Car insurance renewal / private plate

[2HFL]

Apologies if I am posting in the wrong section.

My car insurance is due for renewal in a week. I have a private plate on the car at present, but I am not renewing with existing provider due to ridiculous increase in premium.

As I also intend to sell the vehicle shortly, without my private plate, can I simply switch the plate at the expiry of my current policy and take out a new one based on the original reg plate or will the insurance database not recognise the vehicle?

[the-norseman]

You can manually enter cars if they dont come up via plate search.

[alscar]

The change in insurer is academic. Your insurance needs to be in force for the car showing the correct reg plate.
When you put the private plate on retention you’ll be sent a certificate for the new plate that is date specific to when your car was first registered.
Do this on line btw as instant.
Then just make sure whatever insurer you choose has the correct plate.
You normally get around 3 days before the certificate expires but if online then just keep copies of the email confirmation.

[2HFL]

Thanks for the above replies.

Is it really £80 just to put the private plate back on retention? Seems excessive!

[vonhosen]

2HFL said:

Thanks for the above replies.

Is it really £80 just to put the private plate back on retention? Seems excessive!

Yep £80 for retention, but you don't have to pay to put it onto the next vehicle when you decide to.

[2HFL]

vonhosen said:

2HFL said:

Thanks for the above replies.

Is it really £80 just to put the private plate back on retention? Seems excessive!

Yep £80 for retention, but you don't have to pay to put it onto the next vehicle when you decide to.

Noted, thanks.

[P700DEE]

You need to have valid insurance for the plate change and it upsets their system if you do it at renewal. If you swap just before new.renewal there may be a charge for changes so my advice is keep the plate on and get your next insurance. Most insurers give 14 days to make changes to the policy without charge so once started call them and sort a swap date.

[2HFL]

P700DEE said:

You need to have valid insurance for the plate change and it upsets their system if you do it at renewal. If you swap just before new.renewal there may be a charge for changes so my advice is keep the plate on and get your next insurance. Most insurers give 14 days to make changes to the policy without charge so once started call them and sort a swap date.

Thanks for the advice.

I just had another thought, say I keep the private plate for renewal purposes, when I buy my new car can I transfer the plate to the new vehicle (paying an admin fee to insurer I expect) and thus avoid having to pay the retention fee? Or is that not a thing?

It’s the first time I’ve been through this with a private plate hence my lack of knowledge!

[alscar]

2HFL said:

Thanks for the advice.

I just had another thought, say I keep the private plate for renewal purposes, when I buy my new car can I transfer the plate to the new vehicle (paying an admin fee to insurer I expect) and thus avoid having to pay the retention fee? Or is that not a thing?

It’s the first time I’ve been through this with a private plate hence my lack of knowledge!

As soon as you put the plate on retention that’s when the £80 is payable.
If you happen to be partexing the old car for a car at a dealers they might handle both transactions for you but unless the new car is brand new there will then be another charge for then putting that old plate on retention unless they aren’t bothered at its retention.
If a brand new car then a lot easier for the dealer to obviously get your personal plate put on.
But you still won’t avoid the £80.

[2HFL]

alscar said:

2HFL said:

Thanks for the advice.

I just had another thought, say I keep the private plate for renewal purposes, when I buy my new car can I transfer the plate to the new vehicle (paying an admin fee to insurer I expect) and thus avoid having to pay the retention fee? Or is that not a thing?

It’s the first time I’ve been through this with a private plate hence my lack of knowledge!

As soon as you put the plate on retention that’s when the £80 is payable.
If you happen to be partexing the old car for a car at a dealers they might handle both transactions for you but unless the new car is brand new there will then be another charge for then putting that old plate on retention unless they aren’t bothered at its retention.
If a brand new car then a lot easier for the dealer to obviously get your personal plate put on.
But you still won’t avoid the £80.

Ok, got it and all understood.

I’ll do as suggested earlier and put the plate back on retention post-renewal.

Thanks for everyone’s help.

[alscar]

2HFL said:

Ok, got it and all understood.

I’ll do as suggested earlier and put the plate back on retention post-renewal.

Thanks for everyone’s help.

Just make sure you do it online though.
It is pretty painless and seamless that way.
Don’t forget you’ll get various documents through the post afterwards namely the retention certificate and then the revised V5.

[2HFL]

alscar said:

2HFL said:

Ok, got it and all understood.

I’ll do as suggested earlier and put the plate back on retention post-renewal.

Thanks for everyone’s help.

Just make sure you do it online though.
It is pretty painless and seamless that way.
Don’t forget you’ll get various documents through the post afterwards namely the retention certificate and then the revised V5.

Will do, I’ve checked out the DVLA site now and can see that it’s fairly straightforward.