Having a chat with a mate earlier, if I were to say get a personal plate for my car, what happens to the original number plate that is on it? Does it stay with the car, so in a few years when i move the personal plate on, it goes back to its original plate, or does the car have to be re-registered with a completely new number?

Thanks

Rich

 

nope it just goes back into the dvla database to be used again.

I swapped plates back a couple of times but only got the original plate back once.

 

I believe your old number is up for grabs by anyone but if its not an interesting plate it's most likely it will still be available for you to use again.

 

used to stay with the car but now it goes back to the database where it is possibly re-issued to the car, not a definite though

 

ok thanks, so would i have to pay for it again? I think the cheapest on the DVLA is Ł250, thats a lot just to put it back onto its original plate!

 

nah i wouldn't imagine you do. You just pay to have your plate put on retention or transferred and the car is then assigned a new plate (possibly its original if it is still available)

 

cheers for the replies guys

 

ive never not got the origional plate back when removed a private plate

J

 

I put my old plate on retention, just for that fact that all of the windows have the old number etched into them.

It costs around Ł25 to renew the retention every year and the DVLA send you a reminder so its not like you'd ever forget to do it and lose that number.

If you're not precious about the old number then its not really worth it as the others have said the DVLA will issue you with an appropriate number plate for when you take the private one off.

Mich

 

I must have been lucky with mine then, cos i had one on my old S2 for 9 years and still got the original number back.

In fact in all my years of having private plates on mine and the wifes cars, we've always got the original numbers back.

You watch, next time they'll both be different!!