Private Registrations - Select Car Leasing

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Using a Private Registration on a Lease Car

The good news, when it comes to your cherished private reg, is that you can add a personalised number plate to a lease car.

Where do you need to start?

When you lease a car, you don’t own it. Throughout the lease, the car is the property of the provider, so you can feel free to put a private registration on the vehicle.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that the process is slightly different than putting a private plate on a non-leased car. The first thing you need to know is that you must seek permission from the lease funder before proceeding.

Once that permission is granted, you can move onto the next step.

The Application Process:

If you’ve just splashed out new private number plates that haven’t been used on a car before, you should fill out the ‘V750’ document which is supplied to you by the DVLA whenever you buy new private number plates.

If you want to use a private registration that has previously been on a different car, you’ll need to fill out either a ‘V317’ or a ‘V778’ form.

What is the difference between the V317 and the V778?

V317

The V317 is the form you use when you want to swap an existing vehicle registration plate from one car to another.

V778

The V778 form, on the other hand, is also known as a ‘retention form’ - and used when a private plate has been removed from one vehicle but not yet placed on a different vehicle. You basically ‘retain’ the plate while you wait to transfer it to your new lease car.

If you’re confused or unsure about any aspect of leasing a car, give the Select Car Leasing team a call on 0118 467 9189

Receiving the Go-Ahead

Once you’ve got the correct paperwork, you need to add the finance company as a ‘Nominee’ on the forms - which means you’re granting permission for the finance company to use your plates. Then, the finance provider will send your documents to the DVLA so they can begin the task of processing all of your paperwork.

And remember: Don’t fit your private plates until the DVLA has sent you all of your paperwork and confirmed everything is in order, otherwise you risk landing yourself a hefty fine.

Swapping Back the Plates

As you approach the end of your leasing contract, you need to take steps to swap the original plates back onto the car and transfer your private plates back to you. You should begin this process at least a couple of months before your lease contract expires.

As before, you need to contact your finance provider, who'll then make sure your V317 form, and your logbook, is sent to the DVLA to begin the process of deregistering your plates. At this point you’ll have to pay an £80 transfer fee, too.

The finance provider will then receive a new logbook from the DVLA showing the original plates, while your cherished plates are handed back to you via the V778 retention form.

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