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Retaining a registration mark and how to apply

This facility enables a registration number to be removed from the vehicle to which it is assigned and held on a retention document for 12 months pending assignment to another vehicle. The retention period can be extended annually provided it is not allowed to lapse.

The facility also allows the applicant the option of nominating a person to whose vehicle they may wish to subsequently assign the number.

Who can apply?

Only the registered keeper of a vehicle is entitled to apply to retain its registration number.

What are the requirements for participating vehicles?

Participating vehicles must be currently licensed subject to annual testing (MoT/HGV) and available for inspection. However, to help individuals whose vehicles, for unexpected reasons are unable to be re-licence, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will still consider applications where:-

  • the tax disc expired no more that 12 months previously (Prior to 1 December 2005 the concession was six months)
  • please note that to qualify for this concession, there must be no break between the natural expiry date of the licence (tax) and the commencement of SORN
  • this concession does not apply if you have submitted your licence (tax) for a refund
  • or if the donor vehicle is not old enough to be tested, ie less that three years old for cars, motorcycles etc or less than one year for HGV’s

In both the above circumstances, all other requirements of the number retention facility must be met in order for applications to be considered.

Receiving vehicles must have current vehicle tax in order to participate in the number retention arrangements.

How to retain your registration mark

The retention scheme enables a number to be removed from the vehicle to which it is assigned, and held on a retention document for 12 months pending assignment to another vehicle. The retention period can be extended annually provided it is not allowed to lapse. The facility also allows the applicant the option of nominating a person to whose vehicle they may wish to subsequently assign the number.

What application form do I use?

The V778/1 application form. It has a tear-off sheet containing notes for guidance in question and answer form. You should read these very carefully and retain them for future reference. The completed application and associated documents should be sent to the nearest DVLA local office.

You can obtain form V778/1 by downloading from the link below or you can pick one up from your DVLA local office. The leaflet, Registration Numbers and You INF46, also offers further advice on the scheme and is available for download.

What do I take or send to the DVLA local office?

Please note that Northern Ireland vehicles simultaneously being registered in Great Britain (GB) and taking part in retention applications will be subject to ID checking.

  • the completed V778/1 retention application form
  • most recently issued V5/V5C registration document or certificate for the donor vehicle
  • a test certificate for the vehicle if it requires one (although the vehicle may not be old enough to need one, it must belong to a class of vehicle that normally requires MOT or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) testing)
  • the current fee of £105 (this represents the £25 retention fee and £80 assignment fee)
  • if you need to tax the vehicle at the same time, you will need to complete a V10 vehicle tax application form or the V11 tax reminder form and provide the certificate of insurance or valid cover note that is relevant to the vehicle being licensed, and the appropriate rate of vehicle tax
  • please ensure that you have your vehicle tax disc details (expiry date and serial number) and vehicle identification (VIN) or chassis number to hand if you intend visiting the DVLA local office

What happens once I have taken or sent my retention application to the DVLA local office?

The DVLA local office may wish to inspect the vehicle. If everything is in order, the donor vehicle (the vehicle giving up the registration number) will be allocated a replacement age-related registration number* and, if appropriate, a replacement tax disc will be issued and the MOT certificate will be amended to show the replacement registration number. You will then be instructed to replace the number plates on the vehicle and return any old tax disc for cancellation.

*If the vehicle was first registered before 1963 and requires an age related replacement number that does not contain a year identifier, it may not reflect the exact date the vehicle was first registered.

The papers will be sent to DVLA, Swansea for the records to be updated. You will normally receive a V778 Retention Document showing you as the grantee (valid for 12 months) and a V5C Registration Certificate for the vehicle under its replacement registration number within four weeks of your confirmation letter from the Local Office.  However, if a V62 was used to support your application it could take up to eight weeks. The V778 must be kept very secure because you will need it when you come to assign the number at a later date. The notes on the V778 will tell you how to go about assigning the number to a vehicle. It will also explain how to extend entitlement and add or change nominee details. The current fee for these services is £25.

Once the expiry date has lapsed, entitlement is lost. Although the DVLA is not obliged to, it does issue expiry reminders, but the responsibility to apply to extend in time rests with the grantee.

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