How do you sell a private number plate

[trueblue4455]

Long story short, I purchased a private number plate for my car with an obscure association to me. It was about as cheap as any private plate could be purchased for. If I decided I no longer want the plate, I can put the original plate back on the car but what happens to the private plate? I don't think it would be that desirable but how would I find out? And if it has no value then what do I do with it?

[MrBig]

You can put the private plate onto a retention certificate for around £100. That keeps the plate off the car and in your ownership for 10 years (you can renew it afterwards) and the DVLA will almost certainly re-issue the original plate back to the car in the process.

[trueblue4455]

But what if I permanently do not want to keep the private plate, how do I sell or get rid of it without the extra costs?

[RSTurboPaul]

Ask any of the big plate sellers for a valuation.

If it is worth minimal amounts, 200 quid or whatever, and is unlikely to sell quickly, you can just hold the Retention Certificate and let it expire after 10 years.

In the meantime, list it on eBay when they have a 'no fees' offer, or post it in the Parts and Plates sales section on here, or Gumtree, or the local Classifieds, or Facebook sales...

Or just give it away.


EDIT: There is no way to get the plate off the car without paying the DVLA £80 fee. Well, unless you write the car off and don't bother requesting the plate back

[trueblue4455]

Got it, pay £80 to switch the private plate for the original plate that the car had. I then have 10 years to privately sell the private plate (doubt it will sell to be honest) but after 10 years I can just let it expire and it will go back into pool of private plates available to buy for anyone.

[R6tty]

Or, if you put another personal plate on, unless you put the old one on retention it's just lost (no charge).

[trueblue4455]

Got it, thank you.

[MrBig]

trueblue4455 said:

Got it, pay £80 to switch the private plate for the original plate that the car had. I then have 10 years to privately sell the private plate (doubt it will sell to be honest) but after 10 years I can just let it expire and it will go back into pool of private plates available to buy for anyone.

What is the plate? Or at least the format? There are a multitude of outlets for shifting a plate on, chances are there will be something suitable for yours.

[trueblue4455]

It's in the normal format

XX99XXX (where X is a letter, and 9 is a number)

[blueg33]

Interested in this.

I have X11 OCH to sell, probably as worthless to others as it is to me!

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I had a bit of a dilemma with regards to the sale of my plate.

It was a chicken & egg thing.

As the seller you have to beware, because as soon as the buyer has vision of the retention certificate (specifically the document number) they can make the transfer.

As a buyer, to avoid this you'd need to part with the cash to somebody you (probably) don't know.

Mine worked out as the buyer was happy to send me the money certificate unseen.