Transferring a private plate - selling the car inbetween?

[Chris.B]

I’m going to need to transfer a private numberplate off of a car (either going on retention or onto the new one), with the car going back to its original age related numberplate. Does anyone know how the process works these days?

I gather the removal can now be done online, as well as traditionally by post.

Does requesting the removal generate a new paper V5C (showing the age related numberplate) coming in the post to the registered keeper’s address? And meanwhile the current paper V5C (showing the personalised numberplate) is invalidated? And consequently the car cannot be sold in in-between as there’s no valid V5C for a buyer to sign?
According to the website it can take 4 to 6 weeks for the new V5 to arrive!?

But what about when doing the numberplate online...
Does it give a new V5C document reference number live on the webpage that can be used in-between for doing a change of ownership if using the new online ownership page instead of the usual paper copy where the buyer/seller have their two halves?

Or does requesting the removal of the private numberplate really mean that there’s 4 to 6 weeks before the car can be sold and it should be done in plenty of time in advance?


Thanks!

[AlwynMike]

I would do everything on line.
My experience recently for this sort of thing is that a new V5 is on the doorstep within a week.
You can sell the car before getting the V5, but I wouldn't - and I wouldn't buy a car without the V5 either!

[akirk]

did it the other week, on a Friday evening
provided new v5 ref number on screen
provided pdf to download / print to have new (old number) plates made
new V5 was here the following Tuesday
retention certificate was here the following Thursday

however, any issues and the system won’t let you do it online and it will then take a long time by post

[randlemarcus]

My working assumption is that the online process is so fast that no humans at Swansea can possibly be involved. And get it done now, before the ad goes live..