Buying a car with a private plate that the owner is keeping

[Buzzkill]

So fingers crossed, off to view a car up in Scotland come next Monday but it currently has a private plate on that the owner wants to keep. The owner informs me, by going into the DVLA at the time of the sale we can get this all sorted - i.e I can buy the car with just the one trip and drive it back.

Anyone able to explain exactly how this is done? As far as I'm aware he needs to place the number plate on retention before I fill out the new keeper supplement on the V5 otherwise the private plate belongs to me? He's saying I drive away the car on the private plates and then bin them when the documents come through to me. I then just put on the original plates. I insure the car on the private plate for the drive back and say a week after then change it over with the insurance company. Don't quite get what I will be filling in to legally say the car is mine...

Edited by Buzzkill on Wednesday 4th May 19:31

[Zippee]

Not a lot of help with your question but it always confuses me why a seller waits until the time of sale to remove a private plate and risk holding up or confusing a sale. If you know you're going to sell a car why not get it onto retention straight away and save all the hassle?

[KMud]

Again not much help, but I hope you've negotiated a bit off the price for hassle and likely a fee for changing details on your insurance policy.

[Aviz]

he will fill in the retention form as you being the keeper and put him as the grantee. logbook will go off and you'll get a new one with the new reg on in the post. it will work but you both have to be present or trust each other !

[Buzzkill]

So I will get a new V5 with the original plate logged, new tax disc (is this transferred as the car currently has tax on it/the private plate) and new MOT certificate? I gather I will be driving round the car with his plate on until these documents are received then which will be the standard 4-6 weeks?

[ChrisG89]

I'm waiting to pick a car up thats going through a private plate change. Its painful waiting for the paperwork to come back. I put the deposit down two weeks ago. Right before Easter Bank Holiday weekend and Royal Wedding/May Day Bank Holiday which only adds to the pain. Don't think he has even had the new MOT/Tax disc yet.

[Aviz]

Buzzkill said:

So I will get a new V5 with the original plate logged, new tax disc (is this transferred as the car currently has tax on it/the private plate) and new MOT certificate? I gather I will be driving round the car with his plate on until these documents are received then which will be the standard 4-6 weeks?

Yes, you will keep the plate on the car, but as the retention doc will have been sent of when you are at the dvla (at the same time you give them the v5 with you as the new keeper filled in) , the plate is his. You will receive a new tax disc and mot in approx 1 week, at which stage you change the plate.

The logbook will take a few weeks to come back to you.

The retention doc for the plate will be sent to him within a week or so.


This is the only way to do it really in your situation. The other way is for him to put the plate on retention, wait for the tax/mot/logbook to go back to him, then fill out you as the new keeper. (this could take weeks and would only work if you were trusting enough to take the car without a logbook )

Edited by Aviz on Wednesday 4th May 21:15