What is a V750 or V778?
These are the two DVLA documents that prove you hold a private registration. A V750 is a Certificate of Entitlement; a V778 is a Retention Document. Either one shows you're entitled to the reg when ordering road-legal plates.
The short version
When a private registration is held but not currently on a vehicle, the DVLA issues a document that shows who is entitled to it. There are two, depending on where the registration came from:
- V750 — Certificate of Entitlement. Issued when a registration has been bought or acquired but has not yet been assigned to a vehicle.
- V778 — Retention Document. Issued when a registration has been taken off a vehicle and placed on retention so it can be kept and used later.
Both prove your entitlement to the registration, which is exactly what we need to make road-legal plates for it.
V750 — Certificate of Entitlement
A V750 is the document you get when you hold a registration that has never been assigned to your vehicle yet — for example a reg bought directly from the DVLA or through a dealer. It names the person or business entitled to the registration and is used when you later assign that reg to a vehicle.
V778 — Retention Document
A V778 is issued when a registration is taken off a vehicle and put on retention. This is what you use to keep a personalised reg when you sell or change a car, so you can move it onto another vehicle in future. Like the V750, it shows the grantee entitled to the registration.
V750 vs V778 at a glance
| Document | Name | When you have one |
|---|---|---|
| V750 | Certificate of Entitlement | Reg bought/acquired but not yet on a vehicle |
| V778 | Retention Document | Reg taken off a vehicle and held on retention |
Why we ask for it. Road-legal plates can only be made for someone entitled to the registration. A valid V750 or V778 (or, where the reg is already on the vehicle, the vehicle's registration document) is what proves that entitlement. Show plates for off-road use are styled differently and have separate rules.
Using one to order plates
When you order road-legal plates, we ask for proof of identity and proof of entitlement. If your reg is held on a certificate rather than already on a vehicle, your V750 or V778 is the entitlement document you'll provide. The full list is on documents required, and you can read more about how compliant plates are made on road-legal plates.
Once your documents are confirmed, build your plates in the builder and we'll make them to the road-legal standard.
Got your V750 or V778 ready?
Build road-legal plates for your private registration today.