Obtaining your Ideal Registration

Overview

The Driver & Licensing Agency, commonly referred to as DVLA, is an executive agency owned by the Transport Department of the United Kingdom. It is a government department whose primary responsibility is to allocate numbers to vehicles in the UK for purposes of law enforcement, taxation and registration. Since 1983, there have been certain combinations of numbers, which have been held back from the normal registration procedures as a result of the demand from clients who desire to have their vehicles personalised. This prompted the establishment of the DVLA registrations in the same year.

Driver & Licensing Agency registrations are essential since vehicles using the United Kingdom roads are identified with these systems. Although the fundamental elements have remained unchanged, the registrations written out under this system have changed in form since its establishment at the onset of the 20th century. The registrations of the DVLA in the UK are made up of a string of letters and numbers. Consequently, the early registrations encompassed a letter code whose main aim was to identify the location in which the registration was written out as well as a unique number for identifying the vehicle. Additionally, the registrations have included the codes for all versions in the recent decades. The codes are vital since they denote the year of issue.

Purchasing a DVLA Registration

What do you get when you buy a number plate: Either an unused or original, from one of the rarer dateless or an auction? Similar to driving licenses and passports, the Government owns registrations. This implies that you are actually purchasing the right for using this plate on a vehicle already registered or about to undergo the process of registration. It is also important to note that the vehicle is taxed in the United Kingdom (a place where you purchased the registration). Ideally, the Driver & Licensing Agency form “V750”confers this right for an unissued number plate. However, previously written out registrations, such as those from dateless plates and private sales, have the rights to use, as assigned by the form V778. The V750 form is important since it displays the following:

• o The nominee and purchaser
• o The date indicating the end of the right for assigning the registration number
• o The registration number

It is vital to note that you are able to extend the right for assigning the Driver & Licensing Agency number plate by a further one, two or three years. All you need to do is pay a fee of 25 Euros for each additional year.

Retaining the DVLA Registrations

It is advisable that you obtain a certificate of V778 from DVLA if you desire to obtain a DVLA registration, which is currently registered against another vehicle such as a non-DVLA auction vehicle or vehicle from another private sale. The application is mandatory and must be done by the vehicle’s registered keeper holding the plate (the seller). This certificate makes it possible for the number to be retained against the name of someone else; thus, enabling the seller to transfer the plate to you directly or to another name (in case of intended gifts).

Conclusion

For a successful application of the V778 certificate, the vehicle currently in possession of the plate must be available for inspection, registered with the DVLA, covered by a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) or taxed and covered by a test certificate from HGV or MOT. If these conditions are achieved, then a completed V317 form should be presented to the DVLA registrations.