Can someone pleeeese explain to me what "retention" means on private number plates????

Question

Many thanks.

Answer 1

Retention refers to the period when a private number isn't allocated to a specific vehicle.

It costs about £80 year.

If it weren't on retention you would lose it.

Answer 2

In the UK, if a registration number is not allocated to any particular car, it can be placed "on retention".
This means you have a certificate stating that the registration is registered in your name despite not being on a car. This allows it to be kept for transfer to another car at a future date. The retention must be renewed annually.

If a registration number ceases to be on a car (or the car is scrapped) without placing the number on retention, then generally the number no longer exists, and cannot be used again.

Answer 3

retention on a number plate means when you've bought a plate but don't want to put it on a vehicle straightaway,dvla have a system by which you pay £125 at the beginning,have a retention for your specific plate document;then,each year,if you still don't want to put it on a vehicle,you just pay £25 for that year...and so on til you do want to put it on a vehicle.when you eventually do want to put it on a vehicle,this will be free as you have already paid that £80.within your initial £125;so all you then do is complete the part of your retention document that says 'Transfer to a vehicle' . if you do not carry on paying the £ 25 each year when it is not on a vehicle it would then become the property of DVLA who can then re sell it and you would lose it

Answer 4

I would say that if you had a personalized plate. maybe "GOOD71..." that the retention is what allows you to keep those exact plate numbers and letters for the following year. Otherwise, if somebody else applied for the say thing before your plate renewed...you'd be out of luck.