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News & Alerts - Unofficial Guide to the DVLA Stolen Vehicles

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Understanding the changes in the automotive world is important for all drivers. Automobile news can impact your immediate driving decisions; and long-term changes, such as new legislation that deals with cars or drivers, may require a change in your driving habits.






What to do if Your Vehicle is Stolen?

If your vehicle is stolen you should report it immediately to the police. The police will notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of the details of the theft and any recovery of the vehicle on your behalf.

Call Your Local Police Station

Before calling the police to report the theft of your vehicle, make sure you have all the vehicle details to hand like registration number, make, model and colour of the vehicle. The police will give you a crime reference number which you will need in the event of an insurance claim and claim for a refund of vehicle tax on your tax disc.

Call Your Insurance Company

You will need to contact your insurance company immediately for advice. If your vehicle is not recovered and your insurance company pay-out a claim, then you should tell the DVLA the date the payment was accepted and the name and address of the insurance company.

You should complete the Notification of Sale or Transfer or V5/3 part of your registration document or the V5C/3 yellow section if you have the new style registration certificate. If your insurance company requests the whole of the registration document or certificate you should tell the DVLA in a letter giving the details of the insurance company and the date of the claim.

Refund of Vehicle Tax

You can apply for a refund on your vehicle tax if your vehicle has been stolen and not recovered. Many vehicles are recovered within a few days of theft, so it is advisable not to make the application until about seven days after the theft. A special application form V33 is available for this purpose. You will need the crime reference number given by the police. Further information on applying for a refund can be found on the link below.