Can I Scrap My Car If It Has a Private Number Plate?
10th Jun, 2025
A private number plate is a bit like a favourite jacket. It’s yours, it has character, and it seems to follow you around, becoming part of your identity. But what happens when the car wearing that plate, the vehicle you’ve cherished and that has been with you through thick and thin, is ready for its final trip to the scrapyard? It’s a question I get asked all the time by neighbours leaning over the garden fence. People worry they’ll either lose their personalised plate forever or that it makes the whole process of scrapping a car a bureaucratic nightmare.
Let me put your mind at ease straight away: you absolutely can scrap your car, and you absolutely can keep your plate. However, and this is the most important bit, you can’t do both at the same time without a crucial first step. You have to untie the knot before the rope is cut. Think of the plate as being legally tied to the car’s paperwork (the V5C logbook), not to you personally. Before that car is officially taken off the road, you need to get the DVLA’s permission to separate it.
Here at Scrap Car Network, we help people with this all the time. It’s a simple process when you know how, and I’m here to walk you through it, step-by-step, to make sure your prized plate stays safely in your hands long after your car has been recycled.
First Things First: Why You MUST Act Before You Scrap
Understanding this one point will save you a world of heartache. A private plate is legally assigned to a specific vehicle. When that vehicle is scrapped by an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) is issued. This is the car’s official death certificate. It’s a legal document that tells the DVLA the vehicle with that specific registration number no longer exists.
Once that happens, the car’s registration, including your private plate, is permanently cancelled along with it. It vanishes into the great DVLA database in the sky, never to be seen again. There’s no appeal process. It’s gone for good.
It’s a costly assumption to believe the plate belongs to you personally, like your wallet or your watch. This is the most common trap car owners fall into. They arrange for the car to be collected, assuming they can deal with the plate transfer later, only to find out it was too late and the registration has been permanently destroyed. Don’t let a simple misunderstanding lead to losing something you’ve paid for and cherished.
The key to avoiding this fate is the DVLA private plate retention process. This is the official procedure for taking the plate off your car and putting it in your name, making it safe and sound before the vehicle is scrapped.
Keeping Your Plate: The Step-by-Step Guide
The DVLA has made this process fairly straightforward, as long as you follow the rules to the letter. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, there are a few common tripwires to watch out for. You essentially have two choices: transfer the plate to another car straight away or put it on a retention certificate to use later.
Step 1: Check that Your Vehicle is Eligible
Before you even think about touching a form, you need to make sure your car is eligible for the retention scheme. The DVLA is quite particular about this.
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The car must be registered with the DVLA in the UK. This seems obvious, but it catches out people who may have imported a vehicle and not completed the paperwork correctly.
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It must be able to move under its own power. This means it needs to be a functioning vehicle. If it’s been sitting for years with a seized engine, you might have a problem. It doesn’t have to be road-legal, but it must be capable of starting and moving for an inspection, should the DVLA require one.
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It needs to be of a type that requires an MOT or HGV test certificate. This covers pretty much all cars and vans.
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You must have a current MOT certificate. If the MOT has expired, you’ll need to get a new one before you can apply to retain the plate. There is no getting around this. If the vehicle is declared SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), you can still retain the plate as long as the MOT was valid when the SORN began.
Step 2: Apply to Take the Plate Off the Car (Form V317)
Your main tool for this job is the V317 application form, titled ‘Application to transfer or retain a vehicle registration number’. This is your official request to the DVLA. You can do this online or by post.
Option A: Applying Online (The Fast Route)
The quickest and easiest way is to use the DVLA’s online service. It’s designed to be used by the registered keeper and is usually instant, assuming there are no issues.
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What you’ll need: The 11-digit document reference number from your most recent V5C logbook and a credit or debit card for the fee.
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The Process: You log in, enter the details, pay the fee, and in most cases, you get instant confirmation. The DVLA will then automatically issue your new documents by post. This is the method I’d recommend to anyone comfortable using a computer.
Option B: Applying by Post (The Traditional Route)
If you prefer paper or your situation is more complex (for example, you’re not the registered keeper but have the right to the plate), the postal route is for you.
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What you’ll need: A printed and completed V317 form, your original V5C logbook (not a photocopy), and a cheque or postal order for the fee.
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The Process: You send all these documents to the DVLA. This takes longer, often a few weeks, so be sure to factor that into your timeline. Crucially, you cannot have the car collected until you get the confirmation and new documents back in the post.
Step 3: Pay the DVLA Fee
To take the registration number off a vehicle, the DVLA charges a fee. As of right now, that fee is £80.
This single payment is an administration fee. It covers the entire process, whether you’re transferring the plate to another car or putting it on retention for up to 10 years. It’s not refundable, even if your application fails. Think of it as the storage fee for keeping your plate safe in the DVLA’s digital garage. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Step 4: Wait for Your New Documents to Arrive
Once your application is approved, the DVLA will post you two very important documents:
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A new V5C logbook for the car. This will show its new (or original) age-related registration number. Check this document carefully to ensure all the details are correct.
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A V778 Retention Document. This green piece of paper is gold dust. It proves that you are the legal owner (the ‘Grantee’) of the private registration number, which is no longer attached to any vehicle.
Keep this V778 document somewhere very safe! You will need it to assign the plate to another car in the future. Without it, you can’t prove ownership.
What Happens to Your Car Now?
With your private plate safely on a V778 certificate, your car is almost ready for the scrapyard. The DVLA will have assigned it a replacement registration number, which is usually the car’s original plate from before you added the private one. The new V5C logbook you receive confirms this change.
You are now legally required to fit new number plates showing this replacement registration before the car is driven on a public road or collected. You can get these made up at most local motor factors for a small fee.
Now, your car is officially anonymous again. You are free to proceed with scrapping it without any risk to your private plate. You can find out how to scrap your car easily and legally with us, knowing the process will be handled correctly from here.
Common Scenarios and Complications
What if My Car is an Insurance Write-Off?
This is a very common point of confusion. If your car has been in an accident and written off by your insurer, can you still keep the plate? Yes, you can, but you must act fast.
When your insurer writes off a car, they are effectively buying the damaged vehicle from you. You must tell them immediately that you want to retain the private plate. They should then allow you the time to complete the DVLA retention process before they sell the vehicle for salvage. If you don’t tell them and they dispose of the car, you could lose your plate just as if you’d scrapped it yourself. Communication is everything here.
What if I’ve Lost My V5C Logbook?
You cannot retain a plate without a V5C in your name. It’s the key piece of evidence. If you’ve lost it, you must first apply for a replacement V5C using form V62. This currently costs £25 and can take up to six weeks to arrive. Only once you have the new logbook in your hands can you begin the retention process.
How Long Can I Keep a Plate on Retention?
The V778 certificate is valid for 10 years. Every 10 years, you can renew it for another decade, and the good news is that this renewal is free of charge. If you forget to renew it, you risk losing the right to the plate forever, so it’s worth putting a reminder in your digital calendar for nine and a half years’ time!
Ready to Scrap Your Car? We Can Help
Once you’ve received your V778 and the new V5C and fitted the replacement plates, the final step is simple. Using a trusted service ensures your car is dealt with legally and responsibly. We provide a free nationwide scrap car collection service and only work with our network of Authorised Treatment Facilities, so you know everything is above board and you’ll get the official Certificate of Destruction. For more information on your legal duties, check out our guide on how to tell the DVLA when you scrap your car.
If you have any more questions about the process or need a hand, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We’re here to help you get the best price and make everything as easy as possible.
