To qualify for the retention scheme, both the donor vehicle and the receiving vehicle must be available for authenticity inspection. Only testable vehicles are valid for participation in the scheme, which means that vehicles such as tractors and battery-operated vehicles, for example milk floats, cannot participate. A valid MOT certificate, if the vehicle is three or more years old, must be submitted along with the application for retention.

Vehicles must hold or be in the process of acquiring, a valid licence (tax disc). Applications may still be considered if the licence expired less than six months from the date of the application. However, this concession will not apply if the licence was surrendered voluntarily for a refund.

The retention document, V788, is only valid for a twelve-month period. If, during this period, the number plate is assigned to a vehicle then a replacement tax disc will be issued and the MOT certificate for the vehicle will be endorsed with the new registration mark. The DVLA will also issue new registration documents to the registered keeper detailing these changes. It is imperative that your insurer is immediately notified of the changes.

If you are planning to sell a vehicle with a private registration plate, which is subject to a retention application, it is necessary to await receipt of the documents confirming that the process is complete before you do so, otherwise you may lose entitlement to the mark.