Removing Private Plate

[JB89]

Evening all,

I'm (hopefully) buying a used car tomorrow privately, however it's currently got his private plate on it. He's suggested he can simply remove his private plate online and I can tax the car using the previous reg and drive it away straight away, is this correct? When I go to tax the vehicle obviously the V5 document number will correspond to the private plate?

Should I really be waiting until all paperwork is back in the original reg?

Cheers

[MorganP104]

Technically, that should work.

However, you will still need the original plates to drive it on. If he takes his off, and its left with no plates, even if the online service says it's got a VRM of "AB12 CDE" (for example), you'll need the actual rectangles of acrylic attached to the car, front and back, before it's road legal.

[cuprabob]

Once he removes the plate online that will trigger a new V5 document so you won't be able to tax the car until you know what the new V5 document is. I really don't understand why seklersydon't put the plate on retention before putting the car up for sale.

[ncjones]

Wait until he's removed the plate and has the new V5. It's really quick, I did it last week. Went online Tues afternoon, new V5 arrived in the post on the Thursday.

You won't be able to tax it as the car will still be registered to him and therefore taxed. It's plate first then provide the new keeper details on the new V5.

[JB89]

Thanks all - will wait until the V5 is received under the previous registration before purchasing.