Can you swap one plate with another instantly?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Tue 8 Jan 2019 19:42
Can you swap one plate with another instantly? - engine

I'm a bit fresh on the subject, and can't seem to see many in the same situation...

I'm selling a plate that's on a car, and would ideally like to swap it with another plate (rather than the original one from POS). I've sent off my logbook so the company can handle the removal for sale, and I was wondering what the best process would be, without having mine off the road for too long (if at all)

Do you always have to have the intermediary step of going back to the original plates and waiting for the logbook? Or can you designate a different plate to go on during the process of removing the existing private plate?

Thanks in advance

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Thu 10 Jan 2019 16:18
Can you swap one plate with another instantly? - Avant

We have to assume that nobody on here knows the answer to that. You could try ringing the DVLA - good luck getting through. Possibly there may be something on their website.

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Thu 10 Jan 2019 23:05
Can you swap one plate with another instantly? - engine

As far as I've been able to tell, you have to wait until you get the V5C back for the original plate, then send it off again.

As it would involve changing the insurance twice, buying two lots of plates, and sending off the logbook all over again, I've decided it's all more hassle than it seems to be worth

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Mon 14 Jan 2019 12:50
Can you swap one plate with another instantly? - The Gingerous One

Hi,

Yes I think you are right there. Have just transferred a private plate off my wifes' car prior to p/ex ing and upon doing so, the cars' original number was reassigned to the car and this triggered :

- a new V5 being sent (you have to destroy the old one).

- retention certificate for private plate being sent.

Once you have the retention certificate you can then assign it to another car.

Of course, like you say, you have to inform your insurance co each time you do this and you need to pay the £80 transfer fee for the plate each time you transfer it off/on a vehicle.

If you can do it on-line and the vehicle doesn't need to be inspected, then the transfer process can be fairly quick.

I did the transfer at lunchtime on Tuesday last week, the new V5 arrived on the Friday and the retention certificate on Saturday.

I had to put the original number plates on as soon as the transfer of the private plate had taken place and the insurance had to be updated (it went down, bizarrely!).

hope that helps you engine, or anyone else in the near future...

cheers

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