Removing personalised number plate

[robinbanks]

Don’t ask us, ask the DVLA

Were I in this situation I’d just contact a place that makes show plates and ask them for show plates that look exactly like normal road plates, Charles Wright font, legal spacing etc. they will be happy to oblige

 

[JohnW2]

I didn’t miss them as they are irrelevant

If you really think it is irrelevant, you must have completely failed to understand what I wrote, and my questions.

You bought a car with a private plate, you insured a car with the private plate. You effectively own this private plate. Unless you choose to remove this private plate and allow the DVLA to assign a correct year plate your car continues with the plate you bought it with.

That is all totally obvious.

HOWEVER, it does not alter the fact that that IF I "choose to remove this private plate and allow the DVLA to assign a correct year plate", what the DVLA says appears to imply that there would be a period (of anything up to 6 weeks) after I request retention/removal/replacement of the private place during which I theoretically would not be allowed to drive the car on a public road. My questions were therefore (a) is that really true? and (b) if I did drive the car during that 'limbo' period (with the current plate affixed), when should I inform my insurer of the change?

 

[JohnW2]

What are the other three digits - maybe they could be the key?

The final three characters are, of course, all 'letters' - and hence could well be the initials of a person/business/whatever.

However, that would not explain why anyone would want to precede that (on a 2007 car) with "MS04". That cannot be a postcode, which would never contain "04" (it would simply be "4"), and I can't personally think whatever else it could represent. However, as you go on to say ...

.... Sometimes things on plates mean something only to the owner. Depends what your whole plate says. The last three digits may be the previous owners initials. Maybe a woman that got married and changed name or a married woman that got divorced? Only they will know.

Sure. It was only as a matter of curiosity that I wondered why anyone would have wanted such a private plate. That matter is totally unrelated to the issue I raised and the questions I asked - do you have any views about the actual'issue' I've been discussing?

 

[Murdochcat]

If you really think it is irrelevant, you must have completely failed to understand what I wrote, and my questions.

That is all totally obvious.

HOWEVER, it does not alter the fact that that IF I "choose to remove this private plate and allow the DVLA to assign a correct year plate", what the DVLA says appears to imply that there would be a period (of anything up to 6 weeks) after I request retention/removal/replacement of the private place during which I theoretically would not be allowed to drive the car on a public road. My questions were therefore (a) is that really true? and (b) if I did drive the car during that 'limbo' period (with the current plate affixed), when should I inform my insurer of the change?

Again you are missing the point. Best you consult DVLA as it’s easy to organise as long as you have the V5 in your name.

Having done this the only down time is to change the plates

 

[JohnW2]

Don’t ask us, ask the DVLA

I certainly would not ask the DVLA (or police etc.) whether I would be breaking the law if I drove my car on a public road during the 'limbo' period - since that could seriously undermine any attempts I subsequently made to defend myself against any attempted prosecution

Were I in this situation I’d just contact a place that makes show plates and ask them for show plates that look exactly like normal road plates, Charles Wright font, legal spacing etc. they will be happy to oblige

Such 'cheating' should not be necessary.

You have perhaps missed the point of my post. As far as I am concerned, personally, IF I decide to have the private plate removed, I'm sure that I will simply carry on driving during any 'limbo' period - presuming/hoping that I would be able to argue myself out of any (extremely unlikely) silliness on the part of police, DVLA, courts or insurers. However, as a matter of principle, if what I have suggested is actually true, then it seems wrong ('unacceptable'?) that the DVLA should have created a system which undoubtedly would result in countless people breaking the law without even realising!

Edit: writing my next reply has made me think of a much more fundamental problem. Is it not the case that until one receives the new V5C one does not even know what ('age-appropriate') registration number the DVLA will assign to the vehicle (in which case one obviously cannot get new plates made, by anyone, until one receives that document) ??

 

[Tigercubrider]

Quite possibly my “MS” person had more than three vehicles? Or didn’t care
An artist I know has Her initials and 4RT as her reg.

 

[JohnW2]

Again you are missing the point. Best you consult DVLA as it’s easy to organise as long as you have the V5 in your name.

You don't"get it", do you?

Having done this the only down time is to change the plates

It's that 'down time' I'm talking about.

The DVLA say that if one applies on-line to 'retain' a private place, then that change happens 'immediately'. However, I presume that until one subsequently gets a new V5C one does not even know what new plate they will assign, so obviously cannot have such a plate made, let alone affixed to the vehicle. During that 'limbo' period, one will therefore driving a vehicle whose registration number one does not know and which is bearing a plate which officially-speaking no longer exists.

 

[JohnW2]

Quite possibly my “MS” person had more than three vehicles?

Yes, possibly - but, as I've said, this 'matter of curiosity' has absolutely nothing to do with the issue I've been discussing or questions I've been asking - do you have any views about them?

 

[Mottie]

Rude. I'm out.

 

[Murdochcat]

You don't"get it", do you?

It's that 'down time' I'm talking about.

The DVLA say that if one applies on-line to 'retain' a private place, then that change happens 'immediately'. However, I presume that until one subsequently gets a new V5C one does not even know what new plate they will assign, so obviously cannot have such a plate made, let alone affixed to the vehicle. During that 'limbo' period, one will therefore driving a vehicle whose registration number one does not know and which is bearing a plate which officially-speaking no longer exists.

The down time I referred to was the 30 minutes max I took to change the actual plates on the vehicle

You really are overthinking this nonsense totality and utterly.

And as usual ignoring experience from people who’ve actually done it

 

[Old Salt]

Deleted

 

[JohnW2]

Rude. I'm out.

Who's being 'rude' - surely not me?

The nearest we've seen to rudeness in this thread has come from someone who specialises in that - but we (at least, I_) simply ignore that!

 

[JohnW2]

The down time I referred to was the 30 minutes max I took to change the actual plates on the vehicle

In that case, it would seem that you're being silly, and ignoring what I've been trying to discuss.

You really are overthinking this nonsense totality and utterly. ... And as usual ignoring experience from people who’ve actually done it

That's not true. I can't be ignoring something which hasn't yet been there to ignore. I'm still patiently waiting to hear of "experience from people who’ve actually done it" and, in particular, whether they believe that what they did was technically 'legal'.

 

[JohnW2]

Quite possibly my “MS” person had more than three vehicles? Or didn’t care

Yes, possibly ....

I might have added ... if it were the fourth vehicle of your "MS" person, they could have started the plate with "MS4" (rather than "MS04"), thereby invoking no implications about the age of the vehicle.

 

[Murdochcat]

In that case, it would seem that you're being silly, and ignoring what I've been trying to discuss.

That's not true. I can't be ignoring something which hasn't yet been there to ignore. I'm still patiently waiting to hear of "experience from people who’ve actually done it" and, in particular, whether they believe that what they did was technically 'legal'.

I have actually done it but you seem intent on ignoring people with experience. As usual