Private number plates

No. Most personalised number plates can be supplied on a certificate. Once you have the certificate, you will have until the certificate's expiry date (usually 10 years from when you buy it) to transfer the personalised number plate to a vehicle of your choice.

If you are buying a number plate and you want it transferred onto your vehicle straight away then you will need to provide the following documents:

• The original of the vehicle's most recent V5C Registration Certificate, sometimes known as the logbook
• Details of current MOT test certification (if applicable). We do not need your actual MOT certificate.
• Details of your current road TAX

If you are buying a number plate and would like to put it on a vehicle at some later date:

• No documents are required initially. You will need the documents mentioned above when you do come to transfer your number plate onto your intended vehicle.

You may not attempt to make a vehicle look newer than it actually is.

You have 2 options:

1. You may choose to pay the Department for Transport retention fee (currently £80) and retain the number. This means that the number will be transferred onto a certificate that you can later use to put that number plate onto another vehicle.
2. You can choose not to keep the old number. If you do not retain the number on a certificate as described above, or transfer it to another vehicle, then it will be lost when you receive your amended V5C showing your new registration. When you receive your new V5C showing the new registration, you must remove the old number plates and display the new number.

Transfers done by post usually take 10-15 working days where payment clears successfully and all documentation is provided and completed correctly. In some cases we are able to conduct the transfer online. Where this is possible the process is much faster and the transfer can be achieved almost immediately on receipt of cleared funds and correct documents.