Registered number plate supplier - sales records
- Acceptable documents
- Used vehicle dealers
- Insurance claim cases
- General points
- Foreign number plates
The scheme requires businesses to provide records of sales to assist the Police and persons appointed by the Local Authority in the detection of crime.
Suppliers will need to keep records containing the following information. A template provided by DVLA may be used but this is not compulsory provided that all the relevant details are recorded in a suitable manner. To view the template please see Template provided by DVLA.
The template listed above is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. This means that, to be able to read and print the template you should have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. For further information please see the Adobe website.
• vehicle registration mark of plate to be sold
• customer name
• customer address
• a traceable number taken from original documents, not copies, presented to the supplier. For example, in the case of a driving licence and a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C), these would be;
• a driver number
• a document reference number taken from section 1 of the V5C
• if only section 10 (V5C/2) is available, the document reference number is shown in the bottom left hand corner
• in the case of plates fitted to a vehicle to a body repairer by an insurer, the insurer’s reference and policy number should be recorded in the absence of the V5C. This is in addition to documents confirming the customer’s name and address
Acceptable documents
Number plate suppliers must check original documents to confirm the customer’s identity, address and entitlement to the registration number. They must check at least one document from each of the lists below. They should ensure that whatever combination of documents is used, it must be sufficient to check name, address and entitlement.
The documents that can be accepted to confirm identity are:
• a driving licence whether or not issued in the United Kingdom (with or without a photograph). This is preferred because it is a secure, government-issued document showing both name and address
• a bill issued by electricity, gas or water supplier, a landline telephone bill or a council tax bill (current within the last 6 months)
• a bank or building society statement
• a passport (whether issued or not in the United Kingdom)
• a national identity card issued by the Government of a state or territory other than the United Kingdom
• a debit or credit card issued by a bank or building society (the requirement for a photograph no longer applies)
• a police warrant card
• an armed forces identity card
and
The documents to establish entitlement to the registration mark are:
• the preferred document is a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C)
• the tear off slip V5C/2 (section 10) of the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C)
• certificate of entitlement to a mark (V750)
• cherished transfer retention document (V778)
• vehicle Licence renewal form (V11)
• temporary registration certificate (V379)
• authorisation Certificate (V948) with official DVLA stamp
• a letter of authorisation from a fleet operator (including lease/hire company). The letter must quote the document reference number from the V5C. Quoting the vehicle identification number is no longer acceptable
Please note that whenever available, a unique number from the document should be recorded. For example, in the case of a driving licence, this would be the driver number and in the case of a V5C, it would be the 11-digit document reference number.
Used vehicle dealers
If a new number plate is fitted to a used vehicle prior to its sale, the used car dealer must be registered and will need to keep sales records showing proof of entitlement. The dealer will have the Registration Certificate (V5C) as proof of entitlement and must record the 11 digit document reference number shown in section 1. Please note that this only applies to refitting plates to used vehicle stock, not selling replacement plates when the personal identity will still need to be seen and recorded.
Insurance claim cases
In the case of plates fitted to a vehicle referred to a body repairer by an insurer, the V5C might not be available, so the supplier can record the insurer’s reference and policy number instead, together with proof of identity (as listed).
General points
• the purchaser of a plate does not have to be the registered keeper. It is possible for someone to purchase a number plate on behalf of someone else
• manufacturers or suppliers who supply components or complete plates to other suppliers to sell on, need to satisfy themselves that the business they are supplying is registered and their supplier identification number should be recorded against each sale. Thus the onus is on the last supplier in the supply chain to carry out the required verification of personal details and entitlement checks on a purchaser and to keep records of the sale
• the records must be kept for three years and made available for inspection at any reasonable time
• if proper records are not maintained, number plate suppliers are breaking the law under S24 of the Vehicles (Crime) Act
• please ensure that unwanted number plates are disposed of correctly and securely, so they cannot be used again. Ideally they should be cut into at least four pieces with none of the pieces being over 50% of the plate and the registration mark should not be left intact
Foreign number plates
Please note the scheme does not apply to foreign number plates. However, suppliers should ensure that foreign plates are for use on a foreign vehicle and not for a British registered vehicle. To guard against fraud, suppliers should ask for documentation to show what vehicle the plates are intended for and where possible record a document number noted on the evidence provided by the customer.
Page last updated: 16/11/2006