DVLA and cherished number swap
DVLA and cherished number swap
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Discussion

CSK423

Original Poster:

824 posts

230 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
Wasn't sure the best place to ask this question.

I currently have a cherished number on and would like to take this off (retention) and put a new cherished number onto the vehicle.

Can I do this in one transaction ?

Or is it take off the cherished number onto retention, wait on the new V5 and then apply the new cherished number once the new V5 is received ? This seems a bit of a faff.

I used the online portal as a test and it didn't mention about retention of the existing plate but would allow me to put the new one on. I'm just scared I lose the cherished number coming off this way as it won't go on retention.

rewild

3,230 posts

162 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
You're right, it's a faff, but that's the way to do it. You can't do it in one step.

Scrump

23,744 posts

181 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
2 separate steps is my understanding of the process.

CSK423

Original Poster:

824 posts

230 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. Looking forward to the multiple admin charges from the insurance now.

OFORBES

535 posts

123 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
From what I can decipher, once you take a plate off a car they send you an email imediately with the retention certificate number so that it can be put onto another car, but I believe you'll have to wait for the new V5 to come through before putting on the new plate onto the car.

I wish there was a way of doing this in one transaction online as I sometimes have to do it myself and I am the same, petrified of losing one of my plates!

J2daG1990

1,217 posts

149 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
CSK423 said:
Thanks for the replies. Looking forward to the multiple admin charges from the insurance now.
You can get away with one admin charge if you give them the final reg plate, but obviously don't drive the car until the final plate is on.

alscar

8,130 posts

236 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
On a similar theme - my wife wants to transfer her existing private plate to her brand new currently unregistered car that arrives shortly. Do we first have to retain the same number online and then second step get the garage to allocate the same number ( we would use the online portal )and then simultaneously tax it etc ?
Form 317 appears to allow you to do this but not online per se and it’s not clear to me whether you can can indeed just do this in two consecutive steps although logic says you should be able to do so.
Thanks.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,783 posts

258 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
alscar said:
On a similar theme - my wife wants to transfer her existing private plate to her brand new currently unregistered car that arrives shortly. Do we first have to retain the same number online and then second step get the garage to allocate the same number ( we would use the online portal )and then simultaneously tax it etc ?
Form 317 appears to allow you to do this but not online per se and it’s not clear to me whether you can can indeed just do this in two consecutive steps although logic says you should be able to do so.
Thanks.
Whenever I've done it I pop mine on retention, give the certificate to the dealer & all sorted.

alscar

8,130 posts

236 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
2sb , that sounds like a good plan and thanks for the quick reply but do we have to wait for the retention certificate to physically arrive before we can actually get it assigned to her new car - or in effect is the retention done on line with confirmation that I can then just email the dealer ?
I had assumed that I could retain the number and then a couple of days later drive to the dealer to get the new car picked up but obviously if I have to wait for snail mail first that’s seems unlikely.

billshoreham

358 posts

148 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
i bought a used car recently and was told to register it in my name and wait for the V45. I did that and when I got it I transferred on line.

MustangGT

13,675 posts

303 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
alscar said:
On a similar theme - my wife wants to transfer her existing private plate to her brand new currently unregistered car that arrives shortly. Do we first have to retain the same number online and then second step get the garage to allocate the same number ( we would use the online portal )and then simultaneously tax it etc ?
Form 317 appears to allow you to do this but not online per se and it’s not clear to me whether you can can indeed just do this in two consecutive steps although logic says you should be able to do so.
Thanks.
Whenever I've done it I pop mine on retention, give the certificate to the dealer & all sorted.
Absolutely, get the registration on a retention certificate and give the certificate to the dealer. They will use this to register the car instead of allocating a standard registration from their pool.

alscar

8,130 posts

236 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
Mustang , yes I get that part - it’s just as per my reply above how the timing works - if I put on retention then have to wait say a week for the post to then send the certificate etc doesn’t that mean I will also have to get the replacement plates fitted to her existing car in the meantime ?
Apologies if I’m being a bit dense.

WhiskyDisco

1,206 posts

97 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
regarding the insurance admin charges, I called an insurance company a few years ago to infomr them of a change of plate. When they said there would be a charge I asked them if I waited until the renewal to tell them would I still be insured? The answer was that I would still be insured but that I could be pulled over by the police as my number would be flagged as uninsured. They ended up changing the number and waiving the admin charge - to get me off the phone!

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

31,783 posts

258 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
alscar said:
2sb , that sounds like a good plan and thanks for the quick reply but do we have to wait for the retention certificate to physically arrive before we can actually get it assigned to her new car - or in effect is the retention done on line with confirmation that I can then just email the dealer ?
I had assumed that I could retain the number and then a couple of days later drive to the dealer to get the new car picked up but obviously if I have to wait for snail mail first that’s seems unlikely.
The retention cert (strikes excluded!) has always arrived very quickly. The dealer may well have an inside track I'm not aware of. But, as I say that's the way I've always been asked to do it. thumbup

CSK423

Original Poster:

824 posts

230 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
WhiskyDisco said:
regarding the insurance admin charges, I called an insurance company a few years ago to infomr them of a change of plate. When they said there would be a charge I asked them if I waited until the renewal to tell them would I still be insured? The answer was that I would still be insured but that I could be pulled over by the police as my number would be flagged as uninsured. They ended up changing the number and waiving the admin charge - to get me off the phone!
I have in the last 6 months moaned about this when I put the current cherished numbers on both cars (admiral multi car) at different points in that period and managed to get it waived. However I will now be doing this 4 times, 2 per car which I think will be pushing the boundaries of goodwill !

CSK423

Original Poster:

824 posts

230 months

Monday 10th October 2022
quotequote all
alscar said:
2sb , that sounds like a good plan and thanks for the quick reply but do we have to wait for the retention certificate to physically arrive before we can actually get it assigned to her new car - or in effect is the retention done on line with confirmation that I can then just email the dealer ?
I had assumed that I could retain the number and then a couple of days later drive to the dealer to get the new car picked up but obviously if I have to wait for snail mail first that’s seems unlikely.
I believe you get a retention code instantly if done online which you can pass to the dealer. The paperwork will still follow in the post.

alscar

8,130 posts

236 months

Tuesday 11th October 2022
quotequote all
CSK, an online code sounds ideal even if the paper version still gets posted so thanks for that -
2sb , thanks for your further reply - am sure the dealer will be able to sort as you say.

MustangGT

13,675 posts

303 months

Tuesday 11th October 2022
quotequote all
alscar said:
Mustang , yes I get that part - it’s just as per my reply above how the timing works - if I put on retention then have to wait say a week for the post to then send the certificate etc doesn’t that mean I will also have to get the replacement plates fitted to her existing car in the meantime ?
Apologies if I’m being a bit dense.
Yes to getting the new plates onto the car you have taken the number off if it is going on the road. The car will now be on the DVLA database with the new registration. This registration is usually the original for the car. I usually keep the number plates when I put on a personal plate. If the car was on a private plate from new then it will be a random year-related registration.

I insure our cars with LV and have never been charged an admin fee for a number plate change.

sixor8

7,894 posts

291 months

Tuesday 11th October 2022
quotequote all
Footman James (for a classic car) don't charge an admin fee for a number plate change. I think Direct Line don't charge either, if I remember correctly.

Therre is (or was?) a form V317 to transfer straight from on car to another.

In t'old days when there were DVLA regional offices, I did this but with everything going to Swansea, perhaps not. It does state you can do it online, but perhaps this is now a defunct form? (The page is dated 2012) Perhaps from the days of paper discs it reduced admin and production of replacement tax discs?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/governmen...

WhiskyDisco

1,206 posts

97 months

Tuesday 11th October 2022
quotequote all
I imported a car and Adrian FLux insured the VIN. When DVLA assinged a number they simly updated the policy. No charge. I reckon Admiral chance their arm to get extra monies.