reg number query

[mwatsonxx]

Have agreed to buy a car today that has an 03 number plate but is recorded as first registered as an 08. I believe the car once had a personalised number plate.
Questions:
Am I being ripped off, is it an 03 or 08 or something else?
If not how do I get an 08 plate for the car? and is it worth the cost.
Been googling and searching dvla but non the wiser.

 

[Astra99]

The date of first registration recorded on the V5 is the one to look for. This remains the same irrespective of whether a personal plate has been assigned to the vehicle. If, as you say, the car is an 08, but shows an 03 plate, then it is likely it still has a personal plate, which may, or may not be transferred to you with the vehicle. The DVLA charge a fee of £80 to retain a personal plate, and will normally re-issue the vehicle's original registration number.
HTH

 

[JohnD]

If you have a personal or other paid for regno, you are allowed to have an older-looking number on your car, but not a newer one.

For example my Ferrari is JD01FER and my Bentley is JD01BEN, and my Rolls-Royces are JD01RRR, JD02RRR and JD03RRR, but I would not be allowed to put any of them on my Silver Ghost, because they are newer than the car, so it is JD01*

If you have an 08 car and you transfer away its personal plate, it will be given an 08 regno.

There's no reason to put an 03 plate on an 08 car unless it is a personal plate of some significance, like one of my Rollers.

You can check the age of the car to some extent by putting the regno into a major oil company or parts supplier website, it will say something like "your Phantom 6.7 V12 (N73 - 338kW) (P) (2003-) needs Helix Ultra 5W-40 (a, b)," or you can Check the MOT history of a vehicle in https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history which may give you other valuable information

"Check the MOT history of a vehicle
Check the past results of a vehicle’s MOT tests, including:

• if it passed or failed
• the mileage recorded when it was tested
• what parts failed at each test, and if any parts had minor problems
• when its next MOT is due

You can only get results for tests done in England, Scotland or Wales since 2005."








* in the interests of privacy, I do not show my real regnos.

 

[Mottie]

Or check it here. https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

 

[JohnD]

Or check it here. https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

looks ideal, it shows "Date of first registration"

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

You can check the age of the car to some extent by putting the regno into a major oil company or parts supplier website,..... or you can Check the MOT history of a vehicle in https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history which may give you other valuable information.....

Speaking of which I noticed recently that when checking the MOT history of a vehicle the actual test centre was specified but this appears now to have been suspended. Any ideas as to why?

 

[mwatsonxx]

The date of first registration recorded on the V5 is the one to look for. This remains the same irrespective of whether a personal plate has been assigned to the vehicle. If, as you say, the car is an 08, but shows an 03 plate, then it is likely it still has a personal plate, which may, or may not be transferred to you with the vehicle.

AStra99 - Thanks, thats exactly what has happened, the car is on its second personal plate. Thanks for taking the time everybody, Happy Christmas.

 

[Nige F]

Out of interest I looked up the old reg. of my grandfather's 1920's Douglas motorcycle. It's still in use on a new ish car. 2 letters and 2 numbers - must've made someone a few £

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Out of interest I looked up the old reg. of my grandfather's 1920's Douglas motorcycle. It's still in use on a new ish car. 2 letters and 2 numbers - must've made someone a few £

I used to own a 1960 Rover 100 P4. Sold it about 10 years ago. When I recently checked the reg number (four numbers then AD) it was on a 3 year old Audi. Shame as I suspect Rover has been scrapped and the reg no is all that remains.