Use GuideDVLA processes and regulations
In this section you will find a wealth of information relating to the documents you may need whilst owning a vehicle with a private number plate or just keeping the rights to a cherished registration number on a DVLA certificate.
There are also detailed procedures for assigning, transferring and retaining a personal car registration mark and also information about DVLA regulations relating to the displaying of registration marks.
How to transfer
Perhaps you've opted for a Do-It-Yourself transfer and feel like you have bitten off more than you can chew? Or you simply want to transfer your private registration mark from one vehicle to another but you don't know where to start? Are you selling your car and you're worried that you'll lose your precious number plate? These instructions are designed to make what can seem like a daunting process very straightforward.
Assigning - Certificate to vehicle
If you hold a registration mark on either a V750 certificate of entitlement or a V778 certificate of retention and would like to display your registration mark on your vehicle, you will need to submit your application to the DVLA with the following document:
V5C Registration document.
N.B: - If you have a new vehicle and haven't received the new V5 document within 10 days of taking ownership, please contact DVLA by calling 0300 790 6802 to enquire further.
Please note:
- Most registration marks can only be assigned to vehicles of a certain age. To see what registrations you can have on your vehicle, use our Transfer Age Rules checker
- Only MOT testable vehicles can take part in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles
When the transfer is complete, you will receive the following:
V5C Registration Document showing the change of registration mark
Upon receiving your new V5C document, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to inform your insurance company of the change to your policy. Your road tax and MOT record will be updated automatically and the expiry dates will remain the same.
If you've bought a registration mark from Plates4Less and want some advice about completing your assignment, just contact our friendly after-sales team (opens in new window). Why not let us do all of the hard work by upgrading to our Done-For-You Transfer service?
Transferring - Vehicle to vehicle
When you wish to transfer your registration mark to another vehicle, you will need to fill out a V317 form and send your application to the DVLA along with the following document(s) (for each vehicle):
- V5C Registration document OR completed V5C/2 New Keeper’s Supplement with V62 form
- Cheque for £80 made payable to 'DVLA'
Please note:
- Most registration marks can only be assigned to vehicles of a certain age. To see what registrations you can have on your vehicle, use our Transfer Age Rules checker
- Only MOT testable vehicles can take part in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles
- You cannot transfer a registration mark from a vehicle if the words 'NON TRANSFERABLE' are printed in area 3 of the V5C
The vehicle that you have removed the registration from will be issued with an age-related registration mark. When the transfer is complete, you should expect to receive the following for each vehicle:
V5C Registration documents showing the change of registration mark
Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to inform your insurance company of the change to your policy. Your road tax and MOT record will be updated automatically and the expiry dates will remain the same.
Retaining - Vehicle to certificate
The retention scheme enables the keeper of a vehicle to hold its registration on a certificate for a period of up to 10 years. The certificate can then be renewed every 10 years until you are ready to use it on a vehicle.
To keep the rights to a registration mark on a certificate (separate to a vehicle), you will need to fill out a V317 form and send your application to the DVLA along with the following document(s):
- V5C Registration document
- A cheque for £80 made payable to 'DVLA'
Please note:
- Only MOT testable vehicles can take part in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles
- You cannot retain a registration mark from a vehicle if the words 'NON TRANSFERABLE' are printed in area 3 of the V5C
Your vehicle will be assigned with a non-transferable age related registration mark. When the retention is complete, you will receive the following:
- V5C Registration document showing the change of registration mark
- A V778 certificate of retention
Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to inform your insurance company of the change to your policy. Your road tax and MOT record will be updated automatically and the expiry dates will remain the same.
Number plate rules and regulations
If you’ve just bought a new private registration mark, make sure that you follow the law when displaying your new number plates. The information below will help you to avoid failing your MOT or receiving a hefty fine!
Overview
The law states that you must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers on registration marks. Characters must not be moved from one group to the other (e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC).
Offences may result in any or all of the following:
- A fine of up to £1,000
- The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN
- The vehicle may FAIL the MOT test
General rules for displaying number plates
Your number plates should:
- be made from a reflective material
- display black characters on a white background (front plate)
- display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
- not have a background pattern
Fonts and spacing
From 1st September 2001 all new number plates must display the new mandatory (compulsory) font. This, combined with the new style format registration mark is designed to make number plates clearer and easier to remember. Number plates fitted before 1st September 2001 need not be changed provided the character font used is similar to the new font. Characters on a number plate can be 3D.
Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with:
- Stylised letters and/or figures such as italics
- Number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters and/or numbers
Number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown below.
| Characters | Group 1 |
|---|---|
| Height | 79mm |
| Width (except Number 1 or letter I) | 50mm |
| Stroke | 14mm |
| Space between characters | 11mm |
| Space between groups | 33mm |
| Top bottom and side margins (minimum) | 11mm |
| Space between vertical lines | 19mm |
Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 must display characters that meet the dimensions shown in one of the two groups below
| Characters | Group 1 | Group2 |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 89mm | 79mm |
| Width (Except Number 1 or letter I) | 64mm | 57mm |
| Stroke | 16mm | 14mm |
| Space between characters | 13mm | 11mm |
| Space between groups | 38mm | 33mm |
| Side margins (minimum) | 13mm | 11mm |
| Space between vertical lines | 19mm | 19mm |
Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display number plates with smaller characters if the vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval and the vehicle's construction/design cannot accommodate standard size number plates
| Characters | Group 1 |
|---|---|
| Height | 64mm |
| Width | 44mm |
| Stroke | 10mm |
| Space between characters | 10mm |
Motorcycles and tricycles registered after 1st September 2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle. Motorcycles and tricycles registered before 1st September 2001 can display a number plate at the front but are not required to.
| Characters | Group 1 |
|---|---|
| Height | 64mm |
| Width | 44mm |
| Stroke | 10mm |
| Space between characters | 10mm |
| Space between groups | 30mm |
| Top, side & bottom margin | 11mm |
| Space between vertical lines | 13mm |
Motorcycles registered on or after 1st September 2001 must display a two-line number plate. Motorcycles registered prior to the 1st September 2001 may display a three-line plate, but one-line plates are illegal, irrespective of the date of registration of the motorcycle.
Logos and emblems
The Department of Transport state that you should not display any logo or symbol on the registration number plates. You may exhibit a GB EU, GB, England, Scotland or Welsh flag but no other sign/emblem, even if they do not interfere with the visibility on the letters and numbers. Football crests etc. are not allowed.
Towing a trailer
Your trailer must display the same number plate as the car you’re towing it with. If you’re towing more than one trailer, the number plate must be fixed to the trailer at the back.
Getting number plates made up
You can only get a number plate made up from a registered number plate supplier.
The supplier will need to see original documents that:
- prove your name and address
- show you’re allowed to use the registration number
If you have bought a registration mark from Plates4Less and would like to add a set of number plates to your order, just contact our friendly after-sales team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are purchasing for yourself, or as a gift for someone else, you are able to secure this private number plate today and transfer it to a vehicle of your choice when you are ready.
We have two transfer options available for you to choose between. You’ll see them when you enter the checkout by clicking “Buy It Now” or you can preview them by clicking “Learn More About My Order Options”.
If you select the 'Do-It-Yourself' transfer service, the Government Certificate and full instructions will be sent by post to you, normally within 5-10 days. You will need to liaise with the DVLA to complete the transfer.
Alternatively, if you select the 'Done-For-You' transfer option, we will liaise with the DVLA to transfer your private number plate to the vehicle when you are ready, saving you the time and hassle. All you will need to do is submit the V5C Registration Certificate details to us, either digitally (using our online portal) or by sending us the document in the pre-paid envelope we will provide. We will email you as soon as the number plates can be displayed on the vehicle.
Please note- While 70-90% of transfer applications can be processed digitally, if you opt for our DFY service and your application does not go through digitally, we will personally hand deliver your documents to the DVLA here in Swansea to by-pass their postal sorting office to ensure a quick and secure transfer process.
Yes, low rate finance is available for this registration. We offer finance with 0% deposit and it will not delay your transfer.
Simply select 'Pay By Finance' during the checkout or you can view the finance illustration by clicking the 'Learn More About My Order Options' button on the Purchase Options page.
Registration marks make perfect gifts and we offer a number of services designed to help you surprise that special person.
Place your order in the details of the person who is paying for the registration mark and give us the lucky recipient's name later in the checkout stage.
The keeper of the vehicle will become the owner of the plate once the transfer is complete. All correspondence from ourselves will be sent in plain packaging. Number plates and presentation certificates can be easily wrapped to give as a gift on the special day!
If you are buying for Christmas read our Christmas Buying Guide
We have two transfer options available for you to choose between. You’ll see them when you enter the checkout by clicking “Buy It Now” or you can preview them by clicking “Learn More About My Order Options”.
Confident? Then choose the DIY option and we'll send you your 10 year V750 Certificate of Entitlement with self-assignment instructions to complete the transfer whenever you're ready.
No-hassle quiet-lifer? Choose DFY and you can relax with peace of mind that your transfer will be taken care of by our experts, whenever you're ready! We can also liaise with your vehicle dealers and assist with moving your other registrations, if required.
If you have a Lease or Motability vehicle, choose the Do It Yourself option.
If you have a Leased or Motability vehicle, select the Do It Yourself (DIY) transfer option. In most cases the company you are getting the vehicle from will require the V750 Certificate of Entitlement to include their name on it in order to complete the transfer. If you have this information you can add this during checkout or you can provide it at a later date.
Yes! Previously unissued registration marks are valid for 10 years while on a certificate so you can buy now and transfer whenever you are ready in the future. Regardless of which transfer option you choose, you can still opt to delay the transfer.
Yes, we are DVLA Registered Number Plate Suppliers (#3166) and only supply the best quality, road legal number plates. We offer standard flat and “4D Standout” style plates as well as a range of flags and shapes to suit your vehicle.
By purchasing your number plates through us you will only need to supply us with proof of identification since we will already have your proof of entitlement (you will need to supply this to any other number plate seller).
You can include replacement number plates on your order, just enter our checkout by selecting “Buy It Now” or you can preview the plates and available options by clicking “Learn More About My Order Options”.
Please beware that many online sellers of replacement number plates are not registered with DVLA and supply illegal number plates. By placing an order with one of these sellers, your personal & vehicle information may be at risk.
Whenever possible, we negotiate a great deal for our customers. Our Previously Unissued registration marks are already at Rock Bottom Prices offering fantastic value with our industry - leading service.
Understanding that price is a big factor in the decision-making process, we remain very price-conscious, checking daily to ensure that you get more, at the lowest possible price. Super-fussy and ruthlessly efficient, we are always cutting costs and raising quality, to give you the best possible value, in the whole marketplace!
'You cannot make a vehicle look newer than it actually is' This is THE most important rule regarding personalised registrations! Most registration marks have a coded 'age identifier' letter or number, which dictates whether or not they can legally go onto your vehicle. Use our age- check tool by selecting the date your vehicle was first registered (shown on your V5) from a drop-down menu, and registrations which are suitable will be shown by way of a green tick or a red cross
Pay with VISA, Mastercard, bank transfer or cheque. Spread your payments with finance. Finance doesn't delay the arrival of your new registration mark and number plates, only the payments.
We don't offer an exchange or part-exchange service. However, we do offer a free sellers' service if you no longer wish to keep your cherished registration mark. We currently have a list of buyers waiting on registration numbers, if your registration meets one of our buyers criteria or there is interest in your registration, we will contact you. For more information on selling through us, please click here.
Do you really like this registration? Great news! You can secure this registration now and delay transferring to a vehicle until you're ready. There's only one of each registration available.
There's no need to retain your existing registration mark before you transfer your new personalised number plate onto your vehicle. When your new private plate has been transferred onto your vehicle, the DVLA will keep the existing (usually age related) registration number to one side until you are ready to take your personalised number plate off your vehicle in the future. At that point, the previous registration number will be placed back onto your vehicle.
However, if you currently have a private plate on your vehicle, you will need to retain this off your vehicle before completing the transfer if you wish to use it on another vehicle in the duration that it bears another registration mark.
Private number plates are good for advertising, and they can disguise the age of your vehicle(s). They’re distinctive, memorable, and when chosen wisely can make good investments.
We will send you a VAT invoice/receipt for your purchase. In some legitimate circumstances, business related number plates can be a company asset that's a tax deductible expense. If you are unsure, please discuss your plan with your accountant.
Check out our Plates4Business Hub here for more information.