Maybe you have become accustomed to it or have attached sentimental value to the registration number of your vehicle. However, now that you are selling the vehicle, you realise that the number will stay with the vehicle and not with you. Your next question might be, can you transfer the registration number when you sell a car?
Generally, the answer to that question is “no”. The rule of thumb is that the registration number stays with the car throughout its life, so the next owner will be driving around with a car bearing the number that once belonged to you. Before you search for your next new or used car on AutoTrader, and sell your car quickly and easily with the Instant Offer service here, there are exceptions to the rule.
But there are exceptions, for a fee.
However, according to license registration expert Angie Bahll, who specialises in organising “special registration numbers for special cars”, it is in fact possible to transfer the number of a car you own to your next car. But, she cautions, you have to apply to the relevant traffic authority to do so in good time before the sale and registration processes of the cars are in process. And there will be a charge to achieve this.
Special, personalised numbers
In fact, traffic authorities in the major centres in the provinces each have a special department that, for a fee ranging from approximately R1 000 to R6 000, will allocate a special number to you, for the registration of your next car. Or, you can re-register your existing car with a personalised plate, once you decide to take the plunge.
Different rules for different provinces
Applying for a specific number is generally achieved via e-mail to the relevant licensing authority in your province. As traffic management is carried out on a provincial rather than a national level, you must contact the traffic authority closest to you to ascertain the specific rules for your area. There are different rules for the number of allowable letters and digits for each province.
Under no circumstances will a traffic authority reserve a specific number for you. Generally, applicants issue a top-six list of their desired numbers, ranging from first to last choices, and the authorities will then select the one available closest to the top of your list. All of this is done for a fee ranging from approximately R1 000 to R6 000.
It is possible to sell on your personalised plate if you have a very rare one.
There is a very healthy trade in special or personalised plates. Some very special numbers – say, for example, F1 GP -- have been known to trade between enthusiasts for upwards of R100 000. Just the thing to affix to your next Ferrari or McLaren!
Getting back to the subject of different Provinces…
As a point of interest, if you relocate to a new province, you will have to re-register your car in that new province where you have your primary residential address. This has to be done within 21 days of officially relocating to a new province.
In the Western Cape, registration numbers still refer to the city where a car’s owner is located: Such as “CA for Cape Town.” If an owner moves from one city to another within the Western Cape boundaries, it is possible to retain the registration number where the car was registered with the owner. So an owner moving from, Cape Town to Paarl, for instance, would still be able to retain the CA plates on his or her motor car. Registration numbers in KZN are also town-or-area-specific.
Do you want to sell your car instantly?
AutoTrader now makes it easier than ever to sell your car, with the introduction of our new Instant Offer service. After following this simple 3-step process, you will get a market-driven valuation for your car within minutes, and a solid cash offering within hours – safely, conveniently, and with total peace of mind.
