priced to reflect this.

How do I transfer a personalised number plate?

If you have the perfect plate already attached to your car but don’t want to lose it when it’s time to sell, this is not a problem - the DVLA is able to transfer the plates for a fee of £80. If you don’t yet have a new car to transfer the plates to, you are permitted to hold the plate on retention for 10 years to register it to a new vehicle. You can extend your right to hold the plate by paying a fee before the 10 year expiry.

In order to complete a plate transfer, you’ll need your car’s registration document (known as the logbook or ‘V5C’) and although the transfer process can be completed online, it can only be done between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

How much does a personalised number plate cost?

Prices for personalised number plates vary considerably, from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand pounds. If you’re buying from a DVLA auction, however, the price is whatever someone is willing to pay on the day. Plates sold through classified advertisements and brokers are often rare and desirable examples, so expect to see four, five and even six-figure sums being asked for these.

As a rule of thumb, the fewer characters a personalised number plate has, the more expensive it will be. Similarly, the higher the demand, the higher the price: number plates that resemble more popular names are more expensive than ones that spell out relatively rare names.

Also note that if a plate can be associated with a certain car, for example ‘911’, then this can drive the price up. Expensive cars tend to be owned by wealthy people, who are often willing and able to pay high prices for the right number plate. Some Porsche 911 owners who are keen to get their hands on a 911-related plate may be willing to part with large sums of cash to get one.

The History of personalised number plate trade

The personalised number plate trade is a relatively new one. Until about 25 years ago if a number plate spelt out a name, word or phrase, it was merely a matter of luck, because number plates were created based on a car’s age and its place of first registration.

Traders soon realised, however, that they were having notable success selling plates with relatively few characters, or ones that happened to spell out (or nearly spell out) names and phrases. Many of these number plates came from older cars: the plate ‘S1’, for example, was the first number plate ever issued in Edinburgh and is now worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

In 1989, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) realised there was serious money to be made in designing and permitting number plate combinations that appealed to the personalised number plate market. Since then, the DVLA has sold more than four million personalised plates and made over £2billion for the Treasury in the process.

Read our  guides on to

• C ar registration plates
• H ow to transfer car ownership
• A ll you need to know about the V5C
• Motoring legal advice
• Making money with your car

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How to assign a private number plate online

Adding a private number plate to your car is a simple process using the dvla’s online form. here's what you need to know..

Adding a private number plate to your car is a popular way to make it stand out from the crowd. 

The DVLA’s online tool for assigning a private plate is simple and quick to use, once you understand the jargon. 

Our guide explains just how easily you can add this finishing touch to your car.

Which documents do I need to assign a number plate?

Before using the DVLA online tool via the Gov.UK website, you will need the following:

• A V778 Retention Document – issued if a private number plate has previously been used on another car OR
• A V750 Certificate of Entitlement – issued for a brand new unused private number plate

One of these documents should be given to you when you buy a private plate, or place an existing number plate onto retention.

You will also need:

• The current registration of the car you want to add the private number plate to
• The 11-digit document reference number from the V5C (logbook) of the car you want to add the number plate to
• The postcode of the registered keeper of the car, as shown on the V5C

This should allow you to complete all the relevant sections of the online form.

How much does it cost to assign a number plate?

Assigning a private number plate online is a free process. However, taking a private number plate off a vehicle (putting it onto retention) does incur a charge of £80. 

In order to assign a private number plate to a new car, it needs to be placed on retention first. Retention rights last for up to 10 years.

How easy is it to assign a number plate online?

The process of assigning a private plate is very straightforward, providing you have the correct documents to hand. Be sure to check the eligibility requirements before starting the process.  

Using the Gov.UK website, you will be prompted to enter the relevant reference numbers and details. 

The online tool is only available from 7am to 7pm, plus there is also a Welsh language version.

How quick is the DVLA online form?

Unless there are any additional checks flagged up, the private number plate will be assigned to your car instantly. This will include updating relevant records for VED (road tax), too.

It means that as soon as you submit your request online, the number plate for your car will be changed. 

Should you provide the DVLA with your email address, an Electronic Number Plate Authorisation Certificate (eV948 or eV948/2) will be sent to you immediately. 

The registered keeper of the car will also receive a new V5C logbook , which should be delivered within a few days.

How do I get new number plates made?

Such an instant change means you need to be prepared to replace the physical number plates on your car before you drive it. 

If you have had the private plate assigned to another car before, you may still have physical plates. If so, you can simply replace the old plates from your car with these. 

Should you need new number plates made from scratch, you can use the eV948 or eV948/2 sent to you by email. This is typically only valid for a few days, so be ready to go and get new plates made soon. 

You should use a registered number plate provider to ensure your new plates meet the correct legal standards. Registered providers will need to see proof of your identity, along with proof of your entitlement to the number plate. Check with your chosen provider which documents they accept in advance.

Can I still use paper forms to assign a number plate?

The DVLA will still accept submissions to assign a number plate by post, using the V750 or V778 form. You will also need to send the vehicle’s V5C (logbook) or green ‘new keeper’ slip with a completed V62 form. 

Submitting documents by post is likely to take longer than assigning a number plate online.

Can I assign a number plate to a financed or leased car?

Finance providers for cars bought via Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Personal Contract Hire (PCH) may have rules around adding a private plate. However, most should allow it. 

Your finance documents will specify any particular rules. You will need to contact your finance provider once a plate has been assigned. 

Cars supplied on a lease deal will require permission from the lease provider before a number plate can be assigned. As the lease company is the registered keeper, you will need to liaise with them to have the plate added. Finance providers may charge an administration fee for this process. 

You will need to put your private plate onto retention before your lease deal ends. This should be done around eight weeks before returning your car.

Who should I tell when I assign a number plate?

Assigning a private number plate to your car also requires you to inform others of the change. 

Your car insurance provider should be the first contact you make, ensuring your policy is updated. Many insurance companies will allow you to notify them of the change online, or you may need to telephone them. Some insurance companies will charge an administration fee to cover the change.

Make sure you also update car park passes or parking season tickets with your car’s new number plate.

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• Selling a car

Transferring a private number plate: a guide moving registration plates from car to car online

Need to know how to transfer a private number plate between vehicles our step-by-step guide breaks it down.

Owning a private number plate in the UK is a popular choice. If you’ve splashed out on your own personalised number plate, however, you won’t want to wave goodbye to it when you decide to sell your car and that’s where the process of transferring a car number plate to a new car comes in. You may be selling your car or the number plate itself but you’ll need to remove the registration from the car you have so it can be put up for sale or assigned to a new car. Our guide to transferring a private number plate outlines the process.

If you’re looking to sell your car but keep your private number plate, gift your number plate or move that registration to another vehicle, there are specific rules you need to follow. Thankfully, the process and paperwork needed to successfully transfer a private number plate to a new car or owner is fairly straightforward and can be done online.

How to transfer a private number plate to another car

As is the case with licencing and car tax , vehicle registration is overseen by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). If you want to transfer a number plate between cars, you’ll need to fill in a V317 form. This is also known as a car-to-car transfer.

To transfer a private number plate from one car to another, you’ll need the V5C registration document for both vehicles, as well as valid MOT certificates for both cars if they are more than three years old. The current fee for transferring a private number plate from one car to another is £80.

You can fill out a paper version of the form or complete the process online , but before you begin there’s a list of requirements you need to meet:

• The new vehicle needs to exist. You might think this goes without saying, you can’t change the number plate on a car the DVLA has no record of.
• The vehicle must be available for inspection when needed by the DVLA and be capable of passing a roadworthiness test (an MOT, for example).
• The registration you are adding cannot make the vehicle appear younger than it is - i.e putting year specific plates on a car built before the year in question. This is designed primarily to stop unscrupulous sellers making a quick buck by fitting plates to old cars to make them look newer and sell them for an inflated price.

If these aspects are all met, then you're good to go. Simply fill out form V317 with the registration, make, model and VIN number of the car you want to remove the plate from, add your contact details in case there are any issues arising from the transfer, then fill in the details of the vehicle you want to put the registration on. It’s also worth remembering that if you have a classic or historic vehicle , you’ll also need a current MOT certificate, even if your vehicle is usually exempt from MOTs. You don't necessarily have to own the vehicle you want to put the number plate onto, either.

If you sell your car but don’t have a new one lined up yet, you can still keep hold of your cherished plate. By using the same V317 form, you can get a retention document for a fee of £80. This allows you to keep the registration for up to 10 years, so there’s no rush to affix it to a new car right away.

How to assign a private number plate to a car

Assigning a number plate to a car can be done quickly and easily online, all you need is the certificate of entitlement or certificate of retention with the registration number on it and the car's V5C registration document. Any car over three years old will need a valid MOT certificate, this includes classic and historic vehicles, even if they are usually MOT exempt.

Once your application is accepted, you can start using your private number plate. Just remember to inform your insurance provider and update the information on your V5C.

How to transfer a private number plate to a new owner

If you decide you want to transfer the plate to a new owner, or if you decide to sell your private number plate, you’ll need to put it on a retention certificate first. You are then free to give or sell the number plate to the buyer of your choice. No vehicle documentation is needed until the receiver of the private plate wants to attach the registration to a vehicle.

If you decide to sell your private plate online, it is strongly suggested that you never share scans or photographs of private documents, as they might be used by people other than your intended buyer.

If the buyer has a vehicle they wish to assign the private plate to, you need to assign it to their car. Simply fill out a V778 form and include the V5C logbook, or fill out the form online.

What documents do I need to transfer a private number plate?

To make the process of transferring a private number plate smooth, having the following documents and details to hand is essential:

• Private number plate details
• Proof of identity, including current and new owners.
• Vehicle details and documents
• Transfer fee

Having these ready before you start your application will help speed up the process. Online transfers can typically be completed in a couple of days while postal transfers may take a couple of weeks.

The small print 

There's plenty of small print that goes with the transfer of a number plate. The vehicle must have been taxed (or had a SORN declaration ) continually for five years, and if it has been SORNed for more than five years, then it will need to be taxed. If you're thinking of transferring a number plate with a Q or QNI prefix, then stop, because these can't be transferred. 

If the vehicle is sold before you apply to retain the personal plate, then you don't have the right to retain it. Also, if you don't remove the number before confirming a car's destruction to the DVLA, then you lose all rights to the plate as well.

In the unfortunate instance of the vehicle being stolen, then you can apply to keep the personal plate immediately to safeguard it, but you won't have the ability to transfer it to a new car or have a V778 issued until 6 months after the date of the theft, or once the vehicle has been recovered. You won't get a reminder from the DVLA about this, you'll need to remember to do it yourself.

And of course, any personal number plates that you have made for your car must be standard issue, clearly legible and in line with the UK number plate rules . So that means no non-standard fonts, correct spacing of the letters and numbers and not making numbers look like letters, and vice versa (5 and S, 8 and B, etc). It sounds obvious but legal details are also a requirement, so when speccing your plate make sure it has those ticked. If you've adhered to the above then you can fit your shiny new plate to your new car, and off you go.

Auto Express has partnered with our parent company  Carwow  to bring you a fast and easy way to sell your car.  Sell your car here...

• Buying a car

Ryan is responsible for looking after the day-to-day running of the Auto Express website and social media channels. Prior to joining Auto Express in 2023, he worked at a global OEM automotive manufacturer, as well as a specialist automotive PR and marketing agency.

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Private plates: how to transfer a registration number

• Private plates have been around as long as car registrations
• Transferring a plate can be done online
• Hide your car's age for £250 or less

Written by Richard Kilpatrick Published: 24 August 2022 Updated: 10 January 2024

The UK’s car licensing and number plate scheme is one of few in the world that prominently shows the year of a car’s registration, with new cars bearing the latest digits each year. As a result, it’s become immensely popular to use a cherished number or ‘private plate’ to hide the age of a car, or just to personalise it a bit.

It’s a simple process to transfer a number plate from car to car online, but it’s not entirely straightforward, so here’s the Parkers guide to number plate transfers.

Keep reading for the full story, or use the quick links for quick answers to your private plate questions.

What is a car number plate?

Number plates are a unique identifying mark for vehicles, used since 1904 . Prominently displayed on a vehicle, they connect the car to the registered keeper, and serve as a reference for other legal requirements. Officially they are called ‘vehicle registration marks’ or VRMs.

Now much more data is linked to the number plate – from emissions figures, to whether a vehicle is a bus or taxi, and even legal towing weights. ANPR cameras use them to make sure vehicles are in the right places, charged the right amounts for zones and parking, and fined when going too fast or in the wrong lanes.

Without one, your car is not legal for use on the road – unless you’re the King .

What is a cherished plate?

A cherished plate is any vehicle registration mark, or number plate, you’ve chosen to keep after it was issued to the car, or bought specifically without a car assigned to it yet. They’re often called ‘private plates’, though they’re less anonymous than a regular random identifier.

You can retain a number from most cars, even MoT failures, but if a car has been scrapped or exported the number is lost. Some cars are issued with age-appropriate numbers that can’t be transferred, particularly classic cars that have lost their original paperwork .

Prior to the DVLA’s direct sales, plates were traded primarily by dealers out of stock already issued and taken off used cars. This market still exists, though the prices asked rarely reflect a real value except in very rare circumstances.

It has never been possible to buy a free-form set of numbers and letters to spell a word, unlike vanity plates in America and some other countries, and the number is allocated to the car and not the owner. Combinations like ‘K1 NGS’ therefore fetch huge sums at auction.

Even when a car itself was a huge status symbol, the first registered car owner was so desperate to own ‘A 1’ that he camped outside the issuing office – thus proving the idea of perceived status around the plate, creating the concept of cherished numbers.

As a result, transferring a plate has been possible almost since the start of number plates being issued, though it’s only since the 1980s that it’s been heavily marketed.

How do I transfer a cherished plate?

The quickest way to transfer a plate from one car to another is online. You can take the cherished number off with a simple form, and apply it to the new car immediately if you have a current logbook, rather than the old method of transferring which required both logbooks, a form, MOTs and insurance/tax paperwork to be sent away.

If your car is registered in your name and you have the current V5C, and it is taxed or has had a SORN in place for less than five years, removing the plate for transfer or retention is instant. It costs the same £80 as before, but if you don’t want to apply the number immediately, retaining it is free.

Simply visit the government personalised registrations portal and choose ‘take a private number off a vehicle’.

After completing the online form to retain a number and paying the £80 fee, you will be told the car’s replacement number right away. The eV948 number plate authorisation certificate will also be emailed to you, so you can get new legal plates made up.

When transferring a number to a car that you have a current V5C for, the DVLA’s made it very fast. When payment for taking the number off is completed you’ll see the green box (below) with the receipt, details of the donor car’s replacement number and eV948. Notice those reference numbers?

Just use the details provided to apply a cherished number online and as the transfer fee is already paid, it’s free and instant.

All the checks for MOT/tax and insurance are performed online, and existing tax/SORN and MOT records are updated in 24hrs for both the car supplying the number, and the car receiving it.

Paper documents will follow in the post. Usually within five working days, but it can take up to six weeks. You’ll receive a new V5C for the donor car, with the replacement number assigned, and a V778 retention certificate for your plate if you haven’t applied it to a new car immediately.

If you’re going to keep using the car the plate has been taken off, don’t forget to update your insurance. If you’ve traded the car in, give the dealer the replacement V5C when it arrives.

Once you have your V778, you can sell or give the number to someone to apply by post or online, but you can use the reference numbers at any time without waiting for the certificate – so don’t give them out or leave them visible in for sale listings.

How much does it cost to retain a private plate?

It’s free to retain a private plate now, but it must be renewed after 10 years. When first launched it cost £80 to transfer a plate, £25 to retain it, and £25 a year to keep a plate on retention, all done by post or visits to a local office.

The £80 fee you pay when taking a plate off a car is the transfer fee, so it’s already paid when you apply the plate, and it’s free to renew the retention.

If you have been renewing retention annually on a plate you got before 2015, the best thing to do is apply it to a car in your name, then take it off, moving it to the newer system.

If you have bought cherished numbers through the DVLA that have not been assigned to cars yet, you can renew those and their V750 ‘certificate of entitlement’ through your DVLA online account .

How do I apply a cherished plate?

Applying a cherished plate from retention or purchase is easy. The car you want to apply it to must be taxed or SORN; if you’ve just bought a car and changed the V5C online, make a SORN declaration or tax it right away with the V5C/2’s reference number. It can take a day for this to update online.

Dateless plates can be applied to any vehicle, but you cannot apply a younger age of registration than the car’s registration date.

When you have applied the number, you’ll be issued a new V5C in the post, and will be able to download the eV948 number plate authorisation certificate to get new plates made up straight away.

You can apply a private plate to any vehicle, online, as long as you have your V778 and the current logbook for the vehicle it’s being applied to. If it’s not your car, you’re assigning the right to the plate to the registered owner of the car receiving it.

What are grantees and nominees on form V778?

Cherished plates are tied to the registered keeper or original buyer of the plate (the grantee). Under the old system, if you wanted to give or sell your plate to someone you would fill out a nominee on the certificate first. This allowed them to apply the plate to a car in their name.

These days it’s quicker to do it online if you are selling or giving the plate to a new owner.

Who should you inform after transferring or assigning a number plate?

Only the car logbook, MoT history and tax are automatically updated. Once you’ve changed the plates displayed on your car, inform your insurance company. Some may charge an admin fee for the change, but many won’t, particularly if you’ve just taken out the policy. If in doubt, check AskMID to see if your current plate shows as insured .

Don’t forget any other automatic payment or parking systems you have set up. That includes London’s Congestion Charge, ULEZ and LEZ , as well as Dartcharge account, or local authority Clean Air zones. Don’t forget work, gym or apartment car park access, and pre-configured payments like parking or fuel on your smartphone.

What tips are there for transferring a car number plate?

1. Keep the old plates. Most cars will go back to the previous number when you remove yours, even ones that had a cherished number on.

2: If you buy a car that has a number you think could be worth selling or retaining? Take it off and put it on retention before applying your own.

3. Always make sure you retain a plate while you are the registered keeper of the car. If you change the registered keeper to transfer ownership of the car before retaining your number, you have lost the plate.

4. Selling a car? It’s best to take the plate off when you decide to start advertising rather than waiting for a buyer. Not only does it mean you’ll have the paperwork ready for a buyer and have the right plate in adverts, you will also avoid the risk of losing it if the car sells quickly.

5. Retained several plates no-one wants? You can always return the plate to the DVLA to get a refund of the £80 transfer fee.

6. Want a plate off a classic? If it’s been off the road a while it’ll need to be MOTd even if it’s exempt. Likewise, it’ll need to be SORN or taxed. Lost paperwork will require proof of the car’s identity to get a new V5C issued, if it has been off the road a long time.

7. Buying a plate from Facebook or similar? Do it in person and apply the plate online, with their retention certificate details, rather than giving out your V5C information There are no fees to pay to apply the plate. Only pay once the DVLA confirms the plate has been applied to your car.

Can you buy a private plate if it hasn’t been issued?

Early in the days of vehicle registration, councils could sell a specific combination but that stopped as car sales boomed. In 1989 the DVLA introduced a new cherished number scheme. This includes auctions of desirable numbers and a published pool of available plates you can search online .

Prices start at £250 including assignment fee and VAT, even for older numbers still in the system. Ordering plates ahead of new registration dates and combinations is now actively marketed, though the best are saved for auctions.

Lease cars, company cars, and private plates

If you are leasing or contract hiring a car, you can ask your lease provider to apply your registration. You’ll have to pay admin fees, and in the process you transfer your right to the number to the leasing company as the registered keeper. We don’t recommend it, as a rule, unless the car is particularly unusual or a very long lease.

DVLA cherished numbers can be bought in advance of new registration dates. Provide the dealer with the V750 to register the car from new on your number, and remember to have it transferred off before the lease ends if you want to keep it.

Cars on PCP or finance deals, usually registered in your name, are entirely safe to apply the number to. You will need to inform the finance provider of the change.

Styles of private plate in the UK

Starting in 1904, cars were registered with a region identifier of one or two letters and up to four digits, such as A 1, or KS 1234. That system expanded up to three letters and numbers (A BC 123) in 1932, then as demand increased in the 1950s reversed to three numbers and letters (123 A BC ), or up to four numbers and one region identifier.

Car registrations varied wildly between regions, so some locations were still on the system introduced in 1932 at the start of the ‘60s.  Pressure on allocating numbers was so great that a new system, adding a year-related suffix, was introduced. On 1 January 1963, the first A-suffix cars were registered (the format being A BC 123A), but it wasn’t consistently applied to all registration offices until 1 January 1965, so A and B suffix cars are rarer.

In 1983 the suffix became a prefix – A123 A BC – and in 2001 the system we use now was introduced, with a location of first registration, a six-month year identifier, and three random letters. AB 51 ABC. Cars registered in March display the actual year of registration. Prefix and current plates that haven’t been issued can be bought online via DVLA easily.

Plates issued in Northern Ireland (below), characterised by including the letters I and Z, can be legally applied to cars in England, Scotland and Wales. These combinations of up to three letters and four numbers date from 1966. Because these plates are dateless, they are popular with owners of older luxury or sports cars.

Although plates still refer to local offices, the DVLA closed local registration offices in 2013. If your last experience of a plate transfer predates that, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the progress made. Whatever your chosen cherished number, it will need to be displayed on a legal plate .

Can I change a private plate online?

Yes, you can change your number plate to a cherish plate online with the right documentation and for a transfer fee of £80. You must follow the process of assigning your plate over before driving away with it on.

Can I put my private plate on my car straight away?

You’ll first need to follow the legal process of assigning your private plate to your car. To do so, you’ll need a V750 certificate of entitlement and a V778 retention document. You can read more about what you need to do to assign a plate to your vehicle on the government website.

Is a cherished plate worth having?

Don’t be fooled into believing they’re an investment. Very few are, and they’re usually already overpriced or in the hands of the only person who would want them.

If you can find a combination that makes you happy and is affordably priced though, there’s absolutely no harm in having one. If you look at your three-year old car registration as a new one comes out, and it makes you want a new car, it could even save you money.

There’s no denying that an apt and legal plate, like ‘LO02 WET’ on a plumber’s van or ‘BA55 LNE’ for a DJ, can raise a smile in traffic.

How to transfer or retain a private registration plate

If you’re selling or scrapping your car and you’d like to keep the number plate registration mark that’s on your vehicle, you have two options; either transferring your registration to another vehicle – or retaining your private plate to put on a car in the future. Number plate retention and DVLA number plate transfer can be confusing but doesn't need to be!

In this blog post, we’ve put together a series of detailed guides that explain exactly how to move your number plate to another vehicle, including; how to begin the process of transferring registration plates from car to car online, and how the DVLA private plate retention system works – both online, and through the post that may be helpful when buying a new registration or car.

Along the way, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions relating to transferring private registration number plates, including:

• Is there a specific DVLA retention form?
• Can I transfer a number plate online?
• How much does it cost to transfer a personalised number plate?
• How long does the private number plate retention process take?

We’ve also provided some helpful links and telephone numbers that will help you with the process.

Why would you retain or transfer a number plate?

There are many reasons someone might want to keep the registration number that’s currently on a car. In a lot of cases, people are looking to keep a private number plate that they’ve bought – although it’s not uncommon for someone to transfer a standard registration mark they have become attached to.

Whatever your motivation, you can either transfer the number plate to another car or save your registration mark to be assigned to another vehicle further down the line. If you’re planning on scrapping the car that the registration mark currently relates to, it’s vital that either process is complete before the car is signed over to the trader or dismantler who’s going to take your car away.

We’ll guide you through the options you’ve got available to you.

Option A: Transferring a number plate to another vehicle

This section will take you through some of the most important questions relating to the transfer of a registration mark to another suitable vehicle.

How do you transfer a private number plate?

There are two ways how to transfer a private plate to another car; either through the post or online. We’ll take you through each method here:

Transferring a registration number to another vehicle online

The simplest way to transfer a registration number to another vehicle is to do it online. We’ve broken the online number plate transfer process down into 2 simple steps – as well as detailing everything you’ll need before you start the process and a few additional notes that might apply to you.

What you’ll need before you begin

To transfer a vehicle registration from one car to another online, you’ll need the 11-digit reference number from the vehicle’s V5C document.

You’ll also need to make sure that the following official conditions are met:

• You must be the registered keeper of the vehicle that the number plate is being removed from
• The vehicles must be taxed or have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in place
• Both vehicles must move under their own power
• The vehicles must be available for inspection if requested
• Both vehicles must be a type that needs either an MOT or HGV test certificate
• The registration must not make the vehicle it is being transferred to look younger than it actually is

Virtually all car-to-car registration transfers are simple and tick these boxes – although if you’re not sure, you can call the DVLA on 0300 790 6802 and ask their advice about your specific situation.

You should begin the application to transfer your number plate by removing your registration mark from the vehicle it is currently allocated to. You can do this through the DVLA’s online service to take a private registration of a vehicle . This is an instant service, so your number plate will be immediately removed if you do this.

The process is straight-forward and simply requires you to supply the registration number you want to take off, the latest V5C reference number, and the keeper’s postcode (as it appears on the V5C). When you have completed the service, you’ll be given a certificate number that confirms the process is complete.

This part of the number plate swap service costs £80, and you can pay online with most credit and debit cards. The DVLA registration removal service is available between 7am and 7pm every day.

To put your now removed registration mark on to another car, you will need to visit the DVLA’s online service to put a private registration number on a vehicle . Again, this is a simple process that the online service takes you through step by step. 

When this process is complete, your private registration will be immediately applied to the new vehicle.

Additional notes

You cannot use the online plate transfer service if you’re assigning your registration mark to an unregistered car. If this is the case, you will need to complete an ‘Application for a first vehicle tax and registration of a new motor vehicle’ – known as a V55. You cannot download a V55 because it includes features that cannot be printed – but you can request one through the post . This process will need to be completed before you can transfer your registration number.

Transferring a registration number to another vehicle through the post

If you don’t want to use the DVLA personalised registration transfer system online; you can perform the same process through the post. We’ve broken the postal number plate transfer system down into 4 simple steps – as well as detailing everything you’ll need before you start the process, as well as a few additional notes that might apply to you.

To transfer a vehicle registration from one car to another through the post, you’ll need:

Like the online process, you’ll also need to make sure that the following official conditions are met:

• V5C Log Book registration documents for each vehicle
• Valid MOT certificates for both vehicles if they are over 3 years old
• A cheque, bankers draft or postal order for £80 and made payable to; DVLA Swansea

The vast majority of car-to-car registration transfers are simple and tick these boxes – although if you’re not sure, you can call the DVLA number plate transfer contact number - 0300 790 6802, and discuss your specific circumstances.

Download a DVLA V317 form using this link . If you can’t print the form, you can request that a copy is sent to you using the DVLA’s free form order service .

Read the V317 guidance notes and complete the green coloured section of the form entitled ‘Option A’. You’ll need to know the registration number, make, model and VIN/chassis number of both vehicles involved. If you’re not sure, you can get this information from the vehicle V5C documents.

You will also need to complete some contact details. The DVLA will only use these if there is a problem or they need to contact you about the application.

Gather your supporting documents and place them in an envelope with the V317 form. You’ll need to make sure you include everything mentioned in Option A/Sections 2 & 5 of the V317 form, including; both V5C documents and the cheque, bankers draft or postal order for the £80 fee.

Send your completed application and supporting documents to:

DVLA Personalised Registrations Swansea SA99 1DS

If the registration plate is being transferred to an unregistered car, you will need to complete an ‘Application for a first vehicle tax and registration of a new motor vehicle’ for – known as a V55. You cannot download a V55 because it includes features that cannot be printed – but you can request one through the post. This should then be included in your supporting documents.

If you are the new keeper of the vehicle that you are putting the registration mark on and you do not have the full new V5C, you will need complete an ‘Application for a vehicle registration certificate’ – known as a V62. You can download a V62 form here – or request one through the post. This should then be included in your supporting documents, along with the new keeper’s section of the previous V5C.

If you are based in Northern Ireland, you will also need to include your insurance certificate if your vehicle is being taxed as part of the application.

Frequently asked number plate transfer questions

Whether transferring your registration number online or through the post, it’s normal to have questions. We’ve covered some of the most common ones here:

How long does it take to transfer a private plate?

The time it takes to transfer a registration number depends on how you apply. If you use the online service, the changes take place immediately – but if you use the postal service, the changes will take between 4-6 weeks; depending on whether or not you’ve had to include a V62 form with your application.

When should you start the DVLA private reg transfer process?

If you’re transferring a personalised registration from a car that you’re planning to either sell or scrap, you will need to make sure the registration transfer process is completed before ownership of the car is passed to someone else. 

If you don’t, the registration mark becomes that person or company’s property when they take ownership of the car – and getting it back can be difficult or impossible.

What do the DVLA mean when they say a number plate can’t make a car look younger?

You may have noticed the DVLA comment that a registration cannot be moved to a car if it will make it look younger than it actually is – but that often causes confusion.

The registration allocated to your vehicle indicates the age of the car. So, a car that has the new style number plate ‘AB16 CAR’ is registered as new in 2016. You would not be able to transfer a registration to this car that indicated it was registered in any later than its original number plate suggests – for instance; you would not be able to transfer the number plate ‘AB17 CAR’ to that vehicle. 

This guide from the DVLA explains in more detail about how registration numbers are constructed – but if you’re in any doubt about the age of your car, you can check on your V5C document.

Can I put my private number plate on a lease car?

It is possible to put a private number plate on a lease car – although many people assume it isn’t. The easiest way to transfer a personal registration onto a lease car is to wait until it’s been delivered; then, you should get in contact with the lease company and arrange to name them as a ‘nominee’. They’ll then be able to advise you further on their process of transferring your plate onto the leased vehicle. 

If you’ve got a private plate on a lease car, you should make sure you remove it before your lease ends. It’s advisable to give yourself 6-8 weeks to ensure the process is complete, as some companies may charge you if they need to do additional admin after the lease is up.

Can I put a private number plate on a car that is financed?

When you enter into a car finance agreement, you become the registered keeper of that car – legally responsible for everything relating to it. This means you can put a personalised number plate on the car – and makes the registration mark transfer process identical to a car that you own outright. 

Option B: Putting a number plate on retention

This section will take you through answers to the most important questions relating to the DVLA personal number plate retention service and retaining your registration mark for future use.

How do you put a number plate on retention?

Similar to transferring a number plate to another car, there are 2 ways to retain a personalised registration mark; either through the DVLA number plate retention service online - or through the post. We’ll explain each method here:

Retaining a number plate online

The simplest way to put a number plate on retention is to do it online. We’ve explained exactly how to do it here – as well as giving details of everything you’ll need to get the process moving. 

To retain a vehicle registration online, you’ll need the 11-digit reference number from the vehicle’s V5C document

Similar to the plate transfer process, you’ll also need to make sure that the following official conditions are met:

• You must be, or be in the process of becoming, the registered keeper of the vehicle that the number plate is coming off
• The vehicle must be taxed or have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) in place
• The vehicle must be able to move under its own power
• The vehicle must be available for inspection if requested
• The vehicle must be of a type that needs either an MOT or HGV test certificate

Most personalised number plate online retentions are simple and satisfy all of these conditions; however, if you’re not sure, you can clarify with the DVLA by calling 0300 790 6802.

To start your plate retention process, you should use the DVLA’s online service to take a private registration of a vehicle . This service is instant, so your registration mark will be removed immediately when complete.

The process is easily quickly and just requires you to supply the registration number you want to retain, the latest V5C reference number, and the keeper’s postcode (as it appears on the V5C). When complete, you’ll be given a certificate number that confirms the process is complete.

During the process, you’ll be able to specify a ‘grantee’ and ‘nominee’. The grantee is the person or company who the retention certificate will be issued to, thus giving them legal ownership of the registration mark. The optional nominee is someone who you can give the registration to by simply transferring it onto their vehicle.

The online retention process costs £80, and you can pay with most credit and debit cards. The online DVLA registration removal service is available between 7am and 7pm every day.

Your official DVLA V778 retention certificate will arrive through the post within 2 weeks – and the car that the plate has been transferred from will be issued with a new registration mark. At this stage, you can now safely sell or scrap that car, without any fear that you’ll lose your cherished number plate.

Retaining a number plate through the post

The process involved with retaining your personalised number plate through the post can be broken down into 5 easy-to-follow steps. We’ll explain what they are here, and what you’ll need before you start the process.

To transfer a vehicle registration from one car to another, you’ll need:

• V5C Log Book registration document for the vehicle that the plate is being removed from

The same as retaining a plate online, you’ll also need to make sure that the following official conditions are met:

Most personalised number plate retentions are simple and satisfy all of these conditions; however, if you’re not sure, you can discuss your circumstances with the DVLA by calling 0300 790 6802.

Read the V317 guidance notes and complete the grey-coloured section of the form entitled ‘Option B’. You’ll be asked to complete the registration number, make, model and VIN/chassis number of the vehicle. If you’re not sure, you can get this information from the V5C document.

The V317 form allows you to choose ‘grantee’. This is the person or company to whom the retention certificate will be issued. If no details are completed in this section, the retention certificate will be automatically issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle that the number plate is being removed from.

There is also an optional section in which you can complete details of a ‘nominee’. A nominee doesn’t have any right to the registration number when it is stored on a retention certificate – but will take full legal ownership of the plate if it is put on a vehicle that belongs to them. This section is often used if a number plate is retained for a loved one or given as a gift.

You should complete the grantee and nominee sections according to your requirements.

You should now ensure your supporting documents are placed with the V317 form. You’ll need to include everything mentioned in Option B/Section 2 of the V317 form, including; the vehicle V5C document and the cheque, bankers draft or postal order for the £80 fee.

DLVA Personalised Registrations Swansea SA99 1DS

Frequently asked number plate retention questions

Few people frequently retain personalised number plates – so it’s normal to have questions about the process. We’ve covered some common questions here:

How much does it cost to put my number plate on retention?

The £80 fee mentioned in the steps above covers the full retention process. If you’re applying for a retention through the post, you’ll be required to pay this with a cheque, bankers draft or postal order. If you’re paying online, you’ll be able to make this payment with a valid credit or debit card.

How do you take a plate off retention?

If you’d like to transfer a registration mark from a retention document to a vehicle, you have two options; either use the DVLA’s online service to put a private registration number on a vehicle – or use a V317 form – which you can download here or order to be delivered through the post here.

How long can you retain a plate for?

A DVLA V778 retention certificate issued today allows you to hold a registration mark for 10 years. Don’t worry though - the document shows the date the registration number should be assigned by, so you can keep track easily.

If you retained your registration before 2015, your retention period might be shorter – but you can check the terms and conditions on your V778 document. If you’re unsure, we’d recommend speaking to the DVLA on 0300 790 6802.

Can you renew a private reg retention if required?

If you receive a reminder from the DVLA telling you that your retention document will soon run out – don’t worry, you can extend the retention period for another 10 years. Although the DVLA used to make a charge for this service - they don’t any more, meaning you can keep your number plate until you find a car that’s suitable.

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Transferring personalised and customised number plates

If you own personalised number plates, you can transfer them to another person or an organisation.

If you or your organisation own customised number plates, you cannot transfer them to another person or organisation. However, you can attach the customised plate to another vehicle registered in the same name.

Personalised number plates

Personalised number plates not attached to a vehicle.

If you are buying personalised number plates from another person, you will need to bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• A completed personalised number plate/s transfer application (F2963) signed by the seller (referred to as the disposer on the form) and the buyer/s (referred to as the acquirer on the form).
• Evidence of identity .
• Transfer fee , unless an exemption applies.

Personalised plates attached to a vehicle that's not being sold

If you own a vehicle with personalised plates attached and you are selling the plates but keeping the vehicle, you will need to bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• A completed remove and/or attach personalised/customised number plates application (F2964)
• A standard plate fee .

You will receive a set of standard number plates—you must attach number plates within 1 day of receiving them.

The person receiving the personalised number plates must bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• The number plate transfer fee , unless an exemption applies.

Personalised plates sold with a vehicle

If you are buying a vehicle which has personalised number plates, you must bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• A completed vehicle registration transfer application (F3520)
• The vehicle registration duty , unless an exemption applies
• A completed personalised number plate/s transfer application (F2963) signed by the seller (referred to as the disposer on the form) and the buyer/s (referred to as the acquirer on the form)
• Evidence of identity

Personalised plates registered to a business that no longer operates

If a vehicle with personalised number plates is registered to an organisation that becomes a non-legal entity (that is, an organisation that can't legally pay debt or enter into a contract) the personalised plates must be transferred to another person or organisation.

Read more about vehicle registration and non-legal entities .

Personalised number plates on confiscated vehicles

You can't transfer personalised number plates that are attached to a vehicle that the Queensland Police Service has put under a number plate confiscation notice . You must wait until the confiscation period has passed.

Transfer fee exemptions

You may not have to pay a transfer fee if the personalised plates are being transferred:

• as a gift to a spouse (married or in a de facto relationship), parent or child of the disposer
• to a beneficiary, administrator or executor of a deceased estate
• as a gift—if someone buys personalised plates from Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ) to give to another person, there is no transfer fee when the plates are given to the recipient. If the plates are purchased from PPQ, the purchaser will receive a 'Fee exempt' letter—the receiver of the number plates can present this when the number plates are transferred to receive the fee exemption.

Customised number plates

Customised number plates can't be transferred or changed.

If a vehicle with customised number plates is sold, the person or organisation selling the vehicle can choose either:

• to keep the customised plates, removing them from the vehicle and attaching them to another vehicle owned by the same organisation or
• not to keep the customised number plates—during the transfer process the customised plates will become standard plates.

Find out about the rules for customised plates .

Removing customised number plates

To remove customised number plates you will need to bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• Evidence of identity —if customised number plates are in 2 names both registered operators must sign the application and both provide identification
• The standard plate fee , unless an exemption applies. You must attach the standard number plates within 1 day of receiving them.

Attaching customised number plates

To attach customised number plates you will need to bring the following items to a transport and motoring customer service centre or, if you live in a rural area, a QGAP office , Magistrates Court or local police station that provides vehicle registration services—please call to confirm before visiting:

• Evidence of identity —if customised number plates are in 2 names both registered operators must sign the application and both provide identification.
• Your old plates to surrender (but do not remove them from the vehicle until you arrive at the customer service centre). You do not need to surrender personalised or customised number plates if you are keeping the plate number.

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Number plates

When a vehicle is registered, number plates are assigned. These plates are alphanumeric (containing both letters and numbers), with up to six characters. A plate stays with a vehicle for the length of its life, unless it’s replaced after being lost, stolen or damaged, or with personalised plates.

Personalised plates

What does a number plate look like.

Ordinary plates are made out of aluminium with black embossed characters (numbers and letters) against a white retro-reflective background.

Personalised plates are also made of aluminium but the characters can be white or silver on a black background or black, red or blue on a white background.

Security feature

All plates are made containing a silver fern security feature in the sheeting. The silver fern is created during the manufacture of the reflective sheeting. This unique image is for New Zealand (other countries have their own image). The image can be seen if you turn the plate to a 15–30 degree angle. This feature is to assist the identification of an authentic plate from a fake.

Only plates issued by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its agents are legal. Plates purchased anywhere else are unacceptable.

Types of number plates

Ordinary plates.

Ordinary number plates are the plates you’re most likely to see on New Zealand roads. They are issued in sequence using a set of unique alphanumeric characters.

People cannot choose which set of characters are issued to their vehicle unless they buy a personalised plate. Ordinary plates are issued to all types of vehicles. The majority of vehicles are issued a pair, but there are a few exceptions.

Motorcycles

Plates for motorcycles come in two options, square or rectangular. Only one plate is issued. This also applies to mopeds, ATVs and tractors.

Plates used on trailers are the same size as the plates used on cars but only one is issued. These are also issued to caravans.

These plates can have up to six characters. They can be made up of letters, numbers or a combination of both, and include captions, messages or slogans. Unlike ordinary plates, when you purchase a personalised plate you’re purchasing the exclusive right to that set of characters. Personalised plates can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle and even person to person.

Personalised plates are sold through KiwiPlates. Costs for personalised plates can vary dependant on the style you choose.

If you sell your personalised plates you’ll need to complete a Transfer of entitlement form.

Transfer of entitlement form (external link)

If you want to transfer your personalised plates to another vehicle you'll need to complete an application for replacement plate (MR6A) transaction at one of our agents. Personalised plates must be sighted by the agent so make sure you have them ready to present.

Find an agent in your area .

For more information about personalised plates, visit kiwiplates.nz (external link)

Trade plates

Used mainly by vehicle manufacturers, assemblers and dealers.

Trade plates are made out of aluminium with black embossed characters (numbers and letters) against a yellow background, showing the last two digits of the year the plate was purchased. Only one plate is issued.

More information for motor vehicle traders

Number plates for official motor vehicles

Vehicles owned by embassies, consulates and high commissions, and crown vehicles used by the New Zealand government, come under this category and can be distinguished by the symbol of a crown or the characters CR or DC, for example.

Adhesive plates

Waka Kotahi is no longer actively pursuing an adhesive plate product. We were unable to find a suitable product that the manufacturer would guarantee and that could be provided at a reasonable price.

Lost, stolen or damaged number plates?

Replacement plates.

If your plates are damaged, unreadable, stolen or lost, you’ll need to apply for new plates. Complete an application for replacement plate (MR6A) transaction at an agent.

List of our agents

Duplicate plates

If your registration plate has been damaged, destroyed or lost, you can apply for duplicate plates. You can only duplicate plates that are currently issued to the vehicle. Older style plates, ie the black plates with silver characters, can only be duplicated with a white retro-reflective background and black characters.

Duplicate ordinary plates will usually only be issued for plates that can be returned, ie damaged. Duplicate ordinary plates may be issued for plates that have been lost, stolen or destroyed if evidence of their destruction is provided, for example if the theft has been reported to the police.

To obtain duplicate plates you’ll need to be the registered person of the vehicle and have a New Zealand driver licence or other suitable ID. Please allow 7–10 days delivery time.

Personalised duplicate plates vary in costs depending on the style.

To order duplicate personalised plates contact LicenSys:

• Phone: 0800 REMAKE (736 253),
• Fax 09 276 9829 
• Visit their website https://consumer.licensys.co.nz (external link)

Are your plates obscured by a bike rack or other object?

Supplementary plates.

You must ensure that the numbers and letters on your vehicle’s plate are clearly visible.

If you have a bike rack fitted or some other attachment that temporarily obscures the front or the rear plate you can either:

obtain a supplementary plate and attach it to the object, or

attach the front or rear plate from your car to the object when it is in use. You must then return it to your vehicle when you aren’t using the bike rack or other attachment.

Supplementary plates are a temporary solution if you use an object that obscures the vehicle’s plates. If the object is permanently attached, you should remove the plates and securely attach them to the object in an upright position and ensure they are clearly visible.

A supplementary plate does not replace the need for the original plate; they can only be used in times where the ordinary or personalised plate is obscured.

To obtain supplementary plates you'll need to be the registered person of the vehicle and have a New Zealand driver licence or other suitable ID. Please allow 7–10 days delivery time.

To order supplementary plates contact LicenSys:

Re-issuing number plates

If your vehicle's registration is cancelled and you want to re-register the vehicle using a previous number plates, there's a few criteria you'll need to meet first:

• The number plates must have been previously assigned to the vehicle. They can’t be copies, or transferred from a different vehicle.
• The number plates must be in good condition. They can’t be bent or scratched, making them unreadable. They can’t be painted.
• The number plates cannot have been made into personalised plates.

You'll need to provide photos to show the condition of the plates. You may also need to provide official documentation from the period the vehicle was originally registered confirming the plate, make and model (eg certificate of registration, inspection check sheets that clearly show both the plate and vehicle details, insurance documents, copies of notices/forms from us such as licence (rego) reminders or RUC invoices).

If you are re-registering your vehicle and meet the above criteria please email  [email protected]

Display of number plates

All plates must be fixed securely to the vehicle in an upright position. They must be displayed so that all the characters (numbers and letters) are clearly visible at all times.

A motorcycle, moped, tractor, trailer or trade plate must be fixed on the rear of the vehicle.

All other vehicles require two plates, one at the front and one at the rear.

Supplementary plates must only be attached to the vehicle that bears the same set of characters.

Number plate offences.

Only plates issued by Waka Kotahi are legal, which means you can’t make your own plate. Displaying a non-approved plate or something that could be mistaken for a plate could mean a maximum fine of $5000.

If your vehicle requires plates, then they must be displayed. If your vehicle requires a front and rear plate then they must bear the same set of characters.

Transfer number plates

Introduction.

If you'd like to transfer special number plates (SNPs) or personalised plates to another person, you can do this at a Service NSW Centre.

Transferring plates can refer to:

• the physical transfer of special number plates from one vehicle to another (such as using the plate to establish registration)
• the physical transfer of general issue number plates from one vehicle to another (such as an exchange of plates )
• the transfer of the 'right to display' SNPs or general issue plates, from one person to another when the number plate is reserved, or the registration is being transferred.

Note:   A plate transfer does not transfer registration or change the registered operator of the vehicle.

What you need

• the PDF form – 'Transfer Right to Display'
• your proof of identity
• your payment .

How to transfer

• Select the 'Download PDF form' button. 
• Download and complete the form.
• Gather your supporting documents.
• Visit a service centre and submit your transfer request.

More information

• All rights and obligations of the SNPs agreement are transferred to the recipient of the SNPs.
• An annual fee for personalised plates may be activated if they were bought prior to September 2003 and do not currently attract an annual fee.
• An additional annual fee (calculated on a pro-rata basis) may be required depending on the registration expiry dates of the vehicles involved.

Payment methods

You can review transaction payment options on our payment methods page.

• Transfer Right to Display – PDF
• Exchange/Transfer Number Plates – PDF
• Form 1038: Number plates and/or Cancellation of registration – Transport for NSW – PDF
• Number plate transfer fees

Related transactions

• Apply to exchange existing number plates between vehicles
• Replace or change number plates
• Order special number plates
• Order special number plates as a gift