Putting personal plate on retention - lead time for new V5

rubble2

I am looking to change my car in the next few weeks and ideally would like to put my personalised plate on retention for possible future use.
Checking on DVLA website it says that carrying out this process online is immediate and I can put the original plates back on the car straight away, but it then says that it could take up to six weeks to send me a new V5 and that I cannot sell the car until I have the new document.

Has anyone recently carried out this process and how long did the new V5 take to arrive? If it is going to take six weeks (and I am conscious that once I initiate the retention process on line I am committed to wait on DVLA getting the new V5 to me) I will probably have to sell the car with the personal plate still on the car.

Thanks.

missile

I did it in February and had the new V5C in three days.

GrumpyDil

Last time I did this online the V5C was with me in under a week.

Can't guarantee turn around times of course but even during Covid when I've done anything online (applied for replacement V5C and got a tax refund from a SORN) the cheque, V5C have been with me in under a week. 

Flight3287462

As long as everything done online should be within a week.  I had a number taken off a car recently to be put on retention and they didn't like it online and I had to fill in and post the form, they did it a lot quicker than I was expecting and I think it was under 10 days.  Certainly less than a fortnight.

The_Fat_Controller

I did this a month ago, all online.

Instant replacement number and associated downloadable document for the plates.

New paper V5 3 working days.

V778 retention document took around a week to arrive.

Sold vehicle privately, transferred keeper online, tax refund took a week to get to me.

New owner got V5 6 days after the online change.

justworriedabit

Hi OP

We did this several months ago  when  we bought a 3 digit reg online and took 3 to 5 days max as it was pleasantly fast we were impressed especially with covid. But times can vary and things may get lost in the post you have to make allowances for.

jimjames

missile said:

I did it in February and had the new V5C in three days.

Same here with it done online

BOWFER

Yup, did it recently on two cars and new V5s received within days.

born_again

Remember they have just been on a 4 day strike.

rubble2

Just a quick follow up to say that I applied for the new V5 on Wednesday 14th and it arrived in the post today. Well done DVLA.

ChrisZorro

Hello, I received V5C after 6 days but no retention document V778 do they usually arrive together ?