FREE Tutorial
DVLA REGULATIONS, YOUR NUMBER PLATE AND YOU
DESCRIPTION
This tutorial describes the relationship between the DVLA and your number plate.
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Background information.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is responsible for maintaining the records of vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales. This central register has been kept by the DVLA since 1974. It must be remembered that the DVLA register is not intended to establish legal ownership but rather to provide an accurate record of vehicle keepers for the purpose of taxation and law enforcement.
A DVLA number plate provides a unique identifying mark for each vehicle and is assigned by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The relevant DVLA regulations are enshrined in the vehicle Excise and Registration act 1994, affectionately known as VERA.
A number plate normally remains with the vehicle until it is scrapped or permanently exported however, because of public demand, DVLA have put in place special regulations to allow the transfer of a number plate from one vehicle to another. DVLA refers to this procedure as a cherished transfer scheme.. Similarly, DVLA operate a retention scheme whereby a number plate can be taken of a vehicle and stored on certificate.
In addition, by an amendment to section 27 of VERA, DVLA are empowered to sell number plates which have never been allocated, in affect, DVLA are selling the assignment rights to a number plate, that is the right to display the mark. Legally the number plate is owned by the Secretary of State and can be withdrawn if DVLA regulations are contravened.
DVLA created a department, the Sale of Marks, to carry out this new activity. At this time, DVLA became an agency discarding he old name “DVLC”.
Cherished Transfer and Retention Schemes
It must be remembered that DVLA rules are in place to guard against fraud.
There are 6 basic rules:-
- The vehicle must exist.
- The vehicle must be registered at DVLA. (DVLNI run similar schemes in N. Ireland apart from the retention scheme, but this article is about DVLA)
- The vehicle must be available for inspection by the DVLA. An inspection assists in verifying entitlement to the number plate. Both donor and recipient (rarely) can be called for inspection.
- The vehicle must be taxed at DVLA or in the process of being taxed. However, in 2005, an amendment allowed a donor vehicle where the license disc had been expired (not refunded) less than 12 months to take part in the scheme, providing, DVLA insist, that SORN is declared upon expiry.
- The vehicle must be subject to MOT/HGV testing. For example, Non testable vehicles such as milk floats, tractors etc are outside the scheme. This has led to some vehicles, such as hearses, choosing to undergo MOT’s when actually exempt so they could register with a cherished number plate under the DVLA scheme.
- Only the registered keeper can apply to the DVLA.
In the case of a vehicle to vehicle transfer of a number plate, DVLA issue a form (V317) which must be completed and signed by both keepers involved. The V317 must be submitted with the V5/c, MOT if applicable and a photocopy of the current Tax disc or a Tax application for both vehicles. (Donor =vehicle giving up the number plate; Recipient = vehicle receiving the mark). In addition, a fee must be paid to the DVLA, currently £80. The application must be submitted to a DVLA local office, usually the one nearest the donor vehicle since this is the one most likely to be called for an inspection if necessary.
For obvious reasons, DVLA do not divulge the criteria by which they decide to inspect.
The DVLA retention scheme allows a number plate to be held on certificate (V778) initially for 1 year. Largely the same DVLA regulations as detailed above for the donor vehicle apply. There is a £105 DVLA fee, which consists of £25 retention fee and £80 representing the eventual assignment fee (this is shown on the certificate as having been paid) DVLA allow the cert to be renewed annually at a cost of £25. DVLA also allow the addition or change of a nominee for £25 fee. Only the registered keeper can apply, and is referred to as the “grantee”. The grantee (not the nominee) is the only person legally in control of the certificate. The retained number plate can only be assigned to a vehicle in the name of the grantee or the nominee.
Certificate of entitlement V750
This scheme refers to the release of registration marks held on the DVLA computer, which have never been allocated. The number plate purchased is issued in the form of a certificate and there are many similarities to the retention certificate previously described. For example, The V750 (pink, A4 size) is renewable each year for a DVLA fee of £25 and a nominee can be added or changed for a similar fee, the purchaser is legally in control, not the nominee and the £80 DVLA assignment fee, payable at the time of purchase, is shown on the certificate.
To assign the number plate, the customer must submit (again to a local DVLA office) the signed V750 together with the V5/c and MOT (if applicable) and photocopy of the license disc or a tax application. The DVLA local office will issue a tax disc for the new number plate showing all the tax paid and re stamp the MOT or, in the case of a VOSA MOT, issue a replacement showing the new number plate. The replacement V5/c comes directly from DVLA, Swansea.
It is worth reminding readers that, in all cases, DVLA regulations state that a number plate cannot be used to make a vehicle look newer, and it must be legally spaced.
Also worthy of note is that, presently, the DVLA in consultation with interested parties is reviewing the whole policy associated with the transfer, assignment and retention of registration numbers.
Such a review is necessary because of the government aim to provide DVLA services online.
One of the options DVLA is considering is the removal of certain constraints of the existing transfer and retention schemes while maintaining the ability to verify entitlement to the number plate, to avoid compromising the accuracy of the DVLA vehicle record and, obviously, to continue to combat fraud.
Copies of the relevant legislation can be found at www.opsi.gov.uk or in local libraries.
This tutorial was kindly provided by National Numbers. National Numbers are dealers in cherished & private personalised number plates, to make an enquiry please visit www.nationalnumbers.co.uk.
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