All about Number plate (Registration mark) transfers

Q: What are the main transfer rules?

1. You cannot make any vehicle appear to be younger than it actually is

eg: you cannot transfer a B-reg plate onto an A-reg vehicle. The age of your vehicle is the ‘declared manufactured’ or ‘first registered’ date found on your V5 logbook and not necessarily shown by its number plate (as you may have bought a used vehicle already displaying a personalised number plate without realising it).

2. Q plates are non transferable and you cannot transfer other number plates to Q registered vehicles

3. Only vehicles which are currently taxed (or tax exempt) and have had a valid MOT certificate in the past 6 months, are allowed to use the transfer scheme.

If your Tax or Mot is about to expire we advise you to renew these before applying for a transfer to ensure your transfer is successful.

Q: Once I own a private number plate can I transfer it when I change my vehicle?

Yes, provided your next vehicle is the same age or younger than the one you have now.

Q: I have a Mobility Tax Disc does this cause a problem?

No we can conduct this transfer for you

Q: I own a licensed private hire vehicle eg Taxi and have no MOT does this cause a problem?

No we can conduct this transfer for you

A) Full transfer service

Q: How long does the transfer take?

Transfers can be completed from between 5 working days and 3-6 weeks (depending on the type of transfer). Car to car transfers nearly always take longer than certificate to car transfers. However transfers to Northern Irish vehicles from Great Britain can take up to 3 months as the procedure is quite complex.

In every case transfer times depend on how quickly people act.We are totally dependant upon:-

Buyers for sending documents and funds promptly
Sellers for sending documents & sale authorities promptly
The Government for processing the applications promptly and accurately
The Postal Service for delivering promptly and accurately

Our office deals with each transfer immediately.
We automatically update you with progress reports as and when there is news.
To concentrate our efforts on the work in hand we greatly appreciate that rather than calling us you:
FAX US ON (01792) 796336
OR E-MAIL US info@vrm-group.co.uk
remembering to quote your registration number in all correspondence.

Q: I'm buying a new vehicle, can the transfer be done before I collect it from the dealers?

Yes, in most cases we can work with your dealer to get the transfer completed and your new number plates on your vehicle, provided we have enough time (we need at least 7 working days).
In every case it is vitally important that as soon as we have found your dream registration mark you secure your purchase as quickly as possible. We have had disappointed clients who didn't act swiftly enough only to find their choice was sold. Conversely we have many clients who are sensibly searching and buying their registrations in advance of finding their new vehicle.

Q: I’m changing my vehicle privately, what should I do?

We can arrange for your new registration mark and personal details to be added to your new vehicles' documents at the same time. Contact us now for further advice. info@vrm-group.co.uk

Q: Can I still use my vehicle while the transfer is in progress?

Yes, provided the vehicle is taxed, insured and has a current MOT certificate (if required), you may continue to use it on the public highways.

Q: I already have a personal number plate that I want to transfer to my wife’s car at the same time as transferring my new plate to my car, can this be done?

Yes we can conduct both these transfers for you at the same time, we can also arrange for the one you already own to be transferred to a holding certificate if you wish.

Q: Will my vehicle need to be inspected by the Department of Transport?

If the Department suspect the identity of your vehicle they will insist on an inspection, but this is rare.However, you should always be prepared to take your vehicle if requested to do so, to your nearest vehicle testing centre.

Q: When can I fix my new number plates to my vehicle?

When you receive your replacement tax (license) disc from us, showing your new registration mark and display this on your vehicle.

Q: What happens to my old number plates?

If you have the space then put these into storage because you may be able to re-instate your old registration to your vehicle when you come to change it, although there are no guarantees (and you may just get a registration mark which relates to the age of your vehicle).

Q: Do I need to inform my insurers that I have a new registration mark?

Yes, remember to tell them in writing that 'in the event of a total loss claim...' whereby they effectively buy your vehicle (or what's left of it) off you due to theft, or as a 'right off', '...the registration mark will remain your property'.
Get them to acknowledge this request in writing.
They do not normally make a charge for issuing a new cover note in these circumstances or for complying with this request.

Q: What if I want to alter the spacing or letter style on my number plates?

'It is illegal to miss-space or miss-represent your registration mark whilst it is being displayed on a vehicle used on the public highway'.
You should not purchase a registration mark if this is your intention.

Since September 2001 any firm that makes number plates is required by law to include their postcode on the plates so that they may be traced back to the maker.
It is not illegal to make the number plates in any style or fashion the customer wishes (including fancy typefaces).
The law is broken when such plates are displayed on a vehicle on the public roads. This explains how vehicles in dealer's showrooms or at motor shows are legally allowed to display any message or style on their number plates.

If you break this law you may lose your right to use the registration as the Department of Transport has the legal right to confiscation. You will not receive any financial compensation. Your vehicle will also fail its MOT if the registration is miss-spaced or miss-represented in any way and you may be fined up to £1000.

B) DIY self transfer

Q: I’m thinking of ordering a registration mark and doing the transfer myself, what happens after I’ve placed my order with you?

When we receive your order we will arrange for the registration mark to be made into the name you have given us. This name must be the same as the keepers’ name on the V5 registration document (log book) for the transfer to be successful.

We will arrange for the certificate entitling that named person to be sent to the address you have given us. Depending on the workload of the Government Office this will normally take between 5 and 14 working days to arrive.

Full instructions will be found on the reverse of the certificate telling you exactly what to do next.
In brief, you will need to assemble all the documents relating to the vehicle, complete some forms and either post or take these to your local Vehicle Registration Office (VRO). If you need to re-tax your vehicle you may also be able to do this at the same time. All your documents must be originals and valid ie your MOT must be current and also your tax disc if you have one.

VRO’s can be extremely busy places so you should allow at least one hour for your visit. If you are planning to visit around the last day of one month or the earlier days of the next month then we would advise you to allow 2 hours for your visit as there are normally queues for new tax discs.

List of DVLA (DVLC) Local Vehicle Registration Offices (VROs)

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) has a number of Vehicle Registration Offices (VRO) throughout the UK. Most of these local offices have opening hours of : Monday to Thursday 09:30-16:00, Friday.09:30-15:30.
The offices are generally located in major towns or cities - so to locate the one nearest you, simply scroll through the list below.

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