In a perfect world, scrapping your car would be as easy as taking out the bins. You'd leave your vehicle outside, and the DVLA representative or scrap dealer would come round soon after to collect it without any hassle. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. The process of scrapping your car is not as simple as making a quick call and waiting for your vehicle to disappear off of your driveway. If you want to scrap your old motor, you have to get the proper documentation in order.
More to the point, you need your car's v5 registration certificate at hand. Commonly referred to as the vehicle logbook, this document plays a crucial role in the registered ownership of any car. Issued by the DVLA, it specifies who owns the car in question, and it outlines details that are unique to that specific vehicle (service history, miles, modifications, etc.). If you want to scrap your car without any trouble whatsoever, it's important that you provide the other party with this important piece of documentation. Should you fail to do so, you'll only make life ten times harder for yourself going forward.
Without the v5 document, everything about scrapping your car will be more complex than it ought to be. Fear not, however, as the team here at Scrapi are at hand to shed some light on the matter and let you know that you do still have options when it comes to getting rid of your old motor.
Can you scrap your car without a logbook? Read on to find out.
Can I scrap my car without a logbook?
In a word: yes. The law states that you can scrap your car even if you do not manage to locate its logbook. Of course, you'll find it a lot easier to rid your driveway of your vehicle if you manage to find this all-important piece of documentation, but rest assured you can still move forward with the scrapping process without it. It'll just mean that you will have to go through a little bit more red tape to ensure that your car is legally taken to the scrap yard.
Apply for a new logbook
Applying for a new vehicle logbook is the easiest route to take if you fail to locate the original documentation. It will cost you £25, but it'll save you a lot of time and effort going forward. As stated at gov.uk, whether you lost car registration document papers, they were stolen, damaged, or destroyed, there are no restrictions on you applying for a new one.
Should you wish to avoid the added hassle of scrapping a car without v5, simply get yourself a new v5c registration certificate. If you're the registered keeper on the missing logbook and your name, address and vehicle details haven't changed since you purchased the car, you will be able to apply for your new v5 document with the DVLA by phone. If your details have changed for whatever reason, you must apply for your new logbook by post. To apply by post for your new logbook, simply:
- Download and complete the application for a vehicle registration certificate (V62)
- Attach a cheque for £25 (made payable to 'DVLA, Swansea') to the application
- Send it the following address:
DVLA,
Swansea,
SA99 1DD
Note, if you apply by phone, your new logbook should be delivered to your property within five working days. If you apply by post, you could be forced to wait up to six weeks for your v5 document.
How to scrap a car without v5
If you don't wish to wait for a new v5 document to be delivered to your door (because you want your vehicle gone now, not in six weeks), it's especially important that you don't attempt to cut any corners when scrapping your vehicle. Should you take your vehicle to a scrapyard that isn't officially regarded as being an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), not only will you be liable to face a number of hefty fines, but you'll also land yourself in trouble with the law.
If you want to scrap a car without v5 with a registered dealer, you're going to need to gather as much information about yourself as you can. Your collection partner will, at the very least, need to see the following information:
- Proof of your address (this can be found on a gas, electric, water, or council tax bill that is dated within the last three months)
- A form of your ID (ideally, you should be able to show an in-date passport or driving license)
Once your car is finally off your drive, you then need to get in touch with the DVLA as soon as possible. They will not penalise you for scrapping your vehicle without a v5 document, but they will need confirmation from you that you are no longer the registered keeper of your vehicle. This will allow them to update their records, which, in turn, will help them to keep track of your old vehicle going forward.
Because you cannot send them section 9 of your logbook (or section 4 on all v5 documents certified after April 2019), you need to provide DVLA with the following details:
- The date in which your vehicle was taken off your hands
- Name, address, VAT number, and signature of the dealer that took your vehicle
- Your signature and the day's date
Do you need a logbook to scrap a car? Ideally, yes. In reality, no. Scrapping a car without v5 does make the process much more complex and stressful than it needs to be, but it doesn't make it impossible. Should you ever fail to locate your v5c registration certificate, don't automatically assume the worst. If you put the above advice into practice, your old vehicle will be off your driveway in no time.