DVLA - Historic Vehicle Registration Difficulties

Published: 14/08/2019

FBHVC has maintained a good working relationship with DVLA for around 30 years and has contributed to the setting up of the V765 scheme for the reissue of ‘lost’ registrations and the related arrangements for issuing age-related registrations. During that period a number of issues and difficulties have inevitably arisen and it has been possible to discuss them with DVLA and in many cases mutually satisfactory solutions have been found.

Regrettably that situation cannot be said to exist at present. The DVLA attitude towards vehicles, or registration applications, that don’t conform to the normal format has hardened and the majority of historic vehicles fall into this category. The Federation believes this change is due to a fundamentally praiseworthy drive for greater efficiency rather than overt hostility to historic vehicles. FBHVC will continue to make every effort to address these issues drawing on all the support at their disposal, particularly that of the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicle Group.

Meanwhile we must draw the attention of the historic vehicle community to a few specific areas of difficulty –

• First registration applications for vehicles originally supplied in CKD form will be rejected unless evidence can be supplied of the date of final assembly or first registration in the original destination country.
• First registration applications relying on a manufacture date stamped directly on the vehicle, or on a plate attached to the vehicle, even when supported by a dating statement from a relevant club are likely to be rejected.
• Satisfactory first registration applications even in a proven format may be rejected at the first attempt. Resubmission will often be successful.