SCI Cars

Number Plate Tranfer & Retention Information

1.Assigning your Registration Mark

  • 1.a) UK certificate – UK Vehicle

  • 1.b) NI certificate – NI Vehicle

  • 1.c) UK certificate – NI Vehicle

  • 1.d) NI certificate – UK Vehicle

  • 2.Transferring your Registration Mark

  • 2.a) UK Vehicle – UK Vehicle

  • 2.b) NI Vehicle – NI Vehicle

  • 2.c) UK Vehicle – NI vehicle

  • 2.d) NI Vehicle – UK vehicle

  • 3.Retaining your Registration Mark

  • Retaining your Registration Mark Information


  • 1.Assigning your Registration Mark

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    1.a) UK certificate – UK Vehicle

    If you hold a registration mark on either a V750 certificate of entitlement or a V778 certificate of retention and would like to display your registration mark on your vehicle, you will need to either take or send your application to your local vehicle office along with the following documents:

    V5C Registration document (or completed new keeper’s supplement with V62 form)

    MOT certificate (if applicable, i.e. more than 3 years since first registration)

    • Valid tax disc (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc)

    Before you apply for your transfer, Please Note:

    (i) The certificate will have a section titled “nominee name”. The registration mark can only be assigned to a vehicle which is registered in this name. If the two do not match you can either change the nominee name on the certificate through the DVLA (cost £25) or change the name on the registered keeper section of the V5C.

    (ii) The registration mark can only be assigned to a vehicle that is of the same age or newer than the age identifier on the registration mark. Eg if the registration mark is D1 ABC, you cannot assign it to a B registration vehicle, only any vehicle registered after D reg.

    (iii) Only MOT testable vehicles can undertake in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles.

    When the transfer is complete, you will receive the following:

    V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • Your MOT certificate with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • A replacement taxdisc and a return envelope for your existing tax disc.

    • A V948 certificate, this authorises you to get your acrylic number plates produced at your local garage or car accessory store.

    Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to change over the tax disc and inform your insurance company of the change to your policy.
    You will receive new V5C document (aka Log book) 2-6 weeks after the transfer has been completed.

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    1.b) NI certificate – NI Vehicle

    Northern Irish assignments follow the same procedure as above. However, the are some exceptions:

    As Northern Irish registration marks have no age identifier, they can be transferred freely between vehicles of any age.
    Northern Irish vehicles only require MOT certificate(s) if there has been more than 4 years since first registration.

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    1.c) UK certificate – NI Vehicle

    Currently this option is not possible, the registration mark must be firstly assigned to a GB vehicle and then transferred across to Northern Ireland using a V317 form

    1.d) NI certificate – UK Vehicle

    Currently this option is not possible, the registration mark must be firstly assigned to a NI vehicle and then transferred across to the mainland vehicle using a V317 form

    2.Transferring your Registration Mark

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    2.a) UK Vehicle – UK Vehicle

    When you wish to transfer your registration mark, you will need to fill out a V317 form and either take or send your application to your local vehicle office along with the following documents (for each vehicle):

    V5C Registration documents (or completed new keeper’s supplements with V62 form)

    MOT certificate(s) (if applicable, i.e. more than 3 years since first registration)

    • Photo copies of Valid tax discs (or V10 form(s) along with certificate(s) of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc(s).

    • Cheque for £80 made payable to the department of transport.

    The Donor vehicle (the one that the registration is coming off) will receive an age related registration mark.

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    Before you apply for a transfer, Please Note:

    (i) The registration mark can only be transferred to a vehicle that is of the same age or newer than the age identifier on the registration mark. Eg if the registration mark is D1 ABC, you cannot assign it to a B registration vehicle, only any vehicle registered after D reg.

    (ii) Only MOT testable vehicles can undertake in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles.

    (iii) You cannot transfer a registration mark off a vehicle if the words “NON TRANSFERABLE” registration mark are printed in area 3 of the V5C.

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    When the transfer is complete, you should expect to receive the following for each vehicle:

    V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • Your MOT certificate with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • A replacement tax disc and a return envelope for your existing tax disc.

    • A V948 certificate, this authorises you to get your acrylic number plates produced at your local garage or car accessory store.

    Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to change over the tax disc and inform your insurance company of the change to your policy.

    You will receive new V5C documents for each vehicle 2-6 weeks after the transfer has been completed.

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    2.b) NI Vehicle – NI Vehicle

    Northern Irish assignments follow the same procedure as above. However, the are some exceptions:

    As Northern Irish registration marks have no age identifier, they can be transferred freely between vehicles of any age.
    Northern Irish vehicles only require MOT certificate(s) if there has been more than 4 years since first registration.

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    2.c) GB Vehicle – NI vehicle

    This number plate transfer also involves the V317 form but will have to go through two different vehicle offices before completion. The application will need to be submitted to Newcastle Vehicle office for the first leg of the transfer and will be completed and dispatched from Coleraine DVLNI.
    You will need to submit the following documents (for each vehicle):

    V5C Registration documents (or completed new keeper’s supplements with V62 form)

    MOT certificate(s) if applicable.

    • Photo copy of UK Valid tax disc (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc.)

    • Original NI Tax Disc (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc.)

    • Cheque for £80 made payable to the department of environment.

    The Donor vehicle (the one that the registration is coming off) will receive an age related registration mark.

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    Before you apply for a transfer, Please Note:

    (i) The registration mark can only be transfer to a vehicle that is of the same age or newer than the age identifier on the registration mark. Eg if the registration mark is D1 ABC, you cannot assign it to a vehicle first registered before 1st August 1986.

    (ii) Only MOT testable vehicles can undertake in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles.

    (iii) You cannot transfer a registration mark off a vehicle if the words “NON TRANSFERABLE” registration mark are printed in area 3 of the V5C.

    When the transfer is complete (approx 4-8 weeks), you should expect to receive the following for each vehicle:

    V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • Your MOT certificate with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • A replacement tax disc and a return envelope for your existing tax disc.

    • A V948 certificate, this authorises you to get your acrylic number plates produced at your local garage or car accessory store.

    Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to change over the tax disc and inform your insurance company of the change to your policy.
    You will receive new V5C documents for each vehicle 2-6 weeks after the transfer has been completed.

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    2.d) NI Vehicle – UK vehicle

    This number plate transfer also involves the V317 form but will have to go through two different vehicle offices before completion. The application will need to be submitted to Coleraine DVLNI office for the first leg of the transfer and will be completed and dispatched from a DVLA local vehicle office.

    You will need to submit the following documents (for each vehicle):

    V5C Registration documents (or completed new keeper’s supplements with V62 form)

    MOT certificate(s) if applicable.

    • Photo copy of UK Valid tax discs (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc.)

    • Original NI Tax Disc (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc.)

    • Cheque for £80 made payable to the department of transport.

    The Donor vehicle (the one that the registration is coming off) will receive a registration mark.

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    Before you apply for a transfer, Please Note:

    (i) Only MOT testable vehicles can undertake in the scheme, i.e. not tractors or agricultural vehicles.

    (ii) You cannot transfer a registration mark off a vehicle if the words “NON TRANSFERABLE” registration mark are printed in area 3 of the V5C.


    When the transfer is complete (approx 4-8 weeks), you should expect to receive the following for each vehicle:

    V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • Your MOT certificate with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • A replacement tax disc and a return envelope for your existing tax disc.

    • A V948 certificate, this authorises you to get your acrylic number plates produced at your local garage or car accessory store.

    Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to change over the tax disc and inform your insurance company of the change to your policy.

    You will receive new V5C documents for each vehicle 2-6 weeks after the transfer has been completed.

    3. Retaining your Registration Mark

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    To keep the rights to a registration mark on a certificate (separate to a vehicle), you will need to fill out a V778/1 form, available from your local vehicle office.
    The retention scheme enables the keeper of a vehicle to hold its registration on a certificate for a period of up to 12 months. If when this period is due to expire, the “grantee” of the certificate can extend the period of retention for a further 12 month period at a cost of £25.00. If the period is left to expire without assignment or renewal, entitlement to the registration will be lost.
    To retain the registration mark, You will need to either take or send your application form to your local DVLA office, along with the following documents:

    V5C Registration document

    MOT certificate (if applicable, i.e. more than 3 years since first registration)

    • Valid tax disc (or V10 form along with certificate of motor insurance and appropriate payment for new tax disc)

    • A cheque for £105.

    Your vehicle will be assigned with a non transferable age related registration mark.

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    When the retention is complete, you will receive the following:

    V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • Your MOT certificate with official government stamp. Showing the change of registration mark.

    • A replacement tax disc and a return envelope for your existing tax disc.

    • A V948 certificate, this authorises you to get your acrylic number plates produced at your local garage or car accessory store.

    Upon receiving these documents, you may legally display your new number plates on your vehicle. Before doing this, please remember to change over the tax disc and inform your insurance company of the change to your policy.

    You will receive new V5C document (aka Log book) 2-6 weeks after the transfer has been completed.

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