[gaza01]

Im selling my car soon but have a private plate. What do i need to do to keep the plate?
Thanks

[Allenmnmn]

You need to apply for a retention certificate from the DVLA
From their website:

6. Retaining a registration number
You can apply to remove a registration number from a vehicle and hold it on a retention document (V778) for 1, 2 or 3 years if you’re the registered keeper of the vehicle.

You can retain the registration number in your name or someone else’s name. This costs:

£105 for 1 year
£130 for 2 years
£155 for 3 years
You’ll need the retention document when you want to assign the number to a vehicle again.

You need to do this before you sell the car, as new documents need to be issued as well, which can take time.

HTH

Allenmnmn

[AlwynMike]

I'll stress that you must change the plate well before you sell, particularly if you're selling privately. In the eyes of the DVLA, the plate belongs to the car, so even if you enter into a contract with your car's buyer for him/her to transfer your plate, he/she can do whatever he/she wants with it after he buys the car - you have no rights to it.

DVLA quotes ridiculous turn-round times for retention, but my experience is that you should get your new V5 in a couple of weeks, although you'll be able to change the plate before then. However, would you buy a car without a V5??? So you need to wait for DVLA to get its act into gear before you advertise it.

If buying from a Dealer, they are well versed in number plate changes and will usually do everything for you.

Mike

[doughboy]

When I took the plate off my 335i it took 2.5 weeks for the new paperwork to come from DVLA.

So I'd allow 4 weeks in future as it delayed the sale of the car.

Of course you can drive to a DVLA office and do it all in an hour if you want.

All the forms are available on the DVLA website.

[skelts]

Originally Posted by doughboy

When I took the plate off my 335i it took 2.5 weeks for the new paperwork to come from DVLA.

So I'd allow 4 weeks in future as it delayed the sale of the car.

Of course you can drive to a DVLA office and do it all in an hour if you want.

All the forms are available on the DVLA website.

If only, they shut all the local DVLA offices down. So to remove a plate you can only post it to Swansea I believe which takes longer.

[dakhu1]

did mine recently and took a week to transfer - same story the year before - very quick turnaround

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by skelts

If only, they shut all the local DVLA offices down. So to remove a plate you can only post it to Swansea I believe which takes longer.

Outrageous - they all shut in December 13 I see

Originally Posted by dakhu1

did mine recently and took a week to transfer - same story the year before - very quick turnaround

What, paperwork back in a week? So that leaves them 1 day to do the turnaround??

Doesn't sound at all like the useless bunch of lazy civil servants that they usually perform like..

I sent mine special delivery (£6.50) and it still took 2 weeks and 4 days (nearly the quoted 3 weeks)

[Mani59]

When I did mine last year, all my paperwork had to be sent to Swansea. It took around 3 weeks from memory (might have been longer) for me to receive all the paperwork back. I was told they were working weekends to cover a huge backlog.

[Black Steel]

Originally Posted by AlwynMike

I'll stress that you must change the plate well before you sell, particularly if you're selling privately. In the eyes of the DVLA, the plate belongs to the car, so even if you enter into a contract with your car's buyer for him/her to transfer your plate, he/she can do whatever he/she wants with it after he buys the car - you have no rights to it.

DVLA quotes ridiculous turn-round times for retention, but my experience is that you should get your new V5 in a couple of weeks, although you'll be able to change the plate before then. However, would you buy a car without a V5??? So you need to wait for DVLA to get its act into gear before you advertise it.

If buying from a Dealer, they are well versed in number plate changes and will usually do everything for you.

Mike

If you were doing a p/x with Big Motoring World, they definitely would NOT be interested in helping you! (I speak from experience).

I did my own transfer onto retention in 1 week flat (go online and down load the form from DVLA). Also there are various places you can go to online to enable you to get your new plates made up, without having the hassle of producing a V5 and ID.

[gaza01]

Thanks for all the input guys. Just out of curiosity, what reg replaced the private one?...is it the car's original reg?

[J Dub]

yes the original reg replaces it. I got the dealer to do mine when I traded in. They took the trade in plate and transferred it to my bike and took one I had on retention and put it on the car, did it as part of the deal of the car, luckily enough then there was a DVLA office around the corner from them,

[bungleaio]

Yes it will be the cars original plate that goes back on.

I would highly recommend changing the plate before you put it up for sale.

[RhysT1]

Originally Posted by gaza01

Thanks for all the input guys. Just out of curiosity, what reg replaced the private one?...is it the car's original reg?

Yes it should be, DVLA say its not guaranteed to get the original reg back, But in every case I've ever known with family and friends they have always had the original reg back.

[gaza01]

Great cause i still got those plates so will not have to pay for new ones!

[AlwynMike]

Out of our last 5 cars that have had private plates removed, 4 have had different plates to the original! This is in the past 3 years. Previous to that, all my cars went back to the original registration - and I've had (3) private plates on most of my cars since 1992!

Mike

[Shere]

When I've done this in the past added a short covering letter quoting the original plate and requesting that back if possible

[Somerset Jim]

I sent off a number plate transfer form mid November and the form came back 4 weeks later with the certificate to transfer. I think where possible they usually put the old plates back on the car - at least they have done 5 times for me without me asking specifically for it.

[ljw350]

i one mine on the day of the sale. You can fill out the form so the plate retention comes back to you and the V5 goes to the new owner. No meesing about and no waiting.

i got the retention paperwork back about 2 weeks after i sold the car and sent off the form, the new owner then got the V5 back.

The only thing is i left my plates on and gave the originals to the new owner to change, so i lost my old plates but only cheap of the web.

[Jase 320d]

9/10 you should get original plate back

If you dont it means someone has bought the plate from the dvla as they can resell them one you put your private plate on

[Ashstar88]

All that work to your car and now your selling it, What you looking to get next is the question?

[CapnCook]

I've took my plate with me on 7 cars and every time the car has gone back to the original reg.

I always decide spur of the moment I want to sell my car though, so (even though I really shouldn't) I have always sold my cars with my private reg still on and the new owner has sent me the documents.

I really hate doing it though because as above, the new owner legally can keep my plate if he/she wants. I've just been lucky I guess. Even when I bought my E91 it came with someone else's reg on it (Rebecca's Wagon...for those who recall my original thread) haha!

My brother in law though sold his TT with the private plate of P1LOT still on, he stated that the plate was not included etc etc but he never got the plate back. He then saw it for sale a year later for almost as much as he sold the car for!!

[confused.com]

Guys, do you send the forms to dvla swansea, the form states not to and to find out where your nearest local office is by calling them.