Private Number Plate Tax Transfer UK 2026: Retain or Transfer Process

Transferring a private or personalised number plate in the United Kingdom is a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency administrative process costing £80 and conducted via form V317, available to download at gov.uk/keep-registration-number. The V317 covers three distinct operations: transferring a registration mark from one vehicle to another, taking a registration mark off a vehicle and onto a retention certificate (form V778) for later use, and putting a registration mark from a retention certificate or purchase back onto a vehicle. The V778 retention certificate is valid for 10 years from the date of issue and can be renewed on expiry. DVLA operates a standing online auction for unissued marks at dvlapersonalisedregistrations.service.gov.uk, and there is a secondary market for existing marks through licensed dealers. The strictest DVLA rule is that a registration mark cannot be displayed on a vehicle that would make the vehicle appear newer than it actually is, so a 2015-plate car cannot display a 2020-style mark. DVLA also maintains a published list of banned combinations judged offensive or inappropriate, which are withdrawn from issue before release to auction or retail.

How do I transfer a plate between vehicles?

The fastest route is the online transfer service at gov.uk/transfer-registration-number, which processes instantly and avoids postal delay, per DVLA guidance. The application requires both vehicles to be registered to the same keeper, both to be available for inspection if requested, the £80 fee, and the V5C reference numbers for both vehicles. The receiving vehicle must be of equal or greater age than the donor, in line with the age rule.

Postal applications using the paper V317 form are still accepted and processed within 6 weeks. Both V5Cs must be sent to DVLA Swansea along with the form and payment. Keepers with mixed ownership (for example, one vehicle in a spouse's name) cannot use the transfer service directly; the donor vehicle must first be re-registered to the same keeper as the receiver.

How does retention work?

Retention takes a registration mark off a vehicle and places it on a V778 certificate for future use, per gov.uk/keep-registration-number. The £80 fee is the same as a transfer, and the V778 is valid for 10 years from the date of issue. The donor vehicle reverts to its original DVLA-issued mark (shown on the V5C) or receives a new age-appropriate mark if the original has been replaced.

Retention is valuable where the keeper is selling the current vehicle, is between vehicles, or wants to hold the mark without committing it to a specific car. The V778 can be renewed on expiry at the same £80 fee, and the mark can be assigned to a nominee (a family member) via the V750 certificate route. Nominees pay £80 to put the mark onto their vehicle.

How do DVLA auctions work?

DVLA auctions unissued registration marks through its standing online service at dvlapersonalisedregistrations.service.gov.uk, per DVLA guidance. Minimum bid is £70 plus 20 per cent VAT plus the £80 assignment fee, taking the minimum purchase cost to £164 (£70 + £14 VAT + £80). Auctions close on a rolling basis, and winning bidders receive a V750 certificate in the buyer's name.

Premium marks attract bids into the thousands of pounds; specific number-letter combinations referencing names, initials, or vehicle models have achieved five- and six-figure sums at auction over recent years. The secondary market through licensed dealers offers additional stock from retention certificates being sold on, with dealer margins typically adding 20 to 40 per cent over the DVLA auction equivalent.

What is the age rule?

A registration mark cannot be displayed on a vehicle that would make the vehicle appear newer than its first registration, per gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers. A 2018-first-registered car cannot display a 2020-style mark, but it can display a 1990-style mark (because that makes the car appear older, which is allowed). The rule prevents buyers misrepresenting vehicle age through plate choice.

The current 2001-to-date format uses a 2-letter regional code, 2-digit age identifier, and 3-letter suffix, with new age identifiers issued each March and September. The pre-2001 prefix format (e.g. N123 ABC) is now age-neutral for most vehicles. The pre-1983 suffix format (e.g. ABC 123N) is commonly used on classic cars. Both older formats can be applied to any vehicle new enough to carry them under the age rule.

How do the acquisition routes compare?

DVLA online sale and auction routes source marks that have never been assigned to a vehicle. Licensed dealers source from retention certificates being sold on and from their own stock. Private transfer moves an owned mark between the keeper's own vehicles without adding to the stock. Retention is the holding operation between sale or ownership changes.

What are banned combinations?

DVLA maintains a list of registration mark combinations withheld from release because they are judged offensive, rude, or inappropriate, per the Personalised Registrations team policy on gov.uk. The list is reviewed before each twice-yearly release, with additions made where new combinations could be read as offensive. The list itself is not routinely published in full, because doing so would draw attention to the combinations.

FOI requests to DVLA have sometimes elicited partial lists, with media coverage of the more colourful examples drawing public attention to the practice. Keepers who find themselves assigned a combination they consider offensive can request a reassignment via DVLA customer services on 0300 790 6802, though such requests are judged case by case.

What data is published on plate transactions?

DVLA publishes personalised registration sales revenue in its Annual Report and Accounts on gov.uk, with the programme generating material net revenue to the Treasury annually. The DVLA Personalised Registrations team also periodically publishes top-price results from major auctions for marketing purposes.

Secondary market volume data is less structured; licensed dealers report private volumes, and industry body Cherished Numbers Dealers Association (CNDA) publishes periodic sector analysis. Keepers considering a plate purchase should compare DVLA direct routes with dealer offerings for like-for-like combinations, noting that resale value for popular marks has trended upward over the last decade.

Investment-grade marks, typically short combinations matching common first names, initials, or vehicle model references, have produced capital appreciation that outpaces most retail asset classes over 10 to 20 year holding periods. Six-figure resales of early one- and two-character marks have featured in both DVLA auction releases and dealer secondary listings, though these examples are exceptional and the bulk of the market trades in the low hundreds to low thousands of pounds. Buyers should treat plate purchases as lifestyle spending rather than liquid investment, given transaction costs and the thin liquidity of most combinations.

The physical plates themselves must be made by a supplier registered on the DVLA Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS) list at gov.uk, with suppliers required to verify keeper identity and entitlement to the mark before manufacture. The £25 to £40 typical retail cost per pair of plates is additional to the DVLA transfer fee and applies each time the mark moves to a new vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the plate transfer fee?

£80 per transfer or retention via V317, payable to DVLA. The fee applies each time a mark moves between vehicles or onto/off a retention certificate.

Can I put any plate on any car?

Only if the plate does not make the car appear newer than its first registration. Older-looking plates are allowed on newer cars; newer-looking plates on older cars are banned.

How long does retention last?

The V778 certificate is valid for 10 years from issue. It can be renewed at the £80 fee on expiry, and the mark can be nominated to a family member or sold via a licensed dealer.

Does retention affect vehicle tax?

Retention does not change the vehicle's VED rate. The donor vehicle reverts to its original mark or receives a new age-appropriate mark. Tax continues as before on the CO2 or list-price basis.

Can I transfer a plate between family members?

Yes, via the nominee route on the V778. The original keeper nominates a family member, who then pays £80 to assign the mark to their vehicle.

What happens if I sell the car before transferring?

The plate transfers to the buyer automatically with the vehicle. Sellers must file V317 for retention or transfer before completing the sale to keep the mark.

Are there any plates I cannot buy?

Yes. DVLA withdraws combinations judged offensive or inappropriate before they are released for sale. The list is not routinely published in full.

Sources

• DVLA, Keep a registration number (retention), gov.uk/keep-registration-number — accessed April 2026.
• DVLA, Transfer a registration number, gov.uk/transfer-registration-number — accessed April 2026.
• DVLA, Personalised Registrations auction, dvlapersonalisedregistrations.service.gov.uk — accessed April 2026.
• DVLA, Personalised vehicle registration numbers, gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers — accessed April 2026.
• Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, legislation.gov.uk — statutory basis.
• DVLA, Annual Report and Accounts, gov.uk — plate sales revenue data.
• Cherished Numbers Dealers Association, cnda.co.uk — secondary market industry body.

Related reading on kaeltripton.com: How to tax a car, Personalised registration, Car tax when selling 2026.