Complete guide to notifying DVLA, returning the driving licence, and handling the deceased's vehicle.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Notifications guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 14 min.
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You should not drive the vehicle on a public road until you have taxed and insured it in your own name. Car insurance is usually invalidated immediately when the policyholder dies. Even if the vehicle is still taxed, driving without valid insurance is a criminal offence. If you need to move the vehicle, arrange temporary cover first.
GOV.UK does not give a fixed processing time on the DVLA bereavement pages. If you are keeping the vehicle and have the V5C, GOV.UK says to use the green 'new keeper' slip to tax the vehicle in your name before using it on a public road. Do not wait for the new V5C.
If the V5C is lost, you will need to fill in form V62 (Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate) and pay a £25 fee. Send this with your letter to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team. The buyer will also need to fill in a V62 if you are selling the vehicle without a V5C.
Tell Us Once can cancel the deceased's driving licence and remove them as the registered keeper of up to five vehicles. However, you still need to contact DVLA separately if you want to sell the vehicle, transfer it into your name, or retain a personalised number plate. Tell Us Once handles the notification; the vehicle transfer is a separate step.
DVLA will automatically cancel the existing vehicle tax once they are notified of the death. You will receive a refund cheque for any full calendar months remaining on the tax. The refund is calculated from the date DVLA receives your letter, not the date of death. Partial months are not refunded. The cheque is made payable to the estate.
To retain or transfer a personalised number plate, you must be the executor or administrator of the estate, or have the written consent of all executors. DVLA requires a covering letter signed by all executors, along with a death certificate and either a certified copy of probate, a copy of the will, or a letter from the solicitor confirming who the executors are.
If the vehicle was purchased on finance (PCP, HP, or a personal loan secured against the vehicle), the finance does not automatically transfer to the new owner. Contact the finance company to discuss the options — they may allow the estate to settle the outstanding balance, or they may repossess the vehicle. Do not transfer the vehicle into your name until the finance position is resolved.
The MOT certificate is tied to the vehicle, not the owner, so it remains valid after a death. However, if the MOT has expired or is about to expire, you will need to arrange a new MOT before the vehicle can be driven on a public road. You can check the MOT status of any vehicle at check-mot.service.gov.uk using the registration number.