How do I put my personalised number plate onto a retention certificate?
How do i apply to retain the cherished number plate on my vehicle?
Under the Department Of Transport retention scheme, the DVLA in Swansea will allow the retention of a cherished registration mark from any kind of vehicle, providing that all of the requirements of the retention scheme are met.
Below we have outlined the procedure to apply for a retention certificate on a vehicle registration mark. The application must be carried out through your local DVLA vehicle registration office and not through a Post Office as some people are led to believe.
If you would rather let an established and reputable registration dealer handle the entire retention application for you, then we offer a ‘retention only’ option on any registration mark for a nominal fee. Whether you are a returning customer or whether you have purchased your personalised registration elsewhere, we can help you with any aspect of paperwork.
To apply to retain a mainland UK cherished number plate, you will first need to obtain the official retention application form called a V778/1 (application to retain a vehicle registration mark). You can pick up a V778/1 form from your local DVLA vehicle registration office, or you may download one from our website for free by clicking here.
When you have the V778/1 retention application form you will need to read through it very carefully to ensure that the vehicle participating in the retention application is legible and falls within all of the DVLA rules governing the retention of cherished number plates.
You will need to complete all areas of the V778/1 aplication form and then take it into your local DVLA vehicle registration office along with the vehicle documentation listed below for the vehicle that is taking part in the retention application.
It is worth pointing out at this stage, should you choose to use our retention only service, because we are in daily contact with our local DVLA transfer office your retention application would be submitted by ourselves the day we receive it from you. This not only saves you time driving out to your local DVLA office, it also avoids the problem of having to compete for a parking space in a nearby car park.
Vehicle documentation required
- The original Vehicle Registration Certificate coded as a V5C (If you have just acquired the vehicle, refer to the instructions on the V778/1 form for additional forms that the DVLA will require)
- The original MOT certificate (this is if the age of the vehicle is over 3 years old)
- Photocopy of the vehicle excise license disc.
In addition to the above vehicle documentation, you will also need to enclose a retention cheque for the amount of £105.00 made payable to ‘Department Of Transport’. The DVLA will also accept postal orders which must be crossed AC Payee.
How long does it take to have the retention application approved?
The retention of a personalised number plate doesn’t usually take too long, if you are submitting the application yourself we usually advise allowing 14 days.
How do I get a new registration number for the vehicle?
When you have retained the personalised registration number on your vehicle, it goes without saying that you are going to need a replacement registration number.
When your application to retain the personalised registration number has been approved by the DVLA local office they will allocate a replacement registration mark that shows the original age of the vehicle.
If the donor vehicle was registered before 1963 you will be issued with a replacement dateless registration number such as ABC 123, however please note that this registration will then be classed as ‘non transferable’ meaning it cannot be moved off the vehicle to another vehicle. The vehicle can still recieve another cherished registration of appropriate age though.
When the retention application has been approved by the DVLA, you will be issued with replacement vehicle documents for your vehicle and you should then ensure that new number plates are fitted to reflect the current registration mark that has been issued to the vehicle.