Retaining Your Private Number Plate For Your New Car

So you have a fabulous private number plate, which you either inherited or purchased. But you need to get a new car, because the old one is really starting to show its age, and you have to trade in the old one to pay for the deposit of the new car. Are you going to lose your amazing number plate? Is there a way to keep hold of your personalised number plate?

Absolutely yes, and this is how you go about it.

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Moved the number plate to retention

First off, you need to disassociated the number plate from your car and take it offline. By doing this, DVLA will assign a new registration mark to your and you can retain the old mark for your new car.

Start the process by collecting form V778 (a retention certificate) from a nearby Post Office. Complete the form, and submit it to DVLA. Remember to attach your log book and MOT test certificate with the submission. You will need to pay an assignment fee of £80 for the application upon submission, as well as a £25 retention fee.

You are required to renew the retention certification annually (at the same £25 rate) to maintain the offline status of the old registration mark. If, for whatever reason, you fail to renew the certificate, the number will be sent back into general circulation. You can maintain the retention status indefinitely through an annual renewal process, but a fresh application must be filed every ten years.

Once DVLA has received and accepted form V778, your old number plate will be disassociated from the car. A new, randomly generated and age appropriate number plate will be issued to the old car, and DVLA will provide you with a V948 certificate which you can use to order new physical plates to fix on the old car.

Requirements for Retention

Only vehicle owners may apply for the retention certificate. The old car must also be in good regulatory standing with valid tax discs and MOT.

Redeeming Your Personalised Plate

After you have purchased your new car, submit the V778 certificate during the registration process. Since you have already paid the £80 assignment fee, you no longer need to do so now. Once the application has been approved (which takes about two weeks), DVLA will associate your old personalised number with the new car. Your new log book, tax discs and another V948 certificate (to order new physical plates) will also be mailed to you.

At all times, keep your insurance company update on all changes to prevent your policy from being voided.