DVLA

Ian Edmunds

Who they are and what they doDVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is an executive agency of DfT (Department for Transport). As the title implies its function is the management and issue of driver and vehicle licenses. Additionally, but very importantly, it acts as a tax collector for VED (vehicle excise duty) on behalf of the Treasury. An essential part of this vehicle registration/licensing process is the maintenance of an accurate record of vehicle and registered keeper details.

It is perhaps just as important to understand what DVLA do not do. Most significantly it does not make laws. All transport regulation is produced by DfT and all tax law, in this case specifically VED, falls under the jurisdiction of the Treasury. In all cases following due process they are introduced into law by Parliament. Something else that DVLA does not do is have any involvement with either driving tests or vehicle tests, these are the responsibility of a sister agency known as DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). These two agencies do, of course, work very closely together.

Incidentally, it is because of the involvement of the Treasury that the 40 year qualification for the historic tax class, and hence nil VED, commences in the April following the year in which the vehicle reaches 40 years old. April being, of course, the start of the tax year.

DVLA – Some BackgroundIn order to be able to use and enjoy their historic vehicle, it is well worthwhile for any owner to have a basic understanding of the various regulations with which they and their vehicle are required to comply. Not least amongst these are the rules pertaining to registration and licensing. As we all know these are administered by DVLA and it seems that everyone has their own story about DVLA – and not all of them are happy stories! Nevertheless I believe there is a lot of myth, urban legend and general misunderstanding about DVLA and its operations.

Whilst I am by no means an apologist for DVLA I can understand some of the difficulties they face and my task here is to attempt to separate fact from fiction.

History Before going on to explain a little of the key operations within DVLA it might be instructive to consider the organisation itself. Originally established in Swansea in the 1970s as DVLC (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre) it was housed in a large new purpose built building on the outskirts of the city which has, incidentally, the most wonderful views across the Brecon Beacons from the top floor! Not for nothing is the address ’Longview Road’! The objective was to move away from the old regional system and centralise all licensing records. To do this all active vehicle records were successively sent to Swansea and manually entered onto the wonderful new computer they had. They’ve still got it! The system in use today is still a development of that original although DVLA are now well advanced on work to replace it with a totally new system in the next year or two. However, I digress!

After each batch of records was entered onto the new register they were returned to the local authorities with Government instructions that they should be destroyed. Unfortunately many authorities complied, but not all. Today some old records survive with local authority archives and many more with the Kithead Trust1. Records of vehicles which were not in use at the time were not entered onto the new system, hence the V765 scheme, of which more anon. DVLA hold no records prior to the establishment of DVLC. However, none of the records from that time onwards have been destroyed and DVLA assure us that none will be.

Today’s operation Today the buildings have been significantly enlarged and it has become a very large operation that employs some 5000 people and is one of the major employers in the Swansea area. Even now, after considerable and generally successful attempts to move much of their business online, DVLA typically receive 86,000 items of mail every day! They are also the largest recipient of Royal Mail special delivery anywhere in the country. This mail arrives in two deliveries per day and the mail room works extended hours to handle them. Just to add a further layer of difficulty they have been advised by the security services that every incoming item should pass through an airport style security scanner. To assist with mail sorting different sections within DVLA are given different post codes and a list of the key ones follows.

A possibly more pertinent measure of the magnitude of the task allocated to DVLA is the fact that there are 38.4 million licensed vehicles on their record plus a further undisclosed number on SORN. The FBHVC 2019 Cost of Ownership Survey tells us that there are just over 1.2 million historic vehicles (of all types) in the UK. That is to say that ‘our’ vehicles are only just over 3% of the vehicles on the DVLA record.

As with all Government operations DVLA are under constant pressure to do more for less, and as tax payers we shouldn’t complain about that! Their major tool for increasing efficiency is increased systemisation, allowing the ever increasing workload to be handled more quickly. It is only common sense that these systems are designed to cater for the bulk of the work, that is to say the 97% not the 3%! It is my own experience, and that of most people I speak to, that these routine registration and licensing procedures for modern vehicles work very well indeed. So in that respect DVLA can be seen to be successful in their endeavours.

1 Kithead Trust kitheadtrust.org.uk

Historic vehicle difficultiesAt the same time it is an inescapable fact that the paperwork for old vehicles is all too often difficult to process, it does not necessarily follow any particular pattern, some parts of the modern paperwork which are very useful for registration purposes (eg Type Approval Certificates of Conformity) are not available and so on. The unavoidable result is that the registration of old vehicles is inherently incompatible with a highly systemised procedure. That is undoubtedly where many of the reported problems emanate, rather than deliberate obstructiveness as some believe.

It is the considered view of the Federation that it is completely unrealistic to expect any fundamental change to the way DVLA operate and therefore the most constructive approach for all historic vehicle owners and clubs to take is to attempt to understand DVLA procedures and work within them. FBHVC will continue to raise with DVLA any examples where they feel DVLA are not acting correctly by their own rules or where the rules are unreasonable.

V765There are two main circumstances where you may be seeking to register an old vehicle – the type of vehicle makes no difference here. The first is the previously mentioned V765 scheme. DVLA recognise that when the record was first centralised vehicles which were inactive, ie not licensed, at that time, did not have their records entered onto the new system. The V765 scheme was introduced to address this problem. If an owner has a contemporary document that shows both the frame/chassis number and the registration being claimed DVLA will reissue that registration. The preferred document is the old VE60 or RF60 log book but other suitable documents will be considered and can include bills of sale/invoices, service records, MoT and insurance documents amongst others. Applications will have to be supported by one of the Clubs which DVLA recognises for this purpose. These are listed on the V765/1 form.

SuggestionsFinally, although it is not the purpose of this document to even attempt to address all the potential pitfalls of registering an old vehicle, I will just touch on the two main procedures and the requirements for them. To my mind a useful starting point is to give a little thought to the clerk who will process your application. Whatever you may think of DVLA, and regardless of whether any misgivings are justified, the person sat in front of the screen is just that – a person! So try to make their task as easy as possible. Make your paperwork as clear and simple as you can and if you are supplying photographs ensure they actually clearly show the subject. All simple stuff but sometimes overlooked, perhaps in the enthusiasm to get a newly completed restoration registered as soon as possible. Don’t forget, your application will move forward much more smoothly if you use the right postcode.

If there is a problem and you get a rejection for a reason you can easily correct, the letter will have a reference for the clerk who sent it. Do use that reference when you are resubmitting a corrected application.

First Registration (Age-related)The other situation, often known as age-related registration, applies to ‘found’ vehicles where no document survives recording any previous UK registration or imported vehicles which have not previously been registered in the UK. These are known to DVLA as ‘first registrations’, by which they mean first registration onto the UK (DVLA) system. The key requirement is some form of documentary dating evidence, if at all possible factory records that show the date of manufacture against chassis/frame numbers. This needs to be supported by a vehicle report from a relevant club (which does not need to be on the V765/1 list). For imported vehicles the preferred evidence is the foreign registration document but other suitable evidence will be considered.

One of the aspects of this process which is less than ideal from the viewpoint of the historic vehicle community is that all first registrations are handled by the same team and, as with all of DVLA’s operations, the large majority are for modern vehicles. Thus the individuals involved do not have the opportunity to become as familiar with old vehicles as those dealing with V765 applications.

Remember, the documentary requirements mentioned above, or reasonable equivalents, are essential. Without them DVLA cannot register your vehicle! They are not being difficult – that is what they are required to have. It may be true that at some time in the past the requirements were different but we live now and things are as they are! Another aspect which should be born in mind is that owners, or registered keepers, do not own the registration number. The number was allocated by DVLA (or their predecessors) and can be withdrawn by them. An additional point to remember is that DVLA can only send a V5C registration document to a UK address.

Version control DVLA_O

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First Registration TeamDVLASwanseaSA99 1BE

ContactWith one notable exception (V765, see below) DVLA attempt to direct all contact from their customers (their term!) to the centralised Contact Centre to enable the process clerks to continue with their work uninterrupted. Personally I have some sympathy for the staff manning the phones as they are expected to know all about everything! Again, reports suggest that they are very good at the routine questions but, unfortunately but perhaps inevitably, not always so good on the more obscure questions. Again we should remember that our vehicles are a mere 3% of their total register and perhaps make some allowances accordingly. Although more laborious than a phone call the Federation always advises contacting DVLA in writing, letter or email, then there is a clear record of who said what and less risk of misunderstanding.

DVLA Sections and Post Codes

Remember to check FBHVC News for updates on all Federation activities. Published bi-monthly and available on the Federation website at fbhvc.co.uk/newsletter-archive

K&RDVLASwansea SA99 1ZZ

CCUDVLASwanseaSA99 1BA

First registration applications for an age related number (imported vehicle, or ‘found vehicle’ with no known previous GB registration number)

V765 & Reconstructed classic applicationsDirect email: V765clubs@dvla.gsi.gov.uk

Changes to a registered vehicle (including date of manufacture)

• K&R is Kits and Rebuilds • CCU is Central Capture Unit