Need advice? Call now on 01639 888833

Excellent

4.94 based on 14,208 reviews

What Happens if My Vehicle is Written Off?

If your vehicle becomes damaged as a result of an accident, its usually repairable, however there are cases when the damage is so severe that the cost of the repairs outweigh the value of the vehicle. This is what written off means. Private Number plates prices have been on the increase for a number of years so you may find the value of your registration plate has become a good investment. The important thing is that you don’t lose it.

Retain your Private Registration.

If you think this may be the case or the insurance company have stated that your vehicle is likely to be written-off, you must make an application to retain the registration before the DVLA change the record. This can be done by making an application to retain the number plate through the DVLA at a cost of £80.00. If you delay and DVLA do change the record so that the vehicle is marked as a write-off before you save the registration, you may have to wait 12 months before being allowed to use the number plate again.

Private Plate Company Write off.jpg

Who Owns the Registration Plate?

The registration plate that is on the car always remains the property of the DVLA. You are just the user of the plate regardless of the price you paid for it but you do have the exclusive rights to use it. What is very important is the name of the registered keeper. If you are the registered keeper then you must act quickly and make a retention application to save the number plate. Once you have retained the insurance company can be informed.

If the car is leased or on a PCP finance plan then you may not be the keeper on the V5. It may be the finance company. It’s really important, as the number plate is registered to the car and only the registered keeper can inform DVLA of any changes. This means that if the car is written off the registered keeper must inform the DVLA even though its your plate. You must contact the finance company and ask them to make the arrangement to retain the registration immediately before the insurance company tell the DVLA it’s a write off.

Our Same Day Retention Service

If preferred, we can arrange all the paperwork to secure your number plate onto a retention certificate for you for just £25 plus VAT and the DVLA fee.  We can usually complete the application the same day and re-instate the old number plate back on the car. Please call us on 01639 888833 or send an email to [email protected] for further information or assistance.

Bargain Plates
from £49

We have a number of special offers for same day transfer, for those of you on a budget but still want a private registration on your vehicle. Call us now to find out more.

See bargain plates

Buy at DVLA Auction from just £250

The next DVLA auction will be announced shortly. Grab yourself a bargain by placing an early bid.

Search DVLA Auction

Klarna finance available

We offer Klarna finance on private plate purchases from £500 to £5,000. Just choose the ‘Pay Monthly’ option at the payment stage during checkout to see the available deals.

Find out more