Private Plate Question(s)

[Ricardo]

If the registered keeper of a car wants to put their private plate on retention and return the vehicle back to it's old or age related number plate.

Can it be as simple as going to the DVLA in person with the V5, tax disc and MOT form, paying the retention, nice DVLA person issuing new V5 and tax disc on age related plate??

I know it can be done filling out relevant V forms, sending off the original V5 form and photocopied tax disc etc. But surely much easier to go in and get it all done in person.

Anyone done this??

[Goobie]

Yes and no. If you go down their with the forums filled out etc like you said, they will give you a new MOT and TAX disc there and then, but will take 2-3 weeks for the V5 to come back to you via post. Normally when I've done it, taken less time. Anyway, from that point you can swap your plates round straight away as it would now be logged on the system on its o.e. reg. :agree:

Ps, If you do it by post, take's forever and you'll have to wait for it all the paper work to be sent back to you before swapping the plates over. ;)

[D4WNO]

I very recently drove to Bristol to do Adams plate in person, took no time at all - I was with the assistant for maybe 5 minutes.

Although it says you need your tax I wasn't asked for his (although I took it), they just advise you to destroy it.

They'll ask you if you want a form (I forget what's it's called) which effectively covers the lack of V5 and allows you to immediately go and get your new plates made up, so I took that. I'm pretty sure Adam got his new V5 posted to him in under 2 weeks anyway

[Ricardo]

Ok, that doesn't seem too bad. I ask the question as I'm possibly buying a car this weekend with a private plate on which the owner would like to keep, so...

Do I just buy the car, sign and send off V5, wait to get it back then put the plate on retention. Or let the owner do it before this weekend.

Ideally id like to buy the car and not worry about private plates etc, obviously the owner should have put it on retention and dealt with the situation as soon as he decided he wanted to sell the car but keep the plate. Which is why this situation is about

Thank you for the replies Goobie and Dawn

[Ricardo]

Ok so apparently you can't now go in there to put the car back on an age related plate. You have to fill out the form and send it all off and wait for the new V5 and tax disc to arrive in the post, approx 7-10 days