DVLA Personalised Number Plate Fees Explained

There are fees payable to DVLA to perform certain tasks relating to personalised number plate ownership. Here is a brief summary of the various types of fees and what they cover.

Put a registration mark on retention; £80
(used to cost £105 – reduced 9th March 2015)

This is simply when you wish to separate your private number plate from a vehicle and keep it on a retention document (V778), rather than transfer it to another vehicle. You can apply online to take a registration number off a vehicle, or if you prefer the paper route, complete form V317 – Application to transfer or retain a vehicle registration number. Read more about how to retain a private number plate.

Transfer a personalised registration; £80

This is when you want to move a personalised registration between vehicles, typically from your old car to your new car. The DVLA form to complete is the V317 – Application to transfer or retain a vehicle registration number. It may be quicker & easier to complete your plate transfer as a two-step process online; first retaining and then assigning your private number plate to your new vehicle.

Extend a retention document (V778) or certificate of entitlement (V750); free
(used to cost £25, fee abolished on 9th March 2015)

If you already have a Retention Document or Certificate of Entitlement it may be valid for one, two or three years. All V778 documents/V750 certificates issued from 9th March 2015 are valid for 10 years. During the 28 days before your document/certificate is due to expire you can apply to extend it – no fee payable. After 10 years you can apply to extend again for another 10 years, free of charge. This article explains the difference between a V750 and a V778.

Add or change a Nominee; free
(used to cost £25)

When you are ready to assign or transfer a registration number to a car, the name on the V750/V778 DVLA Document (either Purchaser/Grantee or Nominee) must match the name of the registered keeper of the vehicle. This only applies if you are buying a brand new (unregisterred) vehicle, or submitting an application to assign a registration by post. If the names do not match you need to add a nominee; either via your DVLA online account, or by completing the relevant section of your DVLA Certificate. If you use the DVLA online service to put a cherished plate on a vehicle, the nominee is completely irrelevant; the names do not need to match. For example; A private plate held on a retention document with the grantee ‘Andrea Brown’ can be put on a vehicle showing the registered keeper ‘Simon Smith’. At the moment this relaxed rule only applies if you complete the assignment online. Grantee and Nominee explained.

If you have any further questions please visit the number plates & vehicle registration section of the GOV.UK website, or alternatively call the DVLA vehicle registration enquiries helpline on 0300 790 6802.