If your vehicle bears your own private number plate and you want to sell, or even scrap your vehicle, you might be wondering how this process works and what happens to your number plate in this situation.
Can you sell a car with a private number plate?
As long as a vehicle is yours to sell, then you can indeed sell a car that has a private number plate. There are several options open to you regarding this.
Sell the car with the number plate
You could of course sell the car as it is, complete with the private number plate. Or we could discuss keeping your plate when selling your car.
Advantages of selling the number plate with the car
Selling the number plate as included with the car is the quickest and easiest route open to you. This way, you avoid having to swap the plates over, or having to try to sell the plate or put it on retention. The car may also be more desirable, and therefore fetch a higher price. It could also sell more quickly.
Disadvantages of selling the number plate with the car
The main disadvantage of letting the buyer have the number plate with the car is that they get the benefit of it, not you. You can no longer use your own cherished registration if you let it pass to someone else. Neither can you benefit financially. Private registrations are normally worth at least a few hundred pounds, and could be very valuable indeed – although they may not be to a car buyer for whom the unique sequence has no meaning. You could therefore miss out on a considerable sum of money by letting a private registration go to the car’s new owner.
Why not at least find out what your plate is worth in advance of selling your car? At New Reg, we can provide you with a quote very quickly, and if you do decide to sell, we can also handle that on your behalf.
How to sell a car with a private number plate
How you sell your car with private number plates depends on what you want to do with the registration itself. If you are content to let it go to the purchaser along with the car, then you can simply sell it in the usual way. It is already assigned to that vehicle.
What are the alternatives?
If you don’t want to let your cherished registration go to the car’s new owner, then you have two other options.
Transfer the registration
If you already have another vehicle you want to put the registration onto, then you can have it assigned to that vehicle. The original vehicle would then be issued with an age-related registration. This may be the one it initially had before you changed to a private plate.
Retain the registration
You can put a private plate on retention. This reserves your right to use, or sell, the registration in the future.
Selling the private plate separately
If you don’t want to reassign or retain the registration, a good alternative is to sell it separately from the car. It is very likely to fetch a higher price if sold in this way, so it’s certainly an avenue worth exploring. Why not type your registration into New Reg’s valuation checker now, and we can provide you with a free quotation?
Scrapping a car with a private number plate
Your car may have come to the end of its life, and thus be bound for the scrapheap. In this case, you must decide whether or not to keep the number. If you don’t want to lose it – and perhaps its considerable monetary value – you should either assign it to another vehicle or put it on retention in advance of scrapping the car. That way, you’re free to sell or use it again in future.
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