It is a legal requirement for all scrap cars to be issued with an official DVLA Certificate of Destruction when they reach the end of their useful life. Unless you have this document, you could face a fine, and you will never be sure what your old car is being used for now, or where its parts have ended up. More importantly, you will still be liable for it.
Dramatic as that may sound, the reality is frightening. Cloned number plates can end up in foreign countries, and even worse, cars returned to the road by unscrupulous operators can result in prosecution for previous owners when they are used for criminal activity.
When you scrap your car, the only document that will remove your car from the DVLA’s database permanently and release you of liability is a DVLA Certificate of Destruction. Don’t be fooled by a ‘certificate of intent to destruct’ or any other made-up title, or indeed a company offering to send your V5C registration document to DVLA for you. Be aware of imitations and make sure you get the real thing. There is an image of what the correct ‘DVLA Certificate of Destruction’ looks like at the end of this article, featuring the DVLA logo, take a good look.
It may seem obvious, but not only is it imperative to get the right certificate, it is also important to keep it in a safe place. You will always need proof that the vehicle has been destroyed and you are no longer responsible for it – you could find yourself liable for road tax with nothing to prove that the car has been scrapped.
Another reason to get the right document, if avoiding fines and possible prosecutions wasn’t enough, is that the DVLA Certificate of Destruction can only be issued by approved Authorised Treatment Facilities. These are sites which have been licensed by the UK’s Environment Agencies to de-pollute scrap cars to standards set by DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). This is the only route that will ensure your car is recycled responsibly, and only these sites are permitted to issue last owners with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction.
Legal, professional and trustworthy car scrapping websites/services will issue you with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction using a secure online link to the DVLA’s vehicle registration database. The kind of company you want to be dealing with will be able to issue your certificate as soon as your car has arrived on site while you wait, or send it to you by e-mail or post to an address of your choice, if you have chosen to use their car collection service.
If you are planning on scrapping your car, save yourself the worry, look after the environment, protect your bank balance and even save yourself a criminal record… be sure the service you choose will issue you with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction.