Private number plates on a used car: retention and transfer

If a seller wants to keep their private number plate, they must take it off the car before they sell it. They apply to DVLA, pay the fee, which is £80 at the time of writing, and receive a V778 retention document and a new V5C logbook for the car. The car usually gets its original registration back. If they sell the car with the private plate still on it, they lose the right to the number and it stays with the car.

For a buyer, the safest rule is simple: do not complete the sale until the registration on the car, the plates and the V5C all say the same thing.

How retention works

Taking a private number off a vehicle and keeping it to use later is called putting it on retention. GOV.UK sets out the process.

1. The keeper applies online or by post. Online, the number is removed immediately if the car does not need an inspection. By post, they send form V317, the V5C and the fee.
2. The car's original registration is usually reassigned to it automatically.
3. DVLA sends a new V5C showing the car's replacement registration, which can take 4 to 6 weeks, and a V778 retention document to the person with the right to the number.
4. The car must have the original or new plates fitted before it is driven, and the insurer must be told.

The V778 proves the right to assign the number for the next 10 years. It must be renewed on or before the expiry date, which is free, or the right to the number is lost permanently.

Which cars qualify

GOV.UK says 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, be available for inspection, and have been taxed or had a SORN in place continuously for the past 5 years. It must also be taxed or on SORN now, and if it has been on SORN for more than 5 years it must be taxed and have an MOT. A historic vehicle also needs a current MOT, even if it is normally exempt.

The rule that matters most for a seller

GOV.UK says the keeper must have the V778 and the new logbook before they sell or scrap the vehicle, or they lose the right to use the private number.

So if the seller sells the car with the private plate still assigned to it, the number goes with the car. It becomes the car's registration, and the new keeper is registered with it.

What this means for you as a buyer

If the seller is keeping the plate

Ask about it before you agree a price. The seller should apply for retention before the sale and wait for the new V5C. That way:

• the plates on the car show the registration you will be buying
• the V5C you check at the viewing shows the same registration
• the green new keeper slip you get matches the car

If the seller has only just applied, the new V5C can take weeks. Do not take a logbook with the private number and a promise to sort it out later. Wait until the paperwork has caught up, or agree a small refundable deposit and come back.

If the car is sold with the private plate on

The number becomes part of what you are buying. It will be on your new V5C in your name. If you later want to take it off and keep it, you can apply for retention yourself once the car is in your name, as long as the car meets the rules above.

A new registration does not change the VIN

A change of registration does not change the car's VIN. That is why you check the VIN on the car against the V5C at every viewing. See our VIN guide.

A plate cannot make a car look newer

GOV.UK says you cannot use a private number that makes a vehicle look newer than it is. Its example is an "07" registration on a 2003 registered vehicle. You also cannot put a private number on a "Q" registered vehicle, or assign a number starting with "Q" or "QNI".

If the plate on a car you are viewing seems to suggest a later year than the V5C's date of first registration, ask why. Our number plate age checker shows which period an age identifier belongs to.

Putting your own private plate on a car you have just bought

If you already hold a private number on a V750 certificate or a V778 retention document, GOV.UK says that for a used vehicle you have just bought you should wait for DVLA to send you a new V5C in your name before you apply. Assigning a number is free online or by post.

Once it is assigned, DVLA sends a new logbook. You must fit new plates before you drive, and you must not sell or get rid of the car until the new V5C arrives.

Who to tell after a registration change

Whenever a car's registration changes, GOV.UK says to tell your insurer and update any automatic payment accounts linked to the old number, such as the Congestion Charge, the Ultra Low Emission Zone, the Low Emission Zone, the Dart Charge and Clean Air Zone charges. If you do not, you may get a penalty charge. You can check whether a car meets the zone standards with our ULEZ checker.

Protecting the paperwork

GOV.UK warns sellers of private numbers not to share a scan or photo of the V750 or V778, because someone else might use it to put the number on another vehicle. As a buyer, if someone sends you one of these documents as proof of anything, treat it with care and do not share it on.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to keep a private number plate?

At the time of writing, GOV.UK says it costs £80 to take a private number off a vehicle and keep it. Renewing the V778 is free.

What happens if I sell a car with a private plate on it?

The seller loses the right to the number. It stays on the car and moves to the new keeper with it.

Does the buyer get the original number plate?

When the seller takes the private number off before the sale, the car's original registration is usually reassigned automatically. DVLA issues a new V5C showing the replacement registration.

How long does a V778 last?

GOV.UK says the V778 proves the right to the number for 10 years, and it must be renewed before it expires.

Can I put my private plate on a car I have just bought?

Yes, once DVLA has sent you a new V5C in your name. The car must also meet the eligibility rules, including being taxed or on SORN.