Penalty for 'wrong' registration number on car?
Discussion
Evening all,
I have purchased a new (used) car.
It has been full 2 weeks and the V5 still hasn't arrived, but the car has been taxed online using the green 'New keeper' slip.
Because I am staggeringly vain, I want my private plate on the vehicle before I drive it on the road. I wish my friends and neighbours to think the car is far newer than it is, and therefore keep up the pretence that I am a powerfully built, and extremely wealthy company director.
But I can't swap my plate onto it until the new V5 has arrived for the car (I think?).
I have a very short attention span, become bored of waiting, and I have just stuck my plate onto it anyway.
I just phoned my insurance company and told them to insure the car, and given them all the details of the new vehicle, and they have insured it under my private plate.
To sum up:
The car is taxed
MOT'd
Insured
But is displaying a registration plate that isn't yet assigned to that vehicle, when it should be on it's original plates.
It gets ANPR'd it will pass with flying colours obviously (as a different car) BUT... whats the offence/penalty should I be busted for my heinous crime by the finest minds of the local Police, while waiting to transfer the plate officially?
Thanks in advance!
I have purchased a new (used) car.
It has been full 2 weeks and the V5 still hasn't arrived, but the car has been taxed online using the green 'New keeper' slip.
Because I am staggeringly vain, I want my private plate on the vehicle before I drive it on the road. I wish my friends and neighbours to think the car is far newer than it is, and therefore keep up the pretence that I am a powerfully built, and extremely wealthy company director.
But I can't swap my plate onto it until the new V5 has arrived for the car (I think?).
I have a very short attention span, become bored of waiting, and I have just stuck my plate onto it anyway.
I just phoned my insurance company and told them to insure the car, and given them all the details of the new vehicle, and they have insured it under my private plate.
To sum up:
The car is taxed
MOT'd
Insured
But is displaying a registration plate that isn't yet assigned to that vehicle, when it should be on it's original plates.
It gets ANPR'd it will pass with flying colours obviously (as a different car) BUT... whats the offence/penalty should I be busted for my heinous crime by the finest minds of the local Police, while waiting to transfer the plate officially?
Thanks in advance!
Thurbs said:
No idea on your origional question.
On the question of the plate, you can not transfer a plate on to a vehicle which would make the vehicle newer than it actually is. i.e a 2007 can have a 07 or older plate but not an 08 or newer.
Finally, it is good to know one's self.
I know this.On the question of the plate, you can not transfer a plate on to a vehicle which would make the vehicle newer than it actually is. i.e a 2007 can have a 07 or older plate but not an 08 or newer.
Finally, it is good to know one's self.
The private plate is simply 'dateless'.
Much like myself...
Lord Marylebone said:
I just phoned my insurance company and told them to insure the car, and given them all the details of the new vehicle, and they have insured it under my private plate.
To sum up:
The car is taxed
MOT'd
Insured
But is displaying a registration plate that isn't yet assigned to that vehicle, when it should be on it's original plates.
It gets ANPR'd it will pass with flying colours obviously (as a different car) BUT... whats the offence/penalty should I be busted for my heinous crime by the finest minds of the local Police, while waiting to transfer the plate officially?
Thanks in advance!
TAXED - on one plateTo sum up:
The car is taxed
MOT'd
Insured
But is displaying a registration plate that isn't yet assigned to that vehicle, when it should be on it's original plates.
It gets ANPR'd it will pass with flying colours obviously (as a different car) BUT... whats the offence/penalty should I be busted for my heinous crime by the finest minds of the local Police, while waiting to transfer the plate officially?
Thanks in advance!
MOT- on the same plate it's taxed against but also confirms VIN
Insured - on a different number plate tied to your old car
Displaying - the plate registered to your old car that fails to match the VIN of the car
This does not sound like a good plan at all!!!!!
aka_kerrly said:
TAXED - on one plate
MOT- on the same plate it's taxed against but also confirms VIN
Insured - on a different number plate tied to your old car
Displaying - the plate registered to your old car that fails to match the VIN of the car
This does not sound like a good plan at all!!!!!
I fully agree with that you are saying.MOT- on the same plate it's taxed against but also confirms VIN
Insured - on a different number plate tied to your old car
Displaying - the plate registered to your old car that fails to match the VIN of the car
This does not sound like a good plan at all!!!!!
But if the penalty is a non-endorsable £100 or whatever, then I'm fine with that.
There must be many people driving about with plates on their cars that shouldn't be there during the swapping and un-swapping of private plates.
I guy I know drove for weeks in his new Lambo with a private plate on it that wasn't yet on it, the same situation as mine. There was some mix up and he didn't get his V5 for his new car for about 6 weeks.
I just want to know the penalty for it.
Then I can make an 'informed decision' on the matter

Lord Marylebone said:
Just to add to the confusion:
I have just read that you can transfer a private plate to a newly purchased car even if you only have the V5C/2 New Keeper slip, and not the V5 yet.
Can anyone confirm is this is true?
I found that while Googling what to do with mine. I rang DVLA and they said I needed the hard copy log book in my name, in my hand before I could swap plates. Not worth the risk imho.I have just read that you can transfer a private plate to a newly purchased car even if you only have the V5C/2 New Keeper slip, and not the V5 yet.
Can anyone confirm is this is true?
Grahamdub said:
I found that while Googling what to do with mine. I rang DVLA and they said I needed the hard copy log book in my name, in my hand before I could swap plates. Not worth the risk imho.
Yes, this is where the confusion lies.Some people claim you can do it all online without waiting for the new V5C but others say you can't.
So confusing!
Maybe I'll just have to wait more weeks... bah.
I had a similar situation recently OP, however my new log book arrived within a week. I looked into swapping the plate before I received the new V5 and as far as I can tell it can be done by requesting a new log book from the DVLA by post. That will surely take much longer than just waiting for the original V5 to come through, plus I imagine there's more potential for things to go wrong if there's 2 log books 'live' in the DVLA system.
Are you sure the previous keeper sent of the V5 in a timely manner?
Are you sure the previous keeper sent of the V5 in a timely manner?
Lord Marylebone said:
Yes, this is where the confusion lies.
Some people claim you can do it all online without waiting for the new V5C but others say you can't.
So confusing!
Maybe I'll just have to wait more weeks... bah.
I have tried to do it online with the new keeper slip. One of the first questions is 'do you have a v5 with the correct keepers details?' - answer no and it kicks you out.Some people claim you can do it all online without waiting for the new V5C but others say you can't.
So confusing!
Maybe I'll just have to wait more weeks... bah.
WilliamWoollard said:
I have tried to do it online with the new keeper slip. One of the first questions is 'do you have a v5 with the correct keepers details?' - answer no and it kicks you out.
I've just phoned a friend who has transferred a couple of plates recently, and he said 'when it asks for the V5 just say yes, but type in the document reference number from the new keeper slip and it will be fine'.So I'll try that tomorrow....
Lord Marylebone said:
I've just phoned a friend who has transferred a couple of plates recently, and he said 'when it asks for the V5 just say yes, but type in the document reference number from the new keeper slip and it will be fine'.
So I'll try that tomorrow....
Good luck with that!So I'll try that tomorrow....
I doubt that the penalty will be endorsable - just a vanity tax fine

I've regularly driven journeys of 100s of miles in cars which are untaxed / wrong plates (or both) with the trade plates that would make the journey legal stored in a bag in the boot.
I've lost count of the number of customer cars that got sent out back in the day with a "Plate transfer in Progress at Manchester VRO" beer mat in the tax disc holder. Never had a problem, but I'm confident it's nothing a good attitude wouldn't solve.
To assign your plate you need the V5C in your name. If you assign it with the previous keeper still on record, you will be assigning your dateless plate to someone else's name and address, triggering a V5C out to them and also giving them the opportunity of retaining your plate into their own name and address risking you losing your plate but what price vanity and a shed load of hassle untangling it all for the sake of a few days.
AutoClouseau said:
To assign your plate you need the V5C in your name. If you assign it with the previous keeper still on record, you will be assigning your dateless plate to someone else's name and address, triggering a V5C out to them and also giving them the opportunity of retaining your plate into their own name and address risking you losing your plate but what price vanity and a shed load of hassle untangling it all for the sake of a few days.
Excellent point.I shall simply wait. You are right that trying to use the 'old' V5C document reference number may end up with the previous owner acquiring my plate or some other such mess.
KungFuPanda said:
Once you are in possession of the new V5 in your name, you can apply the plates to your vehicle with immediate effect online.
Apparently not.f
kING DVLA!The new V5 arrived this morning in my name as it happens.
Just tried to assign the plate to the car online and apparently their computer system threw a wobbler and said the new car "wasn't eligible" for a plate transfer online, and I would have to fill in a load of paper forms and post stuff back and forth to them.
WTF?
I phoned their helpline and they were as much use as a chocolate teapot. Said "thats just how it is sometimes".
Lord Marylebone said:
KungFuPanda said:
Once you are in possession of the new V5 in your name, you can apply the plates to your vehicle with immediate effect online.
Apparently not.f
kING DVLA!The new V5 arrived this morning in my name as it happens.
Just tried to assign the plate to the car online and apparently their computer system threw a wobbler and said the new car "wasn't eligible" for a plate transfer online, and I would have to fill in a load of paper forms and post stuff back and forth to them.
WTF?
I phoned their helpline and they were as much use as a chocolate teapot. Said "thats just how it is sometimes".
kpuppets you are unlikely to come across. They spent weeks messing around with plates on a BMW Coupe I bought and then assigned it to a plate a year older than it should have had (it was coming off a private plate). Their helpline people couldn't give a s
t, but they are not going to sitting, as they do, in a cushy public sector job. Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


