How to Notify the DVLA When Someone Dies: A Complete UK Guide

When someone dies, there is a long list of organisations that need to be told. One of the most important, and most commonly overlooked, is the DVLA. Whether the person held a driving licence, owned a vehicle, or both, you will need to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as part of the death administration process.

This guide walks you through exactly what needs to happen, step by step.

Why You Need to Tell the DVLA

There are two main reasons the DVLA needs to know about a death:

1. The driving licence must be cancelled. A deceased person's licence needs to be taken out of the system. This is a legal requirement and helps prevent identity fraud.
2. Any vehicles registered in their name need to be dealt with. If the person owned a car, motorcycle, or any other vehicle, the registration (V5C) must be updated to reflect the change of ownership or the vehicle must be declared off the road (SORN).

Failing to update vehicle records can lead to complications with road tax, insurance, and even penalty notices.

Step 1: Use the Tell Us Once Service

If you registered the death with the local council, you may have been offered the Tell Us Once service. This is a government service that lets you report a death to most major government departments in a single notification, including the DVLA.

If you used Tell Us Once, the DVLA will be informed automatically, and the driving licence will be cancelled. However, Tell Us Once does not deal with vehicles. You will still need to handle vehicle registration separately.

Not all local authorities offer Tell Us Once. If yours does not, you will need to contact the DVLA directly.

Step 2: Return the Driving Licence

If Tell Us Once was not available or you are handling the licence yourself, you need to return it to the DVLA by post.

What to send:

• The original driving licence (photocard and/or paper counterpart)
• A letter explaining that the licence holder has died
• The date of death
• Your name and contact details as the person notifying

Send to:

DVLA Swansea SA99 1AB

You do not need to include a death certificate, although having the registration number or driver number to hand can help if there are any queries.

If you cannot find the driving licence, send the letter anyway with as much identifying information as possible, such as the person's full name, date of birth, and last known address.

Step 3: Deal with Any Vehicles

This is often the more complex part. What you need to do depends on what is happening with the vehicle.

If the Vehicle Is Being Kept by a Family Member

You need to update the V5C (vehicle registration certificate, also known as the logbook) to transfer the vehicle into the new keeper's name.

To do this:

1. Complete the "new keeper" section (Section 6) of the V5C
2. Write a letter confirming the previous keeper has died
3. Send both to the DVLA at the Swansea address above

The new keeper should also make sure the vehicle is properly insured in their own name before driving it. The deceased person's insurance policy will not cover other drivers after their death, even if it previously did.

If the Vehicle Is Being Sold

You can sell the vehicle as part of the estate. The executor or administrator of the estate has the legal authority to do this.

1. Complete Section 6 of the V5C with the buyer's details
2. Give the new keeper supplement (green slip) to the buyer
3. Send the rest of the V5C to the DVLA with a covering letter

If probate has not yet been granted, you may want to wait before selling, as technically the executor's authority is confirmed by the grant of probate. However, for low-value vehicles, this is often handled informally.

If the Vehicle Is Being Scrapped

If the vehicle is no longer roadworthy or you simply want to dispose of it, take it to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). They will issue a Certificate of Destruction, which you should keep for your records.

The ATF should notify the DVLA, but it is good practice to confirm this has been done.

If the Vehicle Will Not Be Used

If the vehicle is going to be kept off the road while you sort out the estate, you need to declare a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). You can do this online at gov.uk/sorn or by calling the DVLA.

A SORN means you will not need to pay vehicle tax while the car is off the road. However, the vehicle must not be parked on a public road while under SORN.

Step 4: Vehicle Tax (Road Tax)

When the DVLA is informed that the registered keeper has died, any vehicle tax paid by direct debit will be cancelled. A refund for any full remaining months will usually be issued automatically.

If the vehicle tax was paid in a lump sum, the refund will be sent to the estate. Make sure you keep records of the vehicle's tax status in case there are any discrepancies.

If you are transferring the vehicle to a new keeper, they will need to tax the vehicle in their own name before driving it on public roads. You can do this at gov.uk/vehicle-tax.

Step 5: Deal with Outstanding Fines or Penalties

If there are any unpaid parking tickets, speeding fines, or congestion charge notices in the deceased person's name, these become a debt of the estate. The executor is responsible for settling these from the estate's assets, not from their own pocket.

Contact the relevant issuing authority (local council, TfL, police force) to explain the situation. In most cases, they will work with you to resolve the matter once they are aware of the bereavement.

Common Questions

Do I need probate to deal with the DVLA?

No. You do not need a grant of probate to cancel a driving licence or to notify the DVLA of a death. For transferring vehicle ownership, probate is not always required for lower-value vehicles, but the DVLA may ask for confirmation that you have legal authority to act on behalf of the estate.

What if I cannot find the V5C?

If the logbook is missing, you can apply for a replacement using form V62 from the DVLA, or download it from gov.uk. There is a small fee.

How long do I have to notify the DVLA?

There is no strict legal deadline, but it is best to act promptly. Delays can lead to vehicle tax bills, insurance complications, or penalty charge notices continuing to arrive in the deceased person's name.

Keeping Track of Everything

Notifying the DVLA is just one of many tasks you will face after a bereavement. Between government departments, banks, utilities, and insurers, the list can feel endless.

GetPassage helps you keep track of every notification and task in one place, so nothing falls through the cracks during an already difficult time. It is free to use and designed specifically for people navigating death administration in the UK.

A Final Note

Dealing with someone's driving licence and car might feel like a small thing compared to everything else you are going through. But these practical tasks have a way of piling up, and each one you complete is a step forward. Take them one at a time, and do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it.