Removing personalised number plate

[JohnW2]

Hi folks,

I've recently bought an aged (2007) car, whose number plate history is 'interesting'. To summarise, the situation is as follows ...

.... the car was first registered in September 2007, with the number plate "28 GS" - clearly a 'personalised' one. The first owner kept the car for about 2 years, and just before it was sold removed the 'personalised plate'. DVLA therefore then assigned an 'age-appropriate' plate (i.e a "57" one). The second owner kept it for about a year, and presumably sold it still bearing the '57' plate.
So far, so good - that all makes sense, but one might then expect that the car would keep the 57 plate for 'evermore' - but that's not what happened! .... about 2 months after the third owner bought the car, the plate was changed to a (presumably 'personalised') one which started "MS04", through 3 or 4 subsequent owners.

I have to wonder why on earth anyone in their right mind would put a personalised plate starting "MS04" on a 2007 car ??

In as much as I'll probably keep this car for the rest of its useful life, this doesn't really matter to me, but, as a 'matter of principle' it rather niggles me to be driving around a 2007 car bearing an "04" plate

It seems that, for £80, I can fairly easily get this (assumed 'personalised') plate removed and replaced with an 'age-appropriate' one (I suspect the '57' plate it once had, very briefly, many moons ago). However, I'm a bit confused about the 'rules', so maybe someone can help me understand?

DVLA writings seem to indicate that the current ('personalised') plate 'dies', and therefore cannot legitimately be used on the vehicle, the moment one has made one's application, and that the 'new' plate should be put on the vehicle when one has the new V5C. In any event, I don't think one can legally get new plates made until one has the new V5C.

The potential problem is that we are told that the new V5C may take 4-6 weeks to appear. Does this really mean that there is a 4-6 period during which one theoretically cannot drive the car legally, because the 'previous' plate is 'invalid' and the new one not yet available?

Furthermore, if one does use the car during that period, when should one inform one's insurer in order to ensure that the vehicle remains covered?

Any thoughts/comments would be much appreciated!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Murdochcat]

Do you bought a car with a personalised plate on it?

If this is the case then you insure and drive the car in accordance with the plate it has and the number which is related to the mot.

Once you have the new V5 then it’s up to you what you do about the number plate.

Or have I missed something?

BTW it won’t take weeks to get a new V5

 

[JohnD]

It is possible to get new plates made to UK specification from a place that is not subject to UK law, in advance of the document arriving. For example the Isle of Man. I have an idea I've seen them advertised on Ebay.

 

[Mottie]

Put the MS04 plate on retention and you will get an age related reg number automatically reassigned. Possibly the original ‘57 reg .

 

[Tigercubrider]

Maybe the owner was a Mike Smith/ Madeline Shaw?
Less concerned with the apparent age of the vehicle than having a private plate?

My new to me 66 car was on a personal plate before I bought it. The PO retained the PP and sold it with it’s original No

My old childhood neighbours were in the undertaking business. All their vehicles had the company’s initials (3 letters) and numbers on all their fleet. That way you don’t know if a hearse is brand new or 9 years old. You have to recognise model differences.

 

[Old Salt]

As far as I am aware the V5 with personal plate will have your address on as the new owner. Once that arrives you can go online and “remove” the personal plate and get sent a new V5. When that arrives you get your plates made then go online and “changeover” the registration. At each stage you swap the plates after telling DVLA using the online system. You tell your insurance company as you change the plates. It should be allocated the “original” 57 plate.

I have swapped a plate a few times and its easier to do it before it gets sold.

 

[norseman]

My old childhood neighbours were in the undertaking business. All their vehicles had the company’s initials (3 letters) and numbers on all their fleet. That way you don’t know if a hearse is brand new or 9 years old. You have to recognise model difference

Common practice with operators of luxury coaches, as in common with coach-built hearses these are expensive vehicles & are expected to have a long service life, so the operators didn't want the actual age being obvious to their clients.

 

[JohnW2]

Apologies, folks. For some reason I have not been getting notifications/'alerts' regarding messages in this part of DIYnot, so was unaware of all of your replies, for which I thank you all!

Do you bought a car with a personalised plate on it?

Yep.

If this is the case then you insure and drive the car in accordance with the plate it has and the number which is related to the mot.

That's what I've done.

Once you have the new V5 then it’s up to you what you do about the number plate.

Exactly. That's what I'll do if I decide that it's worth the bother (and £80).

Or have I missed something?

You appear to have 'missed' the last five paragraphs of my OP and my questions

BTW it won’t take weeks to get a new V5

I suspected that it wouldn't but, never having done this before, I don't know, and DVLC certainly say "4-6 weeks". It's certainly true that one usually gets a new V5C much quicker than that when ownership changes (although I don't yet have the new one 15 days after the sale to me was registered on-line) - but, as I said, I don't know whether the timeline is similar when one changes a plate. In any event, whether it takes 2, 3 or 6 weeks (after requesting a plate change), the issue I mentioned still appears to remain (for some period of time).

 

[JohnW2]

It is possible to get new plates made to UK specification from a place that is not subject to UK law, in advance of the document arriving. For example the Isle of Man. I have an idea I've seen them advertised on Ebay.

Maybe, but that would be far too much hassle (and presumably additional cost) - but, even if I did it, to put such a plate on the car before I had the new V5C would, strictly speaking, be contrary to what DVLC say, and I would still be wondering when I should inform the insurer.

 

[JohnW2]

Put the MS04 plate on retention and you will get an age related reg number automatically reassigned. Possibly the original ‘57 reg .

That's what I've been talking about - but my uncertainties and questions about the timelines of that remain as in my OP

 

[JohnW2]

Maybe the owner was a Mike Smith/ Madeline Shaw?

Sure, that's quite possible, but ...

Less concerned with the apparent age of the vehicle than having a private plate?

Even if the owner were Mike Smith or Madeline Shaw, why ion earth following those initials with "04", particularly for a 2007 car?

... and, if the "MS" plate had a meaning for the person who put it there, then why, I wonder, did they not remove/'retain' it when they sold the care?

 

[JohnW2]

As far as I am aware the V5 with personal plate will have your address on as the new owner. Once that arrives you can go online and “remove” the personal plate and get sent a new V5. When that arrives you get your plates made then go online and “changeover” the registration.

That's what I've been talking about doing (if I 'bother')

At each stage you swap the plates after telling DVLA using the online system.

That would make sense BUT, the DVLA website says ....

• Your original number plate will usually be reassigned to your vehicle automatically, if your application is successful. This will happen straight away.
• You’ll be sent:
  ... a new log book (V5C) showing the vehicle’s replacement registration number - it can take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive
• Before you can drive your vehicle, you must:
  ... put the original or new number plates on the vehicle before you drive it

Given that one cannot legally get the new plates made until the new V5C has been received, if one took all that literally it would presumably mean that there would be a 4-6 week period during which one could not use the vehicle??

You tell your insurance company as you change the plates.

Sure, that part is straightforward once one changes the plates (which implies receipt of the changed V5C)

It should be allocated the “original” 57 plate.

Yes, as I said, that's what I would expect - not the 'original plate' (which was a personalised one) but, rather "the first/previous '57' plate)".

 

[Mottie]

Sure, that's quite possible, but ...

Even if the owner were Mike Smith or Madeline Shaw, why ion earth following those initials with "04", particularly for a 2007 car?

... and, if the "MS" plate had a meaning for the person who put it there, then why, I wonder, did they not remove/'retain' it when they sold the care?

What are the other three digits - maybe they could be the key? I once put a 1987 plate on a 2009 Landrover because it was the postcode and initials of my company. E7 was the postcode my business was in. When I moved the business to E13 it meant nothing to me anymore and the E13 plate was not available so I left it on the car when I sold it. The new owner liked it because it didn’t identify how old the car was. A mate of mine has RM12 on his 2018 motorbike followed by his nickname (PUP). His wife bought it for him. He's recently moved house and no longer lives in RM12 but he says he will take it off the bike when he eventually sells it just because of the PUP. 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.

 

[Murdochcat]

You appear to have 'missed' the last five paragraphs of my OP and my questions

I didn’t miss them as they are irrelevant

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.

 

[Mottie]

The potential problem is that we are told that the new V5C may take 4-6 weeks to appear. Does this really mean that there is a 4-6 period during which one theoretically cannot drive the car legally, because the 'previous' plate is 'invalid' and the new one not yet available?

Furthermore, if one does use the car during that period, when should one inform one's insurer in order to ensure that the vehicle remains covered?

Any thoughts/comments would be much appreciated!

Check on the dvla database whether the car is taxed and mot¡d - that should tell you if everything is legal and above board. If you apply for an age related plate, they will issue you with an amended mot certificate too as is the vin number that identifies the vehicle. A few months ago, I had a mot reminder come from dvla telling me my mot would soon be expiring for a reg number I didn’t recognise. When I checked the vehicle on the database, it was our old Audi A3 that we had sold a few months previous and the new owner had put a private plate on it so the database was going on the vin, not the reg number. In fact, you can get a mot done on a car with no registration plates as long as it has a vin number.