Where to buy a private registration
- DVLA Personalised Registrations sells numbers that haven't been issued before, online and at regular auctions.
- Private plate dealers sell both DVLA stock and previously owned registrations, including older dateless numbers. Good dealers will check a number suits your vehicle's age and handle the paperwork.
- Private sellers can transfer a registration they own to you.
Prices range from a few hundred pounds for a simple combination to many thousands for short or highly sought-after numbers. When comparing prices, check whether VAT and any DVLA fees are included.
The certificates: V750 and V778
When you own a private number that isn't on a vehicle, you hold it on a certificate:
- V750 certificate of entitlement: issued when you buy a new registration that hasn't been on a vehicle before.
- V778 retention document: issued when you take a private number off a vehicle to keep it.
Either one proves your right to use the number. You must renew it every 10 years, or you lose the right to the registration.
How to put a private number on your car
- Check the registration won't make your vehicle look newer than it is, and that your vehicle is eligible (see private plate rules).
- Apply on GOV.UK using the details on your V750 or V778. Assigning a number is free online or by post, and online it usually happens straight away if no inspection is needed.
- Get new plates made by a registered number plate supplier, and fit them before you drive.
- Tell your insurer about the new registration.
- Your new V5C log book usually arrives within about 4 weeks. Don't sell or scrap the vehicle until it does.
How to take a private number off a vehicle
If you're selling or scrapping a car and want to keep the number, apply to take it off before the vehicle goes:
- It costs £80, online or by post.
- The vehicle must be able to move under its own power, need an MOT or HGV test, and have been taxed or declared off the road (SORN) continuously for the past 5 years.
- You'll get a V778 retention document, and the vehicle usually gets its original registration back.
- Fit the replacement plates and tell your insurer before driving the vehicle again.
To move a number straight from one of your vehicles to another, take it off the first vehicle and assign it to the second. You can also apply by post using form V317.
Ready to find your plate?
Our partner SpeedyReg lets you search private registrations, from new DVLA numbers to dateless classics. Use the link on this page, then check the age rules in our age identifier guide before you buy.