Do you want to transfer a personalised number when registering a vehicle?

If you’re registering a vehicle yourself or buying a brand new vehicle from a dealer and want to transfer or assign your personalised registration at the same time, you’ll need to produce documentation confirming both your name and address details.

Name and address checks

Name and address checks are required on all V55/4 and V55/5 applications that are associated with:

an application to transfer a registration number V317(NI)
assigning a registration number from a certificate of entitlement V750(NI)

This includes vehicles from Great Britain which are registered using forms V55/4 and V55/5. Name and address checks don’t apply where the transfer or assignment application is supported by a registration certificate V5C(NI). Motor dealers who hold a full trade plate licence will carry out name and address checks and provide details of these with the transfer or assignment application when registering the vehicle.

Motor dealers who don’t hold a full trade plate licence will include the relevant documents confirming your name and address with the transfer or assignment application and the other documents required to tax and register the vehicle.

In all cases, the documents confirming your name and address details will be returned directly to you. Applications that don’t include the relevant documents will not be processed and will be rejected back to you by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA)

Documents required

You must provide, along with your application, either your DVA photocard driving licence or one original document from each of the lists below. Copies are unacceptable.

Documentation confirming your name:

current DVA photocard paper driving licence
current passport
marriage certificate
decree nisi or absolute
birth certificate
electoral identity card

Documentation confirming your address:

utility bill - gas, electricity, water, telephone landline - within the last three months and showing the current address
bank or building society statement - within the last three months and showing the current address
medical card
rates bill/rent book for the current year

Corporate or fleet company applications

Applicants will have to provide two documents from the following list, one of which must show the current address (the only evidence acceptable on its own will be a trade plate licence issued by DVA, or trade licence number):

companies house registration certificate (embossed)
VAT registration certificate
company utility bill - within the last three months and showing current address
bank or building society statement - within the last three months and showing the current address
certificate of company insurance
letter from HM Revenue and Customs showing company details and tax reference number
company mortgage statement
property leasing agreement
solicitor's letter regarding conveyance of property
consumer credit licence

Postal applications

You can send the completed transfer or assignment application and V55/4 or V55/5 application form to your DVA local office. Make sure you include your document/s confirming your name and address, documents required to tax and register your vehicle ie: insurance certificate, MOT certificate and appropriate payment for the vehicle tax disc.

Where are the motor tax offices?

Returning your identity documents

In most cases your documentation will be returned with your vehicle tax disc. If you would like DVA to return your documents by special delivery, please provide your name and address, self-addressed on a pre-paid special-delivery envelope. DVA can’t guarantee to return your documents by a specific date or event (for example, a holiday).

Non-receipt of identity documents

Unless you contact DVA within three months of the date you sent your application, DVA won’t be able to carry out the necessary follow-up investigation both with your DVA local office and with Royal Mail. DVA won’t be liable to any claim after the three month period.