V317: Application to transfer or retain a vehicle registration number
Form V317 is the DVLA postal application for moving a vehicle registration number from one vehicle to another, or taking it off a vehicle and holding it on a retention document.
This is the genuine DVLA PDF, unmodified. Source: DVLA official page.
What is V317?
A registration number can be treated separately from the vehicle it currently sits on. V317 covers both halves of that: transferring the number straight onto another vehicle, and retaining it so that the right to use it is held on a V778 retention document until you assign it to a vehicle later. Gov.uk gives the transfer fee as £80.
The form asks for the donor vehicle, the vehicle the number is going onto where there is one, the registered keepers of both, and the grantee and nominee details for a retention. If the number is going onto a vehicle registered to someone else, both keepers complete the application and the vehicle registration certificate, or the new keeper supplement together with a V62, has to go with it. Where a vehicle also needs taxing, form V10, the tax payment and an MOT certificate are needed as well.
Who files V317?
- Keepers moving a private number plate between two vehicles they own
- People selling or buying a personalised registration who need it put on retention
- Keepers assigning a number to a vehicle registered in someone else's name, signed by both
- Anyone who cannot use the gov.uk online take off and put on services
How to fill out V317
- Decide whether you are transferring the number directly or retaining it on a V778 document.
- Complete the donor vehicle details and the registered keeper section, and get the second keeper to sign if the number is going onto their vehicle.
- Enter the grantee and any nominee for a retention, so DVLA knows who holds the right to the number.
- Gather the vehicle registration certificate (V5C) or the new keeper supplement with a completed V62, plus form V10, the tax payment and an MOT certificate if a vehicle also needs taxing.
- Send the signed form with the fee and supporting documents to DVLA, Swansea, at the address printed on the form.
Get V317
DVLA publishes V317 as a flat PDF with no built-in form fields, so there is no quick-fill form here. Open it in the editor to type directly onto the pages, tick boxes and sign, or download the official blank and complete it in your PDF reader or by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do this online instead of posting V317?
Yes. Gov.uk has separate online services to take a registration number off a vehicle and to put one on a vehicle. They are usually quicker than posting the paper form, and V317 exists mainly for cases the online route cannot handle.
What does it cost?
Gov.uk gives the transfer fee as £80. Other charges can apply, for example if a vehicle also needs taxing, so check the current fees on gov.uk before you send payment.
What is a V778?
It is the retention document DVLA issues when a number is taken off a vehicle and held rather than assigned straight away. It proves the right to use the number. Gov.uk warns against sharing scans or photographs of a V778 or V750 when advertising a number for sale.