After the death of a loved one, it’s important to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) as soon as possible and also to decide what you intend to do with the vehicle and transfer ownership.
You will need to start by writing a letter to the DVLA, informing them that a driver has died, enclosing the person’s driving licence with the letter, if you can find it. There is no phone number, sadly – you can only notify them by post.
You should also include your relationship to the person who died, the date they died and their name, address and date of birth.
The letter should be sent to the following address:
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1AB
You don’t need to send a death certificate. You should receive a response within 10 working days.
In a separate letter, you will need to inform the DVLA of whether you intend to sell the vehicle or keep it. Even if you are only keeping the vehicle temporarily, and you’re not using it, you will still need to notify the DVLA of the change of ownership and purchase road tax and insurance.
For Northern Ireland
If you are based in Northern Ireland, the process is different. First, you will need to return the driving licence to the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), explaining the circumstances, and state your relationship to the deceased, identifying yourself as executor or a relative.
If you can’t find the driving licence, you will need to state the name, address and date of birth of the deceased and your relationship to the deceased.
The letter should be sent to:
DVA
Driver Licensing Division
Castlerock Road
Waterside
Coleraine
BT51 3TB
For residents of Northern Ireland, if the deceased owned a vehicle you should send the person’s registration certificate to the DVLA. This is often referred to as form ‘V5C’.
You should include a letter with the documents, explaining your relationship to the person who has died, the date of death, their name, address and date of birth. If you don’t have the registration certificate, just send the letter on its own.
Send the letter to:
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1ZZ
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