Home Page    About Us    Contact Us     Transfer Process     Search     Information     Selling     

 

 

    

WHEN BUYING A REGISTRATION MARK
  1. What do DVLA, DVLNI, VRO and DOT stand for?
  2. What documents do I need to buy a registration number?
  3. How much is the transfer fee?
  4. Why are easyReg registrations not subject to VAT as with other dealers?
  5. What happens to the registration that is currently on my vehicle if I buy a new registration?
  6. How long does a transfer take?
  7. If I am having my registration issued on a retention document what do I do when I receive the certificate… and do I have to pay any more money at the VRO?
  8. What happens to my payment if I change my mind before the transfer has been completed and I no longer want the registration I have agreed to purchase from you?
  9. I paid a part payment by credit card. May I also pay the remaining balance by credit card?
  10. Can I pay by methods other than credit card?
  11. My V5 document says my registration number is non-transferable. Can I transfer a Cherished Number onto my vehicle?
  12. Why are some transfers faster than others?
  13. How can I check the status of my transfer?
  14. Does the price include the actual number plates that go on my vehicle?
  15. Can easyReg make me a set of plates that spell a name or a word?
  16. Why are the Rules of the governing bodies so strict?
  17. Does the recipient vehicle need to be inspected like the donor vehicle?
  18. What restrictions apply to the transfer of a registration with a year letter?
  19. The windows on my car are etched. Does this effect the chance of being re-issued with the number presently showing on my vehicle, when I transfer my Cherished Number at some time in the future?
  20. What happens if I need to tax or MOT my vehicle while the transfer is being processed?
  21. Is it possible to transfer a cherished registration to a vehicle with a "Q" mark?
  22. Do I have to keep the registration on my vehicle for a minimum period before I can transfer or sell it again?
  23. If the recipient vehicle already has a mark can I transfer that mark to another vehicle or to retention at the same time?
  24. If I am buying a new unregistered vehicle can I transfer a number onto it?
  25. Are there any restrictions or special rules about buying a personalised registration for my motorcycle or moped?
  26. Can I ask easyReg to try and obtain an un-issued prefix combination?
  1. What do DVLA, DVLNI, VRO and DOT stand for?
    Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland, Vehicle Registration Office, and Department Of Transport respectively.
  2. What documents do I need to buy a registration number?
    If you are buying a number to go onto a vehicle straight away then you will need to provide your V5,
    MOT if applicable and a copy of your tax disc or a note of your current tax expiry date (NOTE: for donor vehicles in NI, your ACTUAL tax disc must be supplied).
  3. How much is the transfer fee?
    £80 (+ an additional £25 if the registration is going to be held on retention with a certificate). NOTE: This is only applicable to GB registered numbers.
  4. Why are easyReg registrations not subject to VAT as with other dealers?
    Most dealers on the web have a significant turnover which means they must register for VAT, and subsequently charge VAT to their customers. At easyReg, we are not registered, nor compelled to register for VAT, therefore we do not charge VAT on our sales. This is subject to change.
  5. What happens to the registration that is currently on my vehicle if I buy a new registration?
    You may choose to pay the Department of Transport fee and retain it, otherwise the registration is automatically made void. Unless you retain the number you can remove and dispose of the old plates when the time comes to fit your new ones. For further information see our notes on the Retention Scheme.
  6. How long does a transfer take?
    We do make sure that every transfer is completed as quickly as possible. However, the transfer process cannot begin until we receive the required documents. Please note that whilst we take all reasonable care of your documents, we cannot accept any responsibility for their safety once passed into the hands of the Department of Transport. That said, please be reassured that it is extremely rare for them to misplace documents.
  7. If I am having my registration issued on a retention document what do I do when I receive the certificate… and do I have to pay any more money at the VRO?
    When you want to assign to a vehicle you will need to contact your local VRO and provide your vehicle documents: V5, MOT if applicable and a copy of your tax disc or a note of your current tax expiry date. There is no additional cost.
  8. What happens to my payment if I change my mind before the transfer has been completed and I no longer want the registration I have agreed to purchase from you?
    We do recognise that unforeseen situations can arise, and in such circumstances we will do what we can to advertise and sell the registration on your behalf after it has been transferred to your vehicle or when payment has been made in full.
  9. I paid a part payment by credit card. May I also pay the remaining balance by credit card?
    Yes. You may make your remaining payment by credit card, but you should be aware that easyReg will apply a small surcharge for credit card transactions (we only charge what the credit card company actually charges us). Debit cards such as Switch do not incur the additional handling charge. easyReg will require your written instruction to debit the outstanding amount from your credit card.
  10. Can I pay by methods other than credit card?
    Yes. You may pay by Cheque, Transfer Credit or Bankers Draft. We also operate an online payment system with PayPal.
  11. My V5 document says my registration number is non-transferable. Can I transfer a Cherished Number onto my vehicle?
    Yes. The vehicle can receive a registration number providing it doesn't currently bear a "Q" mark and providing that it meets the normal requirements of the Sales, Transfer and Retention schemes. You will not be able to transfer or retain the current non-transferable number. If your vehicle bears a "Q" mark you should consult the DVLA to obtain authoritative advice on its eligibility or otherwise to receive a transferred registration.
  12. Why are some transfers faster than others?
    New marks that have never been issued or assigned to a vehicle can usually be transferred within 3 to 14 days. The reason for the speed in these cases is that there is no donor vehicle to be inspected by the Department Of Transport. The marks are invariably held on V750 retention forms specifying easyReg as the purchaser, or in some cases a private owner. Our customer, we name as the 'nominee', so allowing the number to be transferred directly onto a customer's vehicle, so saving time. Where a registration is being transferred from another vehicle, the donor vehicle may have to be inspected before the transfer can be completed. The donor vehicle must be taxed (with some exceptions) and hold a current MOT certificate. In addition to the time required to obtain donor documents the governing bodies require ample time to process transfer applications. This is usually two to three weeks. easyReg endeavours to perform transfers as quickly as possible, however some delays may be outside our control.
  13. How can I check the status of my transfer?
    easyReg handle a significant number of transfers every year and one of the largest demands on manpower resources is that of the progress reports. easyReg respectfully ask all clients to make enquiries about progress in writing, by email to: sales@easyreg.biz. If your enquiry is particularly urgent you may call our out-of-hours number on 07799 718833.
  14. Does the price include the actual number plates that go on my vehicle?
    Acrylic number plates are not included within the purchase price. However, easyReg can supply your plates at cost plus postage.
  15. Can easyReg make me a set of plates that spell a name or a word?
    A well-chosen personal registration number will resemble the word or name it has been chosen to represent - that's part of the fun. We are prohibited by law from supplying you with plates that have been altered or contrived to vary from the official specifications for use on the road. To display illegally spaced or indistinguishable number plates is an offence.
  16. Why are the Rules of the governing bodies so strict?
    There are many reasons why the system of assigning registration marks is so strict, the most obvious reason being that vehicle registration numbers are a method of law enforcement and as such the integrity and clarity of the transfer system must be upheld.
  17. Does the recipient vehicle need to be inspected like the donor vehicle?
    Not usually. However, if for example significant changes had been made to the construction of the vehicle the authorities may want to inspect it. You will be notified if this is the case.
  18. What restrictions apply to the transfer of a registration with a year letter?
    You may not make a vehicle look newer than it actually is by transferring a registration that bears a later year suffix or prefix letter. For example, you may not put a plate with an S year suffix on a car that originally carried an R suffix registration. The same principle applies to prefix registrations. You may, however transfer an older registration to a newer car (an R reg plate to an S reg vehicle for example). Vehicle registration numbers that do not contain a year identifier may be assigned to a vehicle of any age e.g. numbers originating in Northern Ireland.
  19. The windows on my car are etched. Does this affect the chance of being re-issued with the number presently showing on my vehicle, when I transfer my Cherished Number at some time in the future?
    You may request the old number to be re-assigned to your vehicle only if the windows of the vehicle are etched with the mark and the Vehicle Registration Office may call your vehicle in for an inspection to verify your claim. There are no guarantees that the governing bodies shall re-issue the mark but in our experience it is highly likely.
  20. What happens if I need to tax or MOT my vehicle while the transfer is being processed?
    You simply send the appropriate fee, your insurance certificate or cover note and the tax application to us, ensuring that you state the old registration number on the application form. In the case of a new MOT please ensure that the garage issues the MOT certificate under the old registration and send the certificate to us immediately, with a covering note informing us of the registration mark you are purchasing. easyReg will have the MOT amended accordingly as and when it is appropriate during the transfer procedure.
  21. Is it possible to transfer a cherished registration to a vehicle with a "Q" mark?
    Transfers are not usually possible to "Q" registered vehicles, however there are certain cases in which it may be possible. If your vehicle bears a "Q" mark you should consult the DVLA to obtain authoritative advice on its eligibility to received a transferred registration.
  22. Do I have to keep the registration on my vehicle for a minimum period before I can transfer or sell it again?
    There are no time restrictions, but please note that any mark purchased from easyReg must not be offered for re-sale until our transaction with you has been finalised.
  23. If the recipient vehicle already has a mark can I transfer that mark to another vehicle or to retention at the same time?
    Yes. This is called a double transfer. It presents no problem for easyReg but you will need to immediately supply us with the documents of the third vehicle involved and an extra £80 cheque payable to the Department of Transport. Although this creates more work for us, we do not make any extra charge. If no third vehicle is available then the mark can normally be retained on a Department of Transport retention certificate in accordance with the governing Regulations. The current fee is £25, (plus the £80 'future' transfer fee).
  24. If I am buying a new unregistered vehicle can I transfer a number onto it?
    Yes, this is usually easy enough. easyReg will require the form V55 from your supplying garage (it is wise to check with the vehicle supplier first as certain vehicle franchises will NOT release V55 documents for reasons that they would explain) plus your insurance certificate and cheque payable to Department of Transport for the road tax and £80 transfer fee. Due to the fact that the transfer time is uncertain it may be more appropriate to have a normal registration assigned by the garage supplying the vehicle while you are waiting for your transfer to complete. This would ensure that you have full use of the vehicle whilst the transfer is taking place.
  25. Are there any restrictions or special rules about buying a personalised registration for my motorcycle or moped?
    No. Motorcycles and mopeds can participate freely in the registration transfer scheme.
  26. Can I ask easyReg to try and obtain an un-issued prefix combination?
    Yes. In addition to the new age-related prefix marks, there is a possibility that the governing bodies may consider issuing the 'E & F' prefix combinations (number range 1-20 inclusive only)

 

  1. What is a prefix registration?
  2. What is a suffix registration?
  3. What is the current style registration for GB vehicles?
  4. What is the current style registration for NI vehicles?
  5. What is a dateless registration?
  6. Once I have bought a personalised registration mark, do I have to put it straight onto a vehicle?
  7. I have seen my registration number in one of your adverts or on your website, but it is not for sale and I haven't given permission for it to be advertised. Why is it listed?
  8. How do I get a specific number released if it has never been issued?
  9. How can I safeguard my entitlement to a number?
  10. What if my vehicle is stolen and not recovered?
  11. What if my vehicle is "written off"?
  12. What if my vehicle has been scrapped?
  13. Are there any special rules for motorcycles / mopeds?
  14. I have an old vehicle which is not registered at DVLA. Can I register the vehicle and transfer or retain its registration number?
  15. My vehicle has a "Q" prefix registration number. Can it participate in the transfer and retention schemes?
  16. My V5 registration document says my registration number is non-transferable. Can I transfer a cherished number onto my vehicle?
  17. I have seen Northern Ireland registration numbers advertised. Can I transfer one onto my vehicle?
  18. I have an old style log book / V5 registration document but the vehicle no longer exists. Can I claim the registration number?
  19. What is a registration number and who has entitlement to it?
  1. What is a prefix registration?
    Prefix registrations contain the year identifier at the beginning of a registration.
  2. What is a suffix registration?
    Suffix registrations contain the year identifier at the end of a registration.
  3. What is the current style registration for GB vehicles?
    Current style registrations consist of two letters, a two-figure age identifier and finally three letters.
  4. What is the current style registration for NI vehicles?
    All NI vehicles have a 3 letter prefix, followed by either, 1,2,3 or 4 figures.
  5. What is a dateless registration?
    Dateless registrations do not contain a year identifier and can consist of a number combination followed by a letter combination and vice versa. ALL NI numbers are dateless.
  6. Once I have bought a personalised registration mark, do I have to put it straight onto a vehicle?
    No. If it has been supplied on a retention certificate you have until the expiry date shown on your V750 or V778 to put the mark onto a vehicle.
  7. I have seen my registration number in one of your adverts or on your website, but it is not for sale and I haven't given permission for it to be advertised. Why is it listed?
    As easyReg advertises number from our own stock, as well as advertising on behalf of some of the other UK registration dealers and for private sellers, our data comes from many different sources and we may be given inaccurate information. Very occasionally a typing error may occur when details are entered onto our systems resulting in the listing of a combination that is in fact not for sale. Also, there are occasions when a donor has failed to advise us of the sale and subsequent non-availability of a number. If you have seen your registration listed and wish to provide us with further information or want us to remove it from our adverts and website, please send an email to sales@easyreg.biz. Please remember to specify the registration in question and the validation character from your V5 (log book) for confirmation.
  8. How do I get a specific number released if it has never been issued?
    In short there are no guarantees of getting any registration number issued that does not exist. Some marks are not issued because they are considered offensive, others just never made it to issue over the years.
  9. How can I safeguard my entitlement to a number?
    Entitlement to a number is effectively the right of the registered keeper of a vehicle to apply to have the number transferred to another vehicle (either his own or someone else's). The keeper is also entitled to apply to have the number of his vehicle put on retention, that is to say take the number off the vehicle and put it on hold pending re-assignment to another vehicle. It is important to note that the keeper may apply, but the application will only be granted if all the conditions relating to the retention and transfer facilities are satisfied. You can help to safeguard your entitlement, therefore, by ensuring that your vehicle is able to meet these conditions. If you no longer have the vehicle which properly displays the number (ie it is in someone else's keepership or has been scrapped, broken up, destroyed or exported) then your entitlement to the number ceases.
  10. What if my vehicle is stolen and not recovered?
    If your vehicle is stolen and has not been recovered after a year you can apply to have its registration number re-assigned to your replacement vehicle providing certain conditions are met. In order to qualify for the concession, the theft must have been notified to the police and recorded at DVLA as stolen for not less than 12 months. In addition, at the time of the theft the vehicle must have had a current test pass certificate and have had a current vehicle excise license (tax disc). The Agency will also require a letter from your insurers confirming that they have no objection to the number being re-issued. This must be provided because once insurers have settled your claim, they have a rightful claim to the vehicle should it be recovered.
  11. What if my vehicle is "written off"?
    A write-off happens when a damaged vehicle is judged by insurers to be beyond economic repair. In such a case, the insurance company agrees a pay-out with the insured, and legal ownership of the vehicle then passes to the insurance company. The company is then free to sell the vehicle as salvage and the purchaser may repair it and put it back on the road. Unless you transfer the registration to another vehicle or a retention document you risk losing your entitlement to that registration.
  12. What if my vehicle has been scrapped?
    Scrapping occurs when a vehicle, whether an insurance write-off or not, is broken up for spares or otherwise destroyed. Once a vehicle ceases to exist its registration number is cancelled. If your vehicle has been scrapped, you will not be able to transfer its registration number.
    The person who actually breaks up or destroys the vehicle must notify the governing bodies that the vehicle has been scrapped and return the V5 registration document.
  13. Are there any special rules for motorcycles / mopeds?
    No. Motorcycles and mopeds can participate freely in the registration transfer scheme.
  14. I have an old vehicle which is not registered at DVLA. Can I register the vehicle and transfer or retain its registration number?
    It is possible for the vehicle to be registered by the governing bodies. But you will not be able to transfer or retain its number.
    If you are able to supply documentary evidence (eg the old-style log book) to establish a link between the vehicle and the registration number, you should be able to register the vehicle under that number. If you do not have documentary evidence, or you do not know the vehicle's registration number, the vehicle may still be registered but in this case a number appropriate to its age will be assigned by the governing bodies. If the age or origin of the vehicle cannot be established, then the governing bodies may register the vehicle under a "Q" number. Whatever the circumstances, however, the vehicle's registration number will be non-transferable. This arrangement helps to safeguard entitlement by removing the incentive there would otherwise be for spurious claims to attractive old registration numbers.
  15. My vehicle has a "Q" prefix registration number. Can it participate in the transfer and retention schemes?
    Sorry, no. Vehicles are assigned "Q" prefix registration numbers to draw attention to the fact that their origins or age are uncertain. "Q" numbers are therefore non-transferable and must remain with the vehicle unless documentary evidence which confirms its origins / age comes to light. In this case, the evidence should be sent to your nearest VRO who may then assign a replacement age-related number to the vehicle.
  16. My V5 registration document says my registration number is non-transferable. Can I transfer a cherished number onto my vehicle?
    Yes. Although you cannot transfer or retain a non-transferable number, the vehicle can receive a registration number providing the non-transferable number is not a "Q" mark and providing the vehicle meets the normal conditions of the Sales, Transfer and retention schemes.
  17. I have seen Northern Ireland registration numbers advertised. Can I transfer one onto my vehicle?
    Yes, providing the donor and recipient vehicles are registered at DVLA or on the NI Register. Similarly, you may transfer a GB number to a vehicle registered in NI. In either case the vehicles must, of course, meet the requirements of the transfer scheme.
  18. I have an old style log book / V5 registration document but the vehicle no longer exists. Can I claim the registration number?
    Sorry, no. Once a vehicle has ceased to exist, entitlement to its number also ceases. Possession of a log book or registration document alone does not give entitlement to a registration number. If a vehicle has been scrapped, you are required by law to notify the Secretary of State and return the registration document to DVLA.
  19. What is a registration number and who has entitlement to it?
    Registration numbers are not items of property in their own right. They are assigned, and may be withdrawn, by the Secretary of State as part of the basic registration and licensing process which is required by law. The registration number is a unique means of identifying a vehicle, primarily for taxation and law enforcement purposes. It is assigned to the vehicle, rather than its keeper, and unless it is transferred or retained the registration number normally remains with the vehicle until it is broken up, destroyed or sent permanently out of the country.

    An individual acquires entitlement to a registration number when he or she becomes the registered keeper of the vehicle which carries the number. When the vehicle changes hands, entitlement to its registration number will automatically pass with the vehicle to the new keeper unless use is made of the special facilities which have been designed to allow motorists to acquire and retain particular registration numbers: namely, the Cherished Transfer, Retention and Sale of Marks schemes.