How do I transfer a numberplate?

[Lankytim]

Hi shitterZ

 

My Dad's Volvo 740 estate exploded and is being scrapped, but he wants me to transfer the plate from it onto another car. How do I do it?

 

I have a V317 to fill out the details of the two vehicles, and two V62 forms, one for each car so I think I have all the paperwork I need.

 

I take it I just fill it all out, get it signed and send the lot off with both logbooks ad £80 and wait?

 

One sticking point is the tax and MOT expired on the Volvo 5 months ago, but it's now on SORN. will this cause problems?

 

TA.

[Skizzer]

I fear you need an MOT to transfer the plate off the Volvo.

 

I'm interested in this too as I want to sell my Yeti, which has the number plate SK10ODA that might be worth cash moneyz to VRS fans.

[trigger]

I'm pretty sure that it needs a MOT although someone did tell me they can give you 6 months leeway sometimes but don't hold me to that.

[EssDeeWon]

There must be ways around it because last year an absolute rotten (and I mean falling apart rotten) Rover SD1 was snapped up for its private plate, a few weeks later the plate was sold and transferred. There is no way that car would have passed an MOT, but I can only imagine something iffy went on. An SD1 club member tipped off the DVLA and guess what? They didn't give a shit.

[Ghosty]

Didn't any of you check gov.uk?

 

The MOT rule is for pre-1960 cars, presumably to prevent plate rape. Just need the cars to be taxed.

 

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/transferring-a-registration-number

[Lankytim]

I checked that and MOTs didn't get mentioned, although a google trawl revealed the general opinion was an MOT was needed. Maybe things have changed recently?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hey LT does your dads volvo have an electric sunroof by any chance?

[Skizzer]

Didn't any of you check gov.uk?

 

The MOT rule is for pre-1960 cars, presumably to prevent plate rape. Just need the cars to be taxed.

 

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/transferring-a-registration-number

 

That must be new(-ish) - I tried and failed to transfer the plate off a Scirocco a few years back due to lack of MOT.  Good news though, glad to be corrected.

[Justin Case]

I think that you can transfer a number if the car is on SORN and the tax ran out in the last 12 months; presumably no MOT is necessary then?

[davidfowler2000]

An MoT is NOT necessary but it does help. The car can be on Sorn but it has to be unbroken. I got H610UWR off my old coach while it had been parked up for about 2 and a half years on it's second SORN but I had to include a cover letter to the DVLA. Best to phone and ask

[2MB]

The tax can have lapsed but only in the last 12 months, so I guess the car would need to have been MOTd in the last 24 months

[Lankytim]

The MOT expired and the tax was cashed in in January I think..

[Lankytim]

Oh... and It was immediately SORNed.

 

Sorry Bol, it has a manual roof!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hairy ba11z! Ah well I shall continue with the cordless drill-operated sunroof for a bit longer then

[flat4alfa]

Continuous SORN is the key and within the time period.  Just send it off it'll be fine

 

What is the plate by the way, is it something interesting and rude?

[Lankytim]

Nah, just G68 GUY.

 

GR8 GUY?

GAY GUY?

[flat4alfa]

Could be GAG GUY which sounds almost autoerotic.

[ifc63]

The latest DVLA page seems to confirm what has already been posted, i.e. MOT not needed but taxed or SORN'd within the last 5 years.

https://www.gov.uk/keep-registration-number

[PiperCub]

There must be ways around it because last year an absolute rotten (and I mean falling apart rotten) Rover SD1 was snapped up for its private plate, a few weeks later the plate was sold and transferred. There is no way that car would have passed an MOT, but I can only imagine something iffy went on. An SD1 club member tipped off the DVLA and guess what? They didn't give a shit.

Doesn't surpise me, this used to be rife years ago, knackered, rusted-to-buggery old shitter with a sellable reg in a scrappy would magically get an MoT/Tax overnight, plate got transferred, then it disappeared forever (into the crusher to destroy the evidence maybe?). You'd have hoped the computerised MoT system would have stopped this but evidently not.

 

Anyway, DVLA are only interested in the plate transfer &/or retention certificate fees they earn every time the plate moves on.

Fraud? Sorry, not my job mate.

[flat4alfa]

DVLA got wise though around ten years back and got inspectors involved to do the rounds and inspect in person.  It was local office staff (remember them?)

 

A pair of them turned up with a Plod to look over my Victor 101 at they had no record of it.  Or rather, they weren't arsed to import the paper records into the c.1982 database computerisations

 

 

Back on subject: as mentioned before, it's not the fact it is SORN; it must be SORN with no break in SORNing.  In their words 'continuous SORN'.

 

I've found it easier to just involve a plate broker with all the fuss as they were going to list what I had for sale anyhow.  You could do they same, just pull the ad after a while.  You never know, some Hutchence fan might offer £££ for the plate

[Anglevan]

id be interested to know how you get on with this as I was one of the ill informed that thought you needed an MOT _ i also see they have extended the retention period to 10 years (I had to renew my retention certifcate last year I think but sure I didnt get another 10 years, sure it was 2)

 

Referance DVLA inspection, my wifes ex used to work for the DVLA in leeds, when they were asked to view vehicles for a transfer he didnt have a clue. He just let the driver point to something and he said yes ok and approved it.

In another instance a work collegue had a Rochdale Olympic that he built himself, when he come to transfer the number they would not approve as no VIN number was stamped on the chassis.

He came back to my work and used our chassis stamps and stamped a new number in it for him, took it back next day and they approved it..

 

Oh what fun....

[Skizzer]

As a footnote to this, I've just transferred the number plate off my Skoda in preparation for selling both.  I did it online here: https://www.gov.uk/keep-registration-number

 

All it wanted was the reference number off the V5, confirmation of my postcode and my card details for the £80 transfer fee.  The DVLA website immediately told me the new 'normal' reg number, and apparently the new V5 and and retention certificate are 'in the post'.  So far very simple.

 

Since I need the new V5 to get new plates made up, I confidently* assume I'll be fine driving around on the old number plates and won't get pulled over or prosecuted automatically via ANPR for not having valid tax or insurance and sixteen related offences.  We shall see.

 

To liven up a dull post, here's a picture of said car and number plate in happier times, with bonus Dedra content.

 

World indoor car towing championships by Skizzer, on Flickr

[Jerzy Woking]

No problem running around on the old plate until you get your new documents from DVLA (I was told this by DVLA staff at a local office when I purchased the plate for my VW).

 

I remember in the late 70's a local village garage got into selling unusual and old registration numbers. Thay had a few old mopeds that they sold the registration number from. DVLA (or what ever it was then) then issued said mopeds with a new "old" plate, and the garage sold those registrations on too. Even in those early days of plate sales, they must have made a fair whack doing this (all legally). They only stopped doing so when DVLA made the replacement registrations non transferrable

[Semi-C]

Just to add some more sugar to the syrup, I have recently lifted the registration number from my terminal Mk3 Cortina estate, Last MOT'd in 11/2011, continuously SORN'd since 1/2012, as per skizzer's posting all I needed was my postcode, V5 number and £ sterling, cushty!

[Bobthebeard]

Am now totally confused.....

I have a 1963 moped. Not taxed or tested since forever. I have been offered £700 for the reg number, but assumed I couldn't sell/transfer it unless the moped had an MOT! Seemingly not so if the above is true....

Can I just SORN it then apply to remove the registration number to sell on? The bike has V5 and is on the DVLA database etc. Never Sorned previously.

[Skizzer]

Don't see why not, it just says it has to "be taxed or have a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) in place within the last 5 years."  This, to me, doesn't mean it must have been continuously taxed or SORNd for all of the last 5 years.  Basically I reckon this is just so it shows up on the tax/SORN database when their registration number system tries to find it.

 

It doesn't cost anything to SORN it so I'd do that anyway, then ring them up and see what they say.  The DVLA are actually quite friendly and helpful on the phone in my experience, not at all like their horrid shouty letters.

[Taff]

Doesn't surpise me, this used to be rife years ago, knackered, rusted-to-buggery old shitter with a sellable reg in a scrappy would magically get an MoT/Tax overnight, plate got transferred, then it disappeared forever (into the crusher to destroy the evidence maybe?). You'd have hoped the computerised MoT system would have stopped this but evidently not.

 

Anyway, DVLA are only interested in the plate transfer &/or retention certificate fees they earn every time the plate moves on.

Fraud? Sorry, not my job mate.

 

A good mate of mine bloke I barely even know used to dabble in the number plates; he borrowed a couple of my cars over the years for a month or so. He always asked if they had a current, valid MoT just before he borrowed them, they usually had a fairly vague V5C anyway and on one occasion my Austin A50 came back after three weeks with him with a new remould and a set of new front brake hoses. There was always beer in the boot too, plus first dibs on all sorts of stuff from his mates scrappy.

 

id be interested to know how you get on with this as I was one of the ill informed that thought you needed an MOT _ i also see they have extended the retention period to 10 years (I had to renew my retention certifcate last year I think but sure I didnt get another 10 years, sure it was 2)

 

Referance DVLA inspection, my wifes ex used to work for the DVLA in leeds, when they were asked to view vehicles for a transfer he didnt have a clue. He just let the driver point to something and he said yes ok and approved it.

In another instance a work collegue had a Rochdale Olympic that he built himself, when he come to transfer the number they would not approve as no VIN number was stamped on the chassis.

He came back to my work and used our chassis stamps and stamped a new number in it for him, took it back next day and they approved it..

 

Oh what fun....

 

All my imported Yanks needed to have the VIN stamped into the chassis, as a removable plate on the body isn't deemed acceptable. Apparently a lot of imported 4x4s fall foul of this too? No disrespect intended to your other half but one of my vehicle inspections involved three cups of tea, half a packet of custard creams and a cursory glance through the garage door before some more biscuits.