Claiming a really old registration plate

[mathmos]

Back in the mists of time (blimey...over 32 years ago!) in 1993, I had not long past my driving test, and while I was driving my mum's Austin Metro it suffered a pretty catastrophic failure, it wasn't worth fixing it so we sold it to a scrap dealer.

I've just checked the reg on the DVLA web site and it looks like it's still attached to the same car. It's obviously untaxed since it ran out in May 1994, and no MOT.

The thing is, I would quite like to see if I can claim the reg plate and put it on a car I own now.

It was originally registered to my mum, who has since changed surname and address, she definitely doesn't have the V5 anymore. It was such a long time ago we are not even sure if we went through the steps of transferring the car to the scrap yard...if we did I guess it's possible the registration is actually in the name of the yard.

Anyone have any idea how I would actually go about getting the reg plate back again? Is it even possible? None of the DVLA cookie cutter requests seem to fit.

[sixor8]

Unless they re-issue it, you can only transfer a reg plate from a car with a valid MoT test using its V5c. It's to stop transfers from boxes of bits, or from a V5c alone. In the days of DVLA offices before they were closed in 2013, a car could be inspected, but now everything is at Swansea, its a paperwork exercise only.

It wouldn't hurt to write a nice letter, but don't expect much.

[Pica-Pica]

I've often searched for my Dad's old reg. but nothing. If, say, I found it, could I use the old style plate for, eg, ABC 123 on a recent car?

[InitialDave]

Pica-Pica said:

I've often searched for my Dad's old reg. but nothing. If, say, I found it, could I use the old style plate for, eg, ABC 123 on a recent car?

Yes, you can effectively put any plate on any car as long as it's either older than the car, or non dating.

It's getting it off the previous car that's where the hoops to jump through lie.

If you mean can you use black and silver plates on a newer car, IIRC they fluffed some legislation at some point and it resulted in it being tied to the historic tax class, so was effectively a rolling 40 year old thing when it didn't use to be. Not sure if they ever "fixed" that.

[Cloudy147]

Pica-Pica said:

I've often searched for my Dad's old reg. but nothing. If, say, I found it, could I use the old style plate for, eg, ABC 123 on a recent car?

Yes. If you can get the reg off an old car and onto retention certificate, you can then apply it to any car that’s newer

[MitchT]

sixor8 said:

Unless they re-issue it, you can only transfer a reg plate from a car with a valid MoT test using its V5c. It's to stop transfers from boxes of bits, or from a V5c alone.

What practical difference does it make whether the plate is on a roadworthy MOT'd car or a box of rust? Seems like a rule for the sale of a rule unless there's something obvious that I'm missing.

[mathmos]

sixor8 said:

Unless they re-issue it, you can only transfer a reg plate from a car with a valid MoT test using its V5c. It's to stop transfers from boxes of bits, or from a V5c alone. In the days of DVLA offices before they were closed in 2013, a car could be inspected, but now everything is at Swansea, its a paperwork exercise only.

It wouldn't hurt to write a nice letter, but don't expect much.

Indeed as far as I know the car is long gone and probably turned into tins of beans or something by now

I'll try contacting them directly, but sounds like it may be a bit futile...what a shame! Thanks for the advice though!

[smokey mow]

MitchT said:

sixor8 said:

Unless they re-issue it, you can only transfer a reg plate from a car with a valid MoT test using its V5c. It's to stop transfers from boxes of bits, or from a V5c alone.

What practical difference does it make whether the plate is on a roadworthy MOT'd car or a box of rust? Seems like a rule for the sale of a rule unless there's something obvious that I'm missing.

To you it may be a pile of rust but to someone else it could be a potential restoration project.

Whenever a registration is transferred onto retention the DVLA allocate a new age related plate to the old car, this ensures that it retains its identity. The DVLA don’t have a finite number of old registrations available to them for this purpose, so their policy creates a system that can’t be abused by those out to make a quick £££. By allowing transfers only for roadworthy vehicles this ensures that their numbers are kept only for the vehicles that have a genuine need.

[InitialDave]

I do think that once something has been officially scrapped with all the correct paperwork etc, there would be no issue with the numberplate reentering circulation, presumably through DVLA auction.

Never really understood why they don't. Its as good a paper trail for it definitely not being on the car anymore as the retention procedure. Easy money for the public coffers.

[MustangGT]

InitialDave said:

Y

If you mean can you use black and silver plates on a newer car, IIRC they fluffed some legislation at some point and it resulted in it being tied to the historic tax class, so was effectively a rolling 40 year old thing when it didn't use to be. Not sure if they ever "fixed" that.

It is now fixed. Any registration plate being fitted to a vehicle must conform to the current legislation if the vehicle was first registered after 1st January 1973.

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 S10.

Slightly different rules apply to various ages of post 1972 cars.

[sixor8]

That's not accurate. When they re-introduced rolling VED exemption, at 40 y.o., the black and white plates also rolled forward, accidentally. It took several years, until 2021 before they 'fixed it.'

https://www.footmanjames.co.uk/blog/black-and-silv...

So, cars registered before 1/1/80 can display them.

People put black and silver plates on cars that are not permitted, and personally, they look daft, IMHO. Pre '73, yes in period.

[the-norseman]

I've been looking into this myself recently, my dad had a Morris Minor that was taken off the road in 1996 to restore and it never got done, the bloke who was restoring it has since closed up shop and the MM went walk abouts.

Dad was the registered keeper all along, Dad has since died, we don't as far as I can find have a V5 for it any longer.

Turns out somebody has registered the car in 2022 and scrapped it. Dad has never received a letter about this, if he had I would of stopped it there and then.

Shame really the plate was pretty cool, would of gone nicely on my Triumph bike.

[Bogsye]

There was a plate I was looking for which had been attached to a car I used to own, but a subsequent owner transferred it to another vehicle, which has been untaxed and presumably scrapped long ago.

I ended up writing to the DVLA - they were very helpful but ultimately the number is still attached to the ‘lost’ vehicle.

The number was a three letters/three numbers format. They found they had a simillar number which was formatted the other way round three numbers/three letters and offered to put it into one of the DVLA auctions.
They duly did this but but I decided against buying it.

In fairness they were very prompt to answer and offer help.

[the-norseman]

Bogsye said:

There was a plate I was looking for which had been attached to a car I used to own, but a subsequent owner transferred it to another vehicle, which has been untaxed and presumably scrapped long ago.

I ended up writing to the DVLA - they were very helpful but ultimately the number is still attached to the lost vehicle.

The number was a three letters/three numbers format. They found they had a simillar number which was formatted the other way round three numbers/three letters and offered to put it into one of the DVLA auctions.
They duly did this but but I decided against buying it.

In fairness they were very prompt to answer and offer help.

Yeh sounds like the plate I was after, dads car had SFO 112 on it.

When filling out a V888 as an executor of a will, how do you pay the £5? cheque?

Edited by the-norseman on Saturday 13th September 11:18

[Bogsye]

There was a plate I was looking for which had been attached to a car I used to own, but a subsequent owner transferred it to another vehicle, which has been untaxed and presumably scrapped long ago.

I ended up writing to the DVLA - they were very helpful but ultimately the number is still attached to the ‘lost’ vehicle.

The number was a three letters/three numbers format. They found they had a simillar number which was formatted the other way round three numbers/three letters and offered to put it into one of the DVLA auctions.
They duly did this but but I decided against buying it.

In fairness they were very prompt to answer and offer help.

[MustangGT]

sixor8 said:

That's not accurate. When they re-introduced rolling VED exemption, at 40 y.o., the black and white plates also rolled forward, accidentally. It took several years, until 2021 before they 'fixed it.'

https://www.footmanjames.co.uk/blog/black-and-silv...

So, cars registered before 1/1/80 can display them.

People put black and silver plates on cars that are not permitted, and personally, they look daft, IMHO. Pre '73, yes in period.

No newly made plates can be fitted unless they conform to the legislation.

Both of us are stating this.