How to sell a private plate without giving away your V750
Buyers want to know the certificate is real. Sellers do not want to hand over the details that let someone else assign the number. A DVLA check with a proof link solves both.
Why a photo of the certificate is risky
GOV.UK warns sellers not to share a scan or photograph of a V750 or V778, because someone other than the buyer might use it to put the number on another vehicle. Once a photo is in a chat or an email, you cannot take it back.
What to send the buyer instead
- Run a V750 check on Number Plate Validation. It takes the registration and certificate number once.
- Copy the proof link. It shows DVLA's result, the check time and only the last 7 characters of the certificate number.
- Generate a fresh buyer passphrase and send it with the link, so the buyer can confirm the proof came from your account.
- Refresh the proof just before payment, so the buyer sees a check from today.
What a buyer should check
- The plate on the proof page matches the plate in the advert.
- The result says valid and the check is recent.
- The passphrase the seller sent is accepted on the proof page.
- The seller's identity and the payment route are checked separately. A proof covers the certificate only.
Warning signs
- A seller who will only send a certificate photo and refuses a live check.
- A proof link that is weeks old, with no willingness to refresh it.
- Pressure to pay before the transfer details are agreed.