Retaining Motorcycle & Car Number Plates

Upgrading your vehicle but want to keep your registration number? Have you bought another private number plate but want to keep your old one too? If you are in a situation like this and are confused about what to do, why not put your registration on “retention”. Retaining number plates is a facility which enables registration numbers to be taken off vehicles and kept on a V778 document, commonly known as a retention certificate. A V778 is a green certificate that is issued by the DVLA when a registration number is transferred off a vehicle. Your registration can be held on retention indefinitely and renewed on an annual basis for £25.

Only the registered keeper of the vehicle can apply to retain the registration number. If you want to retain a number plate, your vehicle must be taxed and have a valid MOT, if applicable. Applications to retain number plates may be considered if the tax disc has expired no more than 12 months ago, providing vehicles have a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) and there is no gap between the tax disc expiring and the SORN commencing.

Retaining number plates is easy. You will need form V778/1 which is available from the DVLA or in any Post Office, and provides information about the retention process. Your completed form should be sent to the DVLA, either by post or in person to your local DVLA office with the following:

• The V5/V5C (commonly know as the log book) for the vehicle the registration number is currently assigned to.
• An MOT test certificate if applicable.
• The fee for retaining a number plate. This is currently £105 which includes an £80 assignment fee and a £25 retention fee. This is payable to the DVLA.

When the details have been confirmed, a new age related registration number will be issued to your vehicle free of charge, and a replacement licence disc will be sent displaying the new registration. Where possible the vehicle will be issued with the registration number that it gave up as the result of the initial transfer. A V948 certificate will also be issued to you which enables you to have acrylic number plates produced to display the new registration.

If your vehicle was registered before 1963 it will be issued with a replacement registration number that is has no age identifier. If this is the case the new registration number will be non transferable. Dateless number plates (ones which have no age identifier) can be sold for vast amounts of money, so the inability to transfer a replacement registration number means that people cannot continually sell their replacement marks for profit. The vehicle can still however have another private registration assigned if the owner so wishes.

If you are in possession of a V778 and wish to assign it to your vehicle, the process is the same as if it was on a V750 certificate of entitlement. Applications can be made in person or by post to your local DVLA office and must include the following:

• Your V778 Retention document
• V5 Registration Document (commonly known as the log bog) for the vehicle you wish to assign the registration to. Please note that the grantee or nominee name must match the name that appears in the V5 log book.
• A valid MOT certificate (if applicable)
• £80 assignment fee if this has not already been paid

Once your application has been processed you will be issued with a new tax disc displaying your personal registration, and an updated V5 will be sent out by the DVLA. You will need to have new acrylic number plates produced displaying your new registration number and you must remember to inform your insurance company of the change in details.

Retaining a number plate is a simple process and typically takes two weeks to complete. The retention facility is a crucial aspect to the number plate industry and is welcomed by everyone. If it wasn’t for the retention facility, dealers and collectors of number plates would have to have a vehicle for every number plate they own!