What happens to my private number plate if the Certificate has expired?
All private number plate certificates have an expiry date printed on them. This applies whether you have the green V778 Retention Document or a pink V750 Certificate of Entitlement.
Before the expiry date, you are required (by the DVLA) to either:
- Assign the registration number to your vehicle, or
- Renew the Certificate for your private number plate, to bring it up to date.
If you let it expire you may lose the registration number, regardless of its value.
My Certificate has already expired
If your number plate certificate has already expired, the current DVLA rules do not allow you to renew it. As of December 2019, the DVLA stopped renewing expired V750 Certificate of Entitlements and V778 Retention Documents.
It's not likely this will change in the future. However, our advice would be to keep hold of the original Certificate, just in case.
How long does a Certificate last before expiry?
V750 and V778 Certificates issued before 9th March 2015 were generally valid for 12 months. You had the option to request up to 3 years' extension, and were required to pay fees accordingly.
Since March 2015, Certificates issued by the DVLA come with a 10 year expiry date. After which you will need to renew again if you haven't transferred it to a vehicle before that date.
What happens to my private number plate if Certificate is not renewed?
Unfortunately, registration numbers must be transferred to a vehicle before the Certificate expires. If you miss the expiry date, the Certificate cannot be renewed after that date. That means you will lose your registration number.
You may also find these articles on private number plates useful:
How do I extend my number plate Certificate?
How do I put my personalised number plate on retention?
Can I use a DVLA Certificate if I live in Northern Ireland?
Disclaimer: Information on these pages is offered for guidance only. The Plate Market Ltd does not accept liability for errors.
