UK Guide to Private Plates on a Lease Car (2026)

Yes, you can put a private plate on a lease car, and it's one of the most common requests we get. The catch is that the finance company is the registered keeper, not you, so every step goes through them. This guide from First Vehicle Leasing covers putting a plate on, getting it back off, the fees for 2026 and the DVLA rules you need to follow.

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Can You Put a Private Plate on a Lease Car?

Yes. Any lease car can carry a private (personalised) number plate, as long as the finance company that owns it agrees and is named as the nominee on your plate certificate. You can't start until the car has been delivered and registered with DVLA. Most funders are happy to do it, but they usually charge an admin fee for the paperwork.

Three parties are involved: you, DVLA and the funder. The funder is the finance company that buys the car and rents it to you. On Personal Contract Hire (PCH) or Business Contract Hire (BCH) you never own the vehicle, so the funder holds the V5C, which is the car's logbook. That's why you can't use DVLA's online service yourself. The process is the same whether you lease a BMW 3 Series or a city car.

What Do V750, V778 and Nominee Mean?

A V750 proves you own a brand-new registration that has never been on a car. A V778 proves you own a registration that has been taken off a car. The nominee is the person or company you name so the plate can go on their vehicle. For a lease car, the nominee is always the funder.

How Do You Put a Private Plate on a Lease Car?

Once the car is delivered, add the funder as nominee on your V750 or V778. Then send the certificate to the funder with their admin fee, and they'll ask DVLA to assign the number. Don't fit the new plates until the funder confirms the transfer is complete, then tell your insurer the new registration straight away.

Step 1: Confirm the funder's details with us

We'll give you the funder's exact legal name, their address for paperwork and their current admin fee. A small spelling mistake in the nominee name is enough for an application to be rejected.

Step 2: Add the funder as nominee

According to GOV.UK's guidance on assigning a private number, you fill in section 2 of the V750 or V778 when the plate is going on someone else's vehicle. If your V750 is held in a DVLA personalised registration account, you can change the nominee online.

Step 3: Send the certificate and fee to the funder

Include a short covering letter with the car's current registration and your agreement number. The funder then deals with DVLA and sends you confirmation.

Step 4: Fit the plates and update your records

Get plates made by a DVLA-registered supplier. Then update your insurer and any auto-pay accounts, such as the Dart Charge, the London Congestion Charge or ULEZ. If you don't, you could get penalty charges.

How Do You Take a Private Plate Off a Lease Car?

Tell us you want to keep your plate at least 8 weeks before your collection date. The funder applies to DVLA to take it off, which costs £80 plus their admin fee. DVLA sends you a V778 and puts the car's original registration back on. You then refit the original plates before the car is collected.

1. Contact us at least 8 weeks before collection. We'll ask the funder to start the retention (the DVLA process for taking a plate off a car and holding it on a V778).
2. Pay the £80 DVLA fee and the funder's admin fee. The car isn't registered in your name, so DVLA says you can't apply yourself online. Postal applications through the funder take longer.
3. Check that you're named as grantee. If nobody is named, the V778 goes to the registered keeper, which is the funder.
4. Refit the original plates. DVLA puts the original registration back on the car automatically, so keep the old plates somewhere safe for the whole lease.
5. Tell your insurer again. The car will be back on its original number for its last few weeks with you.

Our end of contract guides explain the rest of the handback process.

How Much Does a Private Plate on a Lease Car Cost in 2026?

DVLA charges nothing to put a plate on a car from a V750 or V778. It charges £80 to take a plate off a car. On top of this, most funders charge an admin fee each time: once to put the plate on and once to take it off. Each finance company sets its own fee, so check before you start.

A private plate doesn't change your monthly rental. The costs are one-off fees, and all of them are outside your lease agreement.

What Are the DVLA Rules for Private Plates in 2026?

Your plate can't make the car look newer than it is, and it must be made to BS AU 145e by a DVLA-registered supplier. The spacing and the Charles Wright 2001 font must be exactly right. Breaking these rules can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and a failed MOT, and DVLA can take the registration away for good.

• Age rule: older or dateless registrations (ones with no year identifier, such as ABC 123) can go on any car. A newer one can't. The 76 plate arrived in September 2026, so it can't go on a 26-plate car.
• No creative spacing: GOV.UK's rules on displaying number plates say you can't rearrange or change characters to spell out words.
• Supplier markings: plates fitted since 1 September 2021 must show the supplier's name and postcode and the BS AU 145e mark.
• Green flash: zero-emission cars can show the optional green flash on their plates.
• Stricter checks: the government is cracking down on "ghost plates", which are made to fool enforcement cameras. It is tightening checks on plate suppliers, so expect to show ID and your entitlement documents when you order plates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written by Andy Bell, First Vehicle Leasing.