# Number Plate Validation

> Number Plate Validation is an independent UK service for private number plate sales. The seller runs a live DVLA check on their V750 Certificate of Entitlement, and the buyer gets a proof link showing the result, the check date and the last 7 characters of the certificate number. The full certificate number is never shown to the buyer and is not stored as plain text. It works with V750 certificates only; V778 retention documents cannot be checked.

Number Plate Validation helps people buying and selling UK private (cherished) number plates. A seller enters the registration and the certificate number from their V750 Certificate of Entitlement once; the site runs a live check with DVLA's public certificate checker and creates a proof link for the buyer. The buyer sees the DVLA result, when the check ran, a freshness label and the last 7 characters of the certificate number, and can confirm a passphrase from the seller. The full certificate number is never shown to the buyer and is not stored as plain text.

Key facts:
- Supports: V750 Certificate of Entitlement (the DVLA online checker only accepts V750).
- Not supported: V778 Retention Document (issued when a number is taken off a vehicle and kept on retention).
- GOV.UK advises sellers not to share a scan or photo of a V750 or V778; a proof link is an alternative.
- A proof covers certificate validity at a point in time only. It does not prove ownership, seller identity, payment safety or that a transfer will complete.
- Independent service, not DVLA or GOV.UK. Contact: support@numberplatevalidation.com

## Pages
- [How a Buyer-Safe V750 Check Works](https://numberplatevalidation.com/how-it-works/): Step by step: how a seller checks a V750 certificate with DVLA and how a buyer reads the proof link and confirms the passphrase.
- [V750 vs V778: Which Private Number Certificate Do You Have?](https://numberplatevalidation.com/v750-vs-v778/): The difference between a V750 Certificate of Entitlement and a V778 Retention Document, how to tell them apart, and which one can be checked online.
- [How to Sell a Private Number Plate Safely Without Sharing Your V750](https://numberplatevalidation.com/sell-private-number-plate-safely/): Why you should never send a buyer a photo of your V750, and how to prove the certificate is valid with a DVLA check and a proof link instead.
- [V750 Certificate Check FAQ](https://numberplatevalidation.com/faq/): Answers about checking a V750 certificate, why V778 retention documents are not supported, proof links, buyer passphrases and certificate privacy.
- [Verified Private Number Plates for Sale](https://numberplatevalidation.com/marketplace/): Private number plates listed with a recent DVLA V750 certificate check. Open each proof link before you make an enquiry.
- [Contact](https://numberplatevalidation.com/contact/): Contact Number Plate Validation support about accounts, proof links, V750 checks and privacy requests.
- [Disclaimer](https://numberplatevalidation.com/disclaimer/): What a Number Plate Validation proof covers and what it does not: certificate validity only, not ownership, identity, escrow or payment protection.
- [Privacy Policy](https://numberplatevalidation.com/privacy/): How Number Plate Validation handles account data, certificate check data, marketplace data and payment records.
- [Data Usage Policy](https://numberplatevalidation.com/data-usage/): How a certificate number moves through a check: sent to DVLA once, discarded, and replaced by a masked ending and a private hash.

## Common questions
- Can I prove my V750 certificate is valid without showing the buyer the certificate number? Yes. You enter the registration and certificate number on Number Plate Validation, we run a live check with DVLA's certificate checker, and the buyer gets a proof link. The link shows DVLA's result, the check time and only the last 7 characters of the certificate number.
- Can you check a V778 retention document? No. DVLA's online certificate checker only accepts the V750 Certificate of Entitlement, so we can only check V750s. A V778 is the document issued when a number is taken off a vehicle and kept on retention. If you hold a V778, do not run a check here, because it will be rejected and still use a credit.
- What is the difference between a V750 and a V778? A V750 Certificate of Entitlement gives the right to a private number that has not been put on a vehicle yet, typically after buying it from DVLA or a dealer. A V778 Retention Document is issued when a number is removed from a vehicle and kept. Both must be renewed every 10 years.
- Is it safe to send a buyer a photo of my V750? No. GOV.UK advises sellers not to share a scan or photograph of a V750 or V778, because someone other than the buyer could use the details to put the number on another vehicle. A proof link lets the buyer see the certificate checked out without you sending the document.
- Where do I find the certificate number on a V750? DVLA says the registration number and certificate number are printed below the purchaser's name and address on the certificate. Enter them exactly as shown.
- What does the buyer see on the proof page? The registration, DVLA's validity result, when the check ran, a freshness label, the expiry date if DVLA returns one, and the last 7 characters of the certificate number. They never see the full number, the document itself, or the purchaser's details.
- Does a valid proof mean the seller owns the number plate? No. It shows the certificate details checked out with DVLA at a specific time. It does not prove the seller's identity, ownership, right to sell, or that a future transfer will complete.
- Do you store my certificate number? No. The number is used once for the DVLA check and then discarded. We keep the last 7 characters and a private keyed hash, which lets us spot duplicates without being able to read the number back.
- What is the buyer passphrase? A short phrase you generate from your dashboard and send to the buyer with the proof link. The buyer types it on the proof page to confirm the link belongs to your account. Each new passphrase replaces the last, so an old copied message stops working.
- What does freshness mean? How long ago the DVLA check ran. A check from today is stronger evidence than one from last month. Buyers should ask the seller to refresh the proof before paying.
- Why would DVLA say a certificate is not valid? Common reasons are a typo in the registration or certificate number, a V778 entered instead of a V750, a certificate that was not renewed in time, a number that has already been put on a vehicle, or DVLA's service being unavailable.
- How much does a check cost? Each live DVLA check uses one validation credit, and refreshing a proof uses another because it runs a new check. Current prices are shown on the pricing page when it is published.
- Are you part of DVLA or GOV.UK? No. Number Plate Validation is an independent website. It sends your details to DVLA's public certificate checker and shows you the result.
- Is the marketplace an escrow or payment service? No. Listings are enquiry only. Use a trusted payment and transfer process for the sale itself.
- Can I take a proof link down? Yes. Revoke it from your dashboard and the public page stops showing the result. Revoked proofs can then be deleted.