How to retain a private number plate

If you’ve splurged on a personalised number plate, the chances are you’ll want to keep it when you sell or scrap your car. This guide will walk you through how to retain your private plate.

Bought a private number plate that you love but you’re looking to get a new car? You might want to retain your current registration for future use. Thanks to the DVLA’s Number Plate Retention Scheme, it’s possible to retain a private number plate and keep it stored while it’s not in use.

Curious about how to retain a private number plate or how to check if a number plate is on retention? This handy guide tells you everything you need to know.

What are the requirements for retaining a number plate?

To retain your private plate, you need to have your car’s V5C logbook. If you’ve lost this, you can apply to have a new one sent to you. There are few other conditions to meet before you’re eligible to retain your number plate:

• Your car must be registered with the DVLA.
• Must be capable of starting and moving under its own power.
• Be the type of vehicle that requires an MOT or HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) certificate.
• The DVLA may need to inspect your car, so it has to be available for this.
• Your car has to have been taxed or declared SORN continuously for the last 5 years.
• It must be taxed currently or be declared SORN. If it’s been SORN for over 5 years, you’ll need to tax and MOT the car.
• Even if you have a classic car that’s normally exempt from MOTs, you’ll still need a valid MOT certificate to retain its number plate.

Bear in mind that if your car is written off, you need to tell your insurance company that you want to keep your private plate or you’ll lose it. Once the insurer has paid out for your car, the registration number becomes their property. Be quick to do this – once the car is scrapped you can’t get the plate back.

How to retain a number plate

You can put your number plate on retention online or by post. It will be quicker and easier online, but the fee is £80 either way.

Retain online

1. Check that your name is on the V5C document.
2. Visit the page ‘Take a private number off a vehicle’ on the DVLA website.
3. Click the green ‘Take off a number online’ button on the page.
4. Type in the registration number you want to remove.
5. Complete the relevant fields with your 11-digit V5C document reference number – and the registered keeper’s postcode (as shown in the logbook).
6. Confirm that you are the registered keeper by selecting ‘Yes I am’.
7. Pay the DVLA transfer fee of £80.
8. Await the arrival of your V778 retention document and your updated vehicle logbook with the replacement registration number.

Retain by post

1. Download and print Form V317 from the DVLA website.
2. Put an ‘X’ in the box for Option B.
3. Complete section 1 on page 2 with the details of the vehicle. You can find these details on your V5C document.
4. In section 2, put an ‘X’ in all relevant boxes.
5. Complete section 3 with your name, address, postcode, and daytime phone number.
6. Complete section 4.1 of the form only if there is to be a change to the ownership of the registration number (the nominee name). If a dealer is acting on your behalf and you would like correspondence and documentation to be sent to them, complete section 4.2.
7. Enclose a cheque of £80 made payable to DVLA Swansea along with completed form V317 and the V5C (logbook) of your vehicle.
8. Send everything to the following address: DVLA Personalised Registrations, Swansea, SA99 1DS.

What happens after I have applied for retention?

If your application to retain a number plate is successful, your car’s original registration number will automatically be reassigned to it. The DVLA will contact you if your vehicle requires an inspection and will arrange for it to be carried out.

You’ll receive an updated V5C showing your car’s original registration number – this can take between four and six weeks to arrive.

Once you’ve changed your number plate, you must inform your insurance company of the update. You’ll also need to update any automatic payment accounts, such as those for the London Congestion Charge or ULEZ. If you intend to drive the car, you’ll need to display number plates showing the original registration.

How long can I retain a private number plate?

You can retain a private number plate for 10 years at a time, and this period can be renewed. Once your retention request is approved, you’ll receive a V778 retention certificate, which proves your right to use the plate for the next decade.

How to check if a number plate is on retention

If there’s a particular number plate you’re interested in, and you want to check whether it’s currently in use on a car or held on retention, a quick search on the DVLA’s personalised registrations page can help. If the plate appears in the search results as available, it’s not on retention or assigned to a vehicle. If it’s listed as ‘taken’ or not found, it may be either on retention or already in use on a car.

You can also use our free MOT check tool to see which vehicle a specific number plate is assigned to.

Number plate retention FAQs

Can I keep my private number plate without putting it on another car?

Yes, once you’ve got the V778 retention document then you have the rights to that personalised plate for 10 years. Just bear in mind that, even if you’re not using the plate, you still have to renew the V778 after 10 years.

Can I gift or sell my private number plate?

As long as you own the number plate, you can let someone else use it by either giving it to them or selling it privately. You can do this online or by post using the V5C of the car you want to transfer it to.

If you’re doing this by post, you’ll need to send the V5C of the car you wish to transfer the private plate to, along with either your V750 or V778 to the DVLA. In both cases, you just need to fill out and sign sections one and two.

Can I put a private number plate on a car I’m leasing or financing?

You can arrange to have your private plate fitted to your lease car. You’ll need to speak to your leasing company about it, and it’s a lot easier to transfer the plate after the car has arrived. We advise that you transfer the plate off the car again around two months before the agreement ends.

It’s more straightforward to put a private plate on a car you own through finance because, unlike with leasing, you are the registered keeper of the car. You can do this yourself online or by sending your V788 to the DVLA as previously mentioned.

If your car is on PCP finance, and you don’t plan to make the final payment to own the car outright, you should arrange to transfer the plate off the car around two months before the agreement ends.

What happens if my retention certificate expires?

Retention certificates have an expiration date. While you can renew your certificate before it expires, if you forget to do so, you will not be able to renew it afterward. This means you will lose any claim to the registration plate.

Is there any reason why my private number plate might be denied a retention certificate?

The DVLA will usually renew a retention certificate without issue, but there are a few circumstances where it might be refused. For example, if your personalised plate is later deemed offensive, it can be retrospectively added to the DVLA’s list of banned number plates.

There’s also the DVLA’s ‘two strikes’ rule: if you’re stopped twice by police for displaying your plate with illegal formatting – such as non-standard spacing, fonts, or design elements – the plate may be permanently rescinded.

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Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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