How to tell the DVLA when you’ve scrapped your car

It is a legal requirement to inform the DVLA when you are going to scrap your vehicle, otherwise they will still assume you are the legal owner and are responsible for road tax.  No one wants to be paying road tax on a car that has been crushed!  As well as this, if you do not inform them in good time that you could face a £1000 fine which could have been avoided very easily.

If you choose to scrap your vehicle with Car.co.uk, they will inform the DVLA that the vehicle has been scrapped when they send your Certificate of Destruction, making things a lot simpler for you. However, if you decide to go elsewhere when scrapping your vehicle, there are certain things you need to know beforehand.

Tell the DVLA when the whole vehicle has been scrapped

When scrapping your vehicle, if you wish to scrap the whole thing (including the number plate) then you have a couple of different options when it comes to informing the DVLA.

Online

If you have easy access to a computer and internet then this is the easiest and most common way of alerting the DVLA that you have scrapped your vehicle. You will need three pieces of information to do so:

• Your 11-digit reference number from your logbook (V5C) in section 9
• Your registration number
• The name and address of the Authorised Treatment Facility that your vehicle was scrapped at.

Inputting this information on their website is quick and simple, it won’t take long and will prevent you from having to pay extra car tax or a fine later on.

By post

If the internet is not as easily accessible to you, or you’d rather do it the old-fashioned way, then you can let the DVLA know via post, and the process is still relatively simple. Be sure that you have your logbook (V5C) and fill out section 9. From here you will need to post the information to:

DVLA

Swansea

SA99 1AR

If you have sold your vehicle to your insurance company then the DVLA will need to get the information direct from your insurer if they asked to take the entire logbook.  If so, you will need to send a letter to the DVLA with the address and details of your insurance company, as well as the exact date you handed your vehicle over.

How will I know the DVLA know my vehicle has been scrapped?

As with any governmental agency, the DVLA as great with correspondence, and once they have all of the information they need, will send you a letter to confirm that you are no longer the registered keeper of the vehicle, so then you can relax. Be sure to file this away in a safe place in-case of any discrepancies further down the line.

If, however, you haven’t received a letter of confirmation within 4 weeks of sending yours, you should contact them on 0300 790 6802. You can speak to a member of staff and they will inform you what is happening.

Another thing to note is that they will refund any months you have left on your vehicle tax immediately. This is decided from the day they receive the information from you, so you should be quick to notify them so you receive more money back. The later you wait the less money will be refunded to you. If you pay your vehicle tax via direct debit, you don’t need to contact your bank as it will be cancelled automatically by the DVLA.

Hope this helps.  All the best.