Reservoir Motors

What to do if your vehicle is scrapped or written offYou should only tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that your vehicle has been scrapped if you actually break it up or destroy it yourself. In the event of the vehicle being written off, the insurance company will notify DVLA on your behalf.

Breaking the vehicle up yourself

If you break or destroy the vehicle yourself, you should notify DVLA by completing the ‘scrapped box’ on the registration document or certificate and enter the date of scrapping. Send the certificate to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BA.

Selling the vehicle for scrap

Scrap dealers and vehicle dismantlers are now known as authorised treatment facilities (ATFs), they will treat end of life vehicles in an environmentally friendly manner. If you pass your vehicle to an ATF and it is destroyed immediately, hand in your registration certificate. Certain types of vehicles, including cars and vans up to 3,500kgs, will be issued with a certificate of destruction (CoD). If the vehicle is not to be destroyed, you should fill in the V5C/3 section of the registration certificate to transfer keepership to the ATF. Send the V5/3C to DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BD.

If you have third party insurance cover

If you have third party insurance cover on your car and it has received substantial accident damage to the bodywork, you are required on change of ownership to surrender the registration document or certificate to DVLA before disposing of the vehicle. Substantial damage means the cost of commercial repair would exceed the value of the car.

What happens next

You will be liable for the vehicle until you have notified DVLA of the scrapping or sale of your vehicle. Once you have informed DVLA you will receive an acknowledgement letter confirming the discharge of liability of your vehicle. If you do not receive an acknowledgement letter within four weeks please contact 0870 240 0010. Customers with impaired hearing or speech who have access to text phone/minicom should ring 01792 782 756

Insurance company makes a total loss payment for your vehicle

If your insurance company decides to write off your vehicle, you must hand over the vehicle to them in return for a total loss payment. You will need to:

Under a special arrangement between DVLA and the insurance industry, your insurer may ask you for the whole registration document or certificate, which they will complete for you and send to the DVLA. If you decide to do this you should, in order to discharge your liability, write to DVLA Swansea SA99 1BR giving the date you passed the vehicle to the insurance company and details of their name and address.