XSeries-forum

I want to purchase a personalised plate from a private buyer on ebay. I’ve tried reading on the process and costs involved in getting this transferred in my name and onto my car but all the sites advice is based upon me buying the plate from them.
If you have had any experience in processing a private sale plate could you please give me some advise of process and costs to the DVLA.

I'm pretty sure it costs approx £80.00 to transfer the plate or put it on retention.

this should help:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Pe ... DG_4022576

I took the purchase details/retention certificate of my private reg and my V5, mot etc to the local DVLA office and it was sorted in 15 mins, less than 80 quid but was over 2 years ago.

Bear in mind your MOT will need updating which is part of the service but you need to take it/send it with the rest of the paperwork.

They're not ogres and will assist you without prejudice, if there is one locally just go and ask to be sure !

Its not the most difficult procedure - if you buy a private plate from one of the huge number of dealers around they will no doubt tell you. You can visit a local DVLA office with all the relevant paperwork and it should be done there and then, but I believe that some London DVLA offices no longer do them that way. Its quite quick by mail, anyway, takes around 10-14 days in total. Basically, you buy the private plate and are sent a retention certificate with the private plate details on it - the costs are usually part of the price of the plate if its sold by a plate dealer, or if not, its about £80 for a year and 3125 for 2 years, to retain the number on a certificate. It can be renewed as often as you like, for a fee, until it is put on a vehicle.
You then send the retention certificate, appropriately completed, along with your current MOT , V5 and Insurance Certificate to the DVLA Local Office (NOT to Swansea!) They then send you a new V5 and amended MOT, paperwork to buy new numberplates, and a new tax disc to replace your old one.

To take a private plate off, you complete a form and send the V5 etc with the fee, to the Local Office, and they do as above, but with your car's old numberplate number, and paperwork arrives in about 2 weeks.

Its not difficult, but just try to make sure the actual plate seller isn't dodgy / a scammer - I have preferred to buy my private plates directly from the DVLA- its the cheapest way as you avoid the middleman fees. Unless of course you are buying one of those plates that costs thousands of pounds........

Yes it's not one of the cheaper plates, a dateless plate but from a private buyer. OK it seems fairly easy just need proof he owns the plate. Awating more details. I'll update once the plate is on.

[quote=""CondorX5""]Its not the most difficult procedure - if you buy a private plate from one of the huge number of dealers around they will no doubt tell you. You can visit a local DVLA office with all the relevant paperwork and it should be done there and then, but I believe that some London DVLA offices no longer do them that way. Its quite quick by mail, anyway, takes around 10-14 days in total. Basically, you buy the private plate and are sent a retention certificate with the private plate details on it - the costs are usually part of the price of the plate if its sold by a plate dealer, or if not, its about £80 for a year and 3125 for 2 years, to retain the number on a certificate. It can be renewed as often as you like, for a fee, until it is put on a vehicle.
You then send the retention certificate, appropriately completed, along with your current MOT , V5 and Insurance Certificate to the DVLA Local Office (NOT to Swansea!) They then send you a new V5 and amended MOT, paperwork to buy new numberplates, and a new tax disc to replace your old one.

To take a private plate off, you complete a form and send the V5 etc with the fee, to the Local Office, and they do as above, but with your car's old numberplate number, and paperwork arrives in about 2 weeks.

Its not difficult, but just try to make sure the actual plate seller isn't dodgy / a scammer - I have preferred to buy my private plates directly from the DVLA- its the cheapest way as you avoid the middleman fees. Unless of course you are buying one of those plates that costs thousands of pounds........ [/quote]

Any doubts about the ownership of the plate then phone the DVLA and advise them that you are looking to buy, that you may have some doubts about the owner or would like to confirm the owners details - what are your options? Can they advise you on owner of the plate in question from their database if you were to disclose that information first?

Never know they're may be a procedure in place or they could advise what documents to look out for??? Good luck!

Take the new plate and your car along with the log book tax disc(already on car )to the local dvla office and you should be able to sort it all there and then for about £80-£100 iirc.
Putting a plate on is easy changing one from one car to another isn't as easy