Private plate retention and car tax/insurance question

[Simon813]

Hi All,

I know this has been covered previously in threads and I promise I have read them all before posting this!

So I’m going to collect my new car on Monday. I’m buying privately and the seller has only today realised that he needs to remove his private plate and place it on retention.

I have read online that this is instant if completed on the DVLA website and he can immediately place the original plates back on the car. My first question is, have I got that part right??

Moving on from there I assume the new V5 displaying the original reg isn’t going to be on his doormat by Monday when I collect the car. I appreciate there are risks around buying without having the new keeper part of the V5 when I collect but I feel able to trust the seller with that part.

Am I right to assume that in the intervening period between me collecting the car and the new V5 landing, technically he will still own the car for DVLA purposes and therefore it will still be taxed?

If that is correct is the tax immediately transferred to the old reg as soon as he puts the plate on retention online?

If all of that is right then I’m thinking I can drive the car home on the original plates and it will be taxed. The only final hurdle is insuring the car which I assume I do on the original reg. I think the insurance company ask if I am the registered keeper at point of taking out insurance so not sure how to answer that??

Any advice gratefully received.

Simon

[Simon813]

Thanks. When you say that I shouldn’t drive it home on his tax but many people do, why shouldn’t I?

[Simon813]

Thanks for the reply Sebring. So following on from your advice, if I ticked “no” for the “are you the registered keeper?” question then I would be insured.

Edited by Simon813 on Wednesday 17th April 21:24

[Simon813]

Thanks all, sounds like that’s the way forward then, drive the car home on original plates, still registered and taxed to the seller (until updated v5 arrives) but insured to me with a declaration that I’m not yet the registered keeper.