Urgent: How can I keep or re-claim my personalised plate when selling my car?

Akagi

Akagi

Akagi

Caporegime
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In acme's chair.
Hi guys, need some help with this one.

I have sold my car which has a personalised plate that I had intended to sell with it, the buyer doesn't want the plate because they have their own private plate to put on the car so we agreed a price which includes me keeping the plate.

They have paid a deposit and are coming to collect the car on Monday. They seem a decent person and have insisted they are happy to jump through whatever hoops are needed to get the plate back to me.

I can fill in the form via this link here without sending off the V5 document, it says it will take 4 to 6 weeks for the change to go through and the new documents and numberplates to arrive on my doorstep.

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off

After you apply
Your original number plate will usually be reassigned to your vehicle automatically, if your application is successful. This will happen straight away.

You’ll be sent:

  • a new log book (V5C) showing the vehicle’s replacement registration number - it can take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive
  • your original MOT back (if you sent it to tax the vehicle)
  • a V778 retention document if the private number is in your name
If the private number is in someone else’s name, the V778 document will be sent to them.

Before you can drive your vehicle, you must:

  • put the original or new number plates on the vehicle before you drive it
  • tell your insurance company your new registration number
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However I need to transfer ownership of the car on Monday, so I'm unsure if I am able to use this method at all, and where the replacement plates would go if I did. Which action would cancel out which, if any?

The other option is that the new owner can fill in the form on the above link once they have received the new V5C in their name, this will mean they get a plate retention document issued to them.

Is there a way for them to transfer ownership of the retention document to myself? The gov. website suggests that you can only sell the plate if it is going onto a vehicle. There is no mention of transferring the document to someone else without having to do so.

Sell or give a private number to someone else
You can sell or give a private (personalised) number to someone. The number must be assigned to their vehicle before they can use it.
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I think I've figured out the only way to do this is to wait until the buyer receives their new V5C document, and then do it via snail mail with a V317 form...
 
The only official way to guarantee the plate is to not sell the car until you have the plate on retention. The plate doesn't belong to you it belongs to the car and thus the new owner as soon as he buys it from you.

So to avoid losing it, put it on retention first.

You should be able to do it quite quickly on-line?

Apply online
The number will be removed immediately if your vehicle does not need an inspection.
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I didnt quite understand that bit, it says it will be removed immediately, but I dont see how that can be the case since they need to assign a new reg and send the V5C and the physical plates out?

I think we are going to fill out the transfer of ownership on the V5C, and fill out the V317 with me as the grantee, and send it all off in the same envelope on Monday.
 
^ Ditto. I removed a plate not long ago from a car which i sold. Do it online, i had a replacement V5 on the original reg within the working week.
 
Acme said:
I didnt quite understand that bit, it says it will be removed immediately, but I dont see how that can be the case since they need to assign a new reg and send the V5C and the physical plates out?
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They don't send physical plates out, it's your responsibility to sort that. A new VRM (usually the original) will be assigned as part of the retention process.
 
[TW]Fox said:
They don't send physical plates out, it's your responsibility to sort that. A new VRM (usually the original) will be assigned as part of the retention process.
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I always thought the £80 fee included a pair of new plates posted to your door?
 
OK thanks guys. I was probably overcomplicating it in my head...

I need to decide if I can even be bothered. He offered to give me another £50 if we don't faff about with plates, and I'd have to pay the £80 fee, so the plate "PUB 690W" would already owe me £130, and I was only looking to re-sell it...

Do you recon its worth it? "PUB 69W" sold for over £2K, but this has an extra digit. "PUB 115H" sold for £1.7K but that was 13 years ago. "PUB 321W" is currently for sale for £445, reduced from £760... "RS02 PUB" sold for £395 a few months ago but that has the Ford favourite "RS" in it as well...

Seems promising, but then there are hundreds of prefix style plates ending "PUB" all up for £166 so...
 
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A regular 7 character plate isn’t ever going to be worth much unless it actually spells a word or words.

I’d probably let it go for £50 unless you wanted to keep it.
 
Acme said:
"PUB 69W" sold for over £2K, but this has an extra digit. "PUB 115H" sold for £1.7K but that was 13 years ago.
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I can't see there being much interest in PUB 690W for any particular reason.

69W gets a bit of a '69 hurhurr' tax on it that 690W doesn't really and PUB 115H is presumably on a publisher's car with a conveniently placed black screw cap, looking slightly 'try hard'.
 
Unless it means something to you, I'd let it go. If your gonna have to spend £130 to keep it, it might not sell, or take ages to sell, or maybe you'll have to sell it for less. If you don't care about it, then let it go...
 
Yeah just let that go.

Physical plates acme, you can get hassle free from eBay for around £15/set. The dvla don’t send them out :p
 
Jez said:
Yeah just let that go.

Physical plates acme, you can get hassle free from eBay for around £15/set. The dvla don’t send them out :p
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Just something someone told me ages ago that got stuck in my mind i guess!
 
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