Swapping private plates on a car

[Yellow]

Question that would be great to get some experience on to swap from a private plate on a car to another: Car today is on private plate A. I want to move it to private plate B and put private plate A back on retention.

Option 1:
Do you have to remove private plate A onto retention first (i.e. car goes back to its original registration) and then from that original registration apply private plate B in a week or so time when the new V5 of the original plate is sent out.

Option 2:
Or can you simply apply private plate B and the DVLA automatically knows to remove private plate A onto retention?

Option 2 would be a lot easier if it is possible as the car in question also has a parking permit and needing to update it twice will be really tedious. But I'm not sure I want to risk losing access to the original registration and there is nothing about Option 2 on the DVLA website.

 

[T8]

If you simply apply private plate B you will run the severe risk of losing private plate A.

It's tedious but the best procedure is to:

(1) Take private plate A off and onto retention. The original number will go back on automatically.

(2) Apply private plate B.

The originally number will be automatically stored until you reapply it or the DVLA choose to release it back into circulation.

 

[jonttt]

Assuming Private plate B is currently on retention and not on a car then the above is correct......its worth noting that when plate A is replaced by the original reg you can quickly apply plate B thats on retention to the car online and affix the plates......in that way you should not have any undue hassle with parking permits / Insurance as you are effectively moving from plate A to plate B in a day........its much quicker now everything is online ie waiting for the original plate to be reallocated is the only 'slow" bit :thumb:

 

[squelch]

Assuming Private plate B is currently on retention and not on a car then the above is correct......its worth noting that when plate A is replaced by the original reg you can quickly apply plate B thats on retention to the car online and affix the plates......in that way you should not have any undue hassle with parking permits / Insurance as you are effectively moving from plate A to plate B in a day........its much quicker now everything is online ie waiting for the original plate to be reallocated is the only 'slow" bit :thumb:

Most of that is correct but I think you'll struggle with the "in a day" bit. I did it a couple of months ago and you cannot assign a plate to a car until you have the latest V5 so you'll have to wait for that to arrive (normally only a few days) since you need the latest V5 reference number. When retaining Plate A from the car, a new V5 is produced which you will only have sight of when it arrives in the post - at that point you can use the new V5 reference number in assigning Plate B to the car, which will be immediate so you can put the plates on and then another five or so days later another new V5 will arrive showing Plate B on the car you want it on.

And as T8 said be careful - simply assigning Plate B to the car currently registered on Plate A will immediately relinquish your rights to Plate A and you will have a tough time getting it back and may have to buy it back - which could be expensive if it's a desirable plate!

I did this about two months ago. It's a pretty painless process.

 

[Yellow]

Thanks all. I phoned DVLA and confirmed that if I just applied the new plate I would lose access to the current plate on the car. Glad I didnt just do that!

I think the best way might be to apply in paper + cheque(!!) to take the current plate off, the point at which you get confirmation you also have the intermediate V5 with the original registration on it which could be used with the online system to apply the new plate that day.

 

[tbrown]

plates

how much does it cost? (all together).
Toying with the idea of getting rid of the private plate
on the car as it is not relevant to me.

 

[pzero]

Re: plates

how much does it cost? (all together).
Toying with the idea of getting rid of the private plate
on the car as I is not relevant to me.

It's about £80 isn't it :?:
Cheaper to change your name by deed poll, that's about forty quid. :grin:

 

[Kryton]

Thanks all. I phoned DVLA and confirmed that if I just applied the new plate I would lose access to the current plate on the car. .

Wow, You got through to DVLA, you're not God are you?.. :grin:

 

[Yellow]

Maybe I'm just overly lucky... less than a minute on hold too!

 

[Ratattak]

Re: plates

It's about £80 isn't it :?:
Cheaper to change your name by deed poll, that's about forty quid. :grin:

Attention mods !! I'd now like to be known as 'LB57VBM' please :grin:

 

[pzero]

Re: plates

It's about £80 isn't it :?:
Cheaper to change your name by deed poll, that's about forty quid. :grin:

Attention mods !! I'd now like to be known as 'LB57VBM' please :grin:

Hey El Bee, how's it hanging :thumb:

 

[tbrown]

Re: plates

Cheaper to change your name by deed poll, that's about forty quid. :grin:

Would I have to wear the plate around my neck like the old VW badges :?