Informing The DVLA About A Bereavement

It is your responsibility to contact the DVLA when a family member has passed away. There are various things that you will need to do, which are detailed below.

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What You Need To Send The DVLA
If You Reside In Northern Ireland
If You Are Keeping The Vehicle
If You Want To Sell The Vehicle

What You Need To Send The DVLA

In the instance of a close family member passing away, who also held a driver’s licence, you will need to the DVLA some documents. These include:

• The person’s driving licence
• A letter that explains
  • What relation you are to the person who has died
  • The date of their death
  • Their name, address and date of birth
• Their registration certificate (also referred to as the V5C). If you don’t have this, don’t worry, you can just send the letter

Please do not send the original death certificate to the DVLA.

The driving licence should be sent to:

If you have the V5C (registration document), this should be sent to:

If You Reside In Northern Ireland

There is a different process for those who live in Northern Ireland. You will need to inform both the DVA and the DVLA about the person’s death, in order to prevent further correspondence being received relating to the driving licence or vehicle of the deceased person at a later date.

The driving licence of the person who has died should be returned the the DVA. You will also need to send a covering letter that explains the circumstances and how you are related to the person who has died. This should then be sent to:

If you are having difficulty finding the driving licence, you will need to write information about the deceased, which includes:

• Their name
• Their address
• Their date of birth
• How you are related to them (relative or executor)

This information should then be sent to the address shown above.

If the person who has died also owned a vehicle, you will need to send the V5C (sometimes called the registration certificate) to the DVLA. You will also need a letter to go with the V5C that explains:

• How you are related to the person who has passed away
• The date of their death
• Their name, address and date of birth

If you are unable to find the V5C, you can just send the letter with the relevant information. These should be sent to:

If You Are Keeping The Vehicle

What you have to do if you have decided to keep the vehicle will depend on whether or not you hold the V5C certificate (sometimes referred to as the registration certificate)

If You Hold The V5C Certificate

If you have the V5C certificate, you will need to:

• Fill in section 6, headed “new keeper details”
• Sign and date the “new keeper declaration”
• Take off and keep the V5C/2 part, which is called “new keepers supplement”. It is green in colour.

Then you will need to send the V5C to the DVLA’s Sensitive Casework Team. As well as the V5C, you will need to send a letter that states your relationship to the person who has died and the date of their death. The address you need to send these to is:

Within 4 weeks of the DVLA receiving your letter and V5C, you should be sent a new registration certificate.

If You Don’t Have The V5C Certificate

If you are unable to locate the V5C for whatever reason, you will need to complete a V62 form (Application for a vehicle registration certificate) and send this with the appropriate fee to the same address as is shown above.

You should also include a letter with the date of the person’s death and how you are related to them.

If You Want To Sell The Vehicle

If You Hold The V5C Certificate

If you have got the V5C certificate, you will need to:

• Complete section 6, “new keeper details”
• Get the person who is buying the care to sign and date the “new keeper declaration”
• Give the V5C/2 “new keepers supplement” to the buyer. It is green.

Then you need to send the V5C to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team who will deal with it now. You need to also include a letter that explains how you are related to the deceased and the date that they died. Send these to:

The new keeper of the vehicle should then get a new V5C within 4 weeks of the DVLA receiving the letter and original V5C.

If you are selling to a motor trader

You have to complete different steps if you are looking to sell to a motor trader. These are:

• Complete section 9 “sale/transfer to the motor trade”
• Get your chosen motor trader to sign and date this section
• Take off this section and return it to the DVLA
• Give the rest of the certificate that you have to the motor trader

You will then need to send the slip and a letter that states your relationship with the person who passed away and the date of their death to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team at:

If You Don’t Have The V5C Certificate

If you sell to someone who agrees to buy it without a registration certificate, they will need to complete a V62 form “Application for a vehicle registration certificate” and send it, along with the fee, to the DVLA.

You will then need to write a letter to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team. In the letter, you will need to detail:

• How you are related to the person who has died
• The date they died
• The date you sold the vehicle
• The name and address of the buyer

Send this to: