New car, car insurance, changing plates.

[cHk4]

Honestly I know nothing about cars and this type of stuff. Basically I'm getting a new used car tonight, I have 5 day walk away insurance. I have my old car which I will be selling which has my personalized number plates, I want to change them on to my new car.

So I have two options neither I really know how to do it.

One phone up my insurance and change the policy to my new car but how would I swap my old plates to my new car? Do I have to do this in multiple stages, de register my old cars plates, let my insurance know and then put the old plates on my new car then let them know again? This will incur two fees for a change to my policy.

Or do I get a new policy and cancel the old one then take the number plates off the old car and then put them on my new one and let the new insurance people know about the change?

I'm just a bit confused by it all, I know I can do the number plates online but as soon as I do it online does that mean I have to change my plates there and then or do I have a few days grace?

Also if my old car isn't insured can I still keep it on the road or would I have to keep it on my drive?

Thanks

 

[ShivP]

Many insurance give 30 days free policy changes so you may not be charged to swap your plate across

 

[cHk4]

Many insurance give 30 days free policy changes so you may not be charged to swap your plate across

Ok mate, that's good to know thank you. I will give them a call and find out.

 

[Semple]

Also if my old car isn't insured can I still keep it on the road or would I have to keep it on my drive?

If it's a public road, I believe you'd have to keep it on your driveway.

 

[Meatball]

I’ve gone through the exact same thing! I paid £80 via DVLA online to remove my personal plate and put it on retention. I’ve then amended my insurance policy to insure the new car based on its original plate. Once I put my personal plate on my insurance company (Sheila’s Wheels) have confirmed they won’t change another admin fee if it’s within 30 days of the original amendment .

 

[DereksDontRun]

Also if my old car isn't insured can I still keep it on the road or would I have to keep it on my drive?

I think you need to have it insured or off the road and SORN these days. Basically, if it's taxed it needs insurance. So, if you want to be able to test drive when selling it, you'll need to keep it insured.

 

[IAmATeaf]

What I did was:

1) Put my private plate on retention using the DVLA website and printed off the retention slip. I then put the plate the DVLA gave me back and put it back on my old car. I did this at the car dealer when I went to pick up the new car so I had no need to ring my insurance company about the plate change
2) Purchased the new car, rang up the insurance company to notify them of the change, paid them their monies to update the policy, I also informed them that I would within the next 2 weeks also be ringing to change over to my private plate and got them to agree that this change would be charge free. I then waited for the log book of the new car to arrive in my name and address
3) When the log book arrived, used the DVLA website to put my private plate back on the new car, rang up the insurance company, a week or so later a new log book arrived

 

[stoofa]

End of last year I traded in my old car that had a personal plate and collected my new car that I wanted to put the plate onto.

Put personal plate onto retention / contact Direct Line and inform them car has new registration plate
Trace in car, pick up new car - contact Direct Line so that both my cars were covered up until swap-over and then new car covered.
Put personal plate onto new car - contact Direct Line and inform them of the numberplate change.

Multiple changes over multiple steps - but no charges from Direct Line for any of it.