How to Transfer a Number Plate from One Car to Another?

There is always a connection between car owners and their precious machine, sometimes more than what you expect. From the intricate parts to the seat cover and paint, a passionate car owner definitely takes care of their vehicle as a child. There is no exaggeration here!

Another aspect that is extremely special and intimate for every car owner is their number plate. Whether you personalized it to match a particular date or have one with fewer numbers and figures, a number plate quickly becomes the identity of the car. It is also a good way to show how much you care about the car. You can always have innumerable makes and models, but a number plate is unique for your vehicle only.

And it is interesting to note that many owners are unaware of how to retain or transfer the number plate from one vehicle to another. If you’re someone who owns a special number plate and doesn’t want to wave goodbye to it, we are here to make things easier for you.

In this article, we will be shedding light on the entire process of transferring a number plate and explaining what criteria and checklist you need to go about it.

Let’s get started!

Vehicle Eligibility for the transfer of Number Plate

Before we start with the entire transfer process, it is essential to know whether or not your vehicle meets the eligibility requirement put forth by the UK government.
To transfer the number plate, the following criteria should be met:

1. The vehicle should be registered in the UK with the DVLA.
2. Should be in a roadworthy condition i.e, can produce MOT or HGV certificate.
3. Have Tax proof or a SORN in place for the last 5 years without any breaks.
4. Is currently being taxed or has a SORN in place.
5. Can move under their own power.

These are eligibility criteria you need to meet while applying for the number plate transfer. However, there are some ‘don’t dos’ when it comes to number plates too.
Let’s take a look at some of the circumstances under which your application is rejected.

1. If you transfer a number plate beginning with ‘Q’ or ‘NIQ’.
2. If you transfer a private plate on a ‘Q’ registered vehicle.
3. If your vehicle has a non-transferable registration mark which can be found under the special notes section of the V5 logbook.
4. If the number plate in the question makes the vehicle newer than it is; e.g. transfer an ‘06’ plate to a 2002 vehicle.

You are aware of what you need and what to avoid when it comes to number plate transferring applications. Let’s move on to see how to go about the application process.

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How to transfer a Number Plate from one car to another? – The Complete Application Process

The Vehicle transferring process is overseen by the DVLA, as in the case of tax and license related work. Like any other process, you will need to fill out a firm to start with the transfer application, namely the V317 form.

The form can be used to either transfer the number plate from an old car to the new one or hold the registration for the number plate with a retention document. The registration of any number plate can be retained for 10 years, during which you can affix it to any new car that you may buy.

The form is pretty simple with details like the registration, make, model, and VIN of the car you want to remove the plate from. There is also a column for the details of the car you want to transfer the number plate to. You will also need the V5C documents for both the vehicles that are involved in the process.
Apart from this, you would need to fill in your contact details in case of any issues regarding the transfer.

The form can be filled online as well as there is a paper version of the same. With the current social distancing guideline and the fear of the pandemic, the government urged people to consider applying online, which also has the same amount of processing period as with the paper version of it.

This is an obvious fact but the vehicle that you’re planning to transfer the old number plate onto must already exist since it would be impossible to do the transfer process to a car the DVLA has no record of.
The rest of the eligibility criteria has already been listed above. Keep in mind that the year-specific plates cannot be used on an older year model as this can be misleading for some, and is widely used by car dealers to cheat their customers.

Just a piece of quick information before moving on to the retaining process; you don’t necessarily have to be the owner of the vehicle that you want to change the number plate onto.

Retaining the Registration – The complete process

If you don’t have a new vehicle ready to which you can transfer the number plate, you can always opt to retain a number plate that can be deployed to a new car when required.

The form remains the same, however, you would need to fill out another part that asks for the details of the person who is retaining the registration. If you skip this part of the form, the registered keeper of the vehicle in question will receive the retention document. You would still be required to fill in the registration, make, model, VIN, and your details in the form similar to the transfer request.

Once you’re ready to transfer the registration to a new car, you would need to fill the DVLA form V778. Keep in mind that the transferring and retaining fee for the registration is £80, and you need to process the same for the application to be accepted.

As soon as the process is complete, the vehicle that had its registration removed will receive a new V5C registration. This could either be previous registration (if it had one) or is assigned an age-related plate.

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Things to keep in mind

The obvious one is to have the new vehicle registered before applying for the transfer of the number plate. In case of retaining, make sure you apply for the process and get it approved before selling the vehicle. Once sold, you lose the right to retain it. In another case, if you do not remove the number plate before the car’s destruction to the DVLA, you will lose the right to the plate.

Coming to other frequently asked questions, if your vehicle is stolen, you are eligible to apply for keeping the personal plate immediately. However, you cannot transfer the number plate to a new car or have the V778 form initiated before 6 months from the theft date, or once the vehicle has been recovered.

If you’re keen on getting a personalized number plate, make sure you are following the standard rules and eligibility put forth by the government. Use the standard font, spacing of letters and numbers, and avoid using any confusing ways which might be difficult to interpret. A pretty obvious thought, but these tiny details can lead to the rejection of your application and the loss of your precious number plate.

Lastly, if there is any change in the number plate, be sure to inform your insurance company about the same.

FAQs

How do I transfer my number plate to another car?
You will need to fill out a firm to start with the transfer application, namely the V317 form. The same form can be used to either transfer the plate or hold the registration in case you don’t have a vehicle to transfer to.

How long does it take to transfer/retain a number plate?
The general timeline for the application process is around two weeks. It can be longer if the DVLA decides to inspect the vehicles. In the uncertain times of the pandemic, you can expect a slightly prolonged time.

How much does it cost to transfer a number plate?
The DVLA requires a transfer fee of £80 to get the process of transferring or retaining the number plate started.

This brings us to the end of our article on how to transfer a number plate from one car to another. Hope it made things simpler and clear for you.
For more such informative articles, keep watching this space.