How to notify DVLA when someone dies

When someone dies, the DVLA needs to be told – particularly if they held a driving licence or owned a vehicle. For most people this is straightforward, and if you use Tell Us Once when you register the death, DVLA will be notified automatically. But Tell Us Once only goes so far: it cancels the driving licence and ends vehicle tax, but it does not transfer ownership of the car or deal with the V5C logbook. Those steps still need doing separately.

This guide covers everything you need to handle with DVLA after a bereavement: how Tell Us Once interacts with DVLA, returning the driving licence, what to do with the V5C, how vehicle tax refunds work, and the important rules about driving the car before you have transferred it into your name.

Tell Us Once and DVLA

Tell Us Once is a free government service that lets you notify multiple departments about a death in a single step. When you register the death, the registrar will either complete Tell Us Once with you there and then, or give you a unique reference number to use online or by phone within 28 days.

For DVLA specifically, Tell Us Once does three things automatically:

• Cancels the deceased’s driving licence
• Removes them as the registered keeper of up to five vehicles
• Ends any vehicle tax on those vehicles

This is a significant time-saver. If the deceased held a driving licence and owned a car, Tell Us Once handles the formal notification in one step, without you having to contact DVLA separately about either.

However, Tell Us Once does not:

• Transfer ownership of a vehicle to a new keeper
• Arrange a V5C logbook in the new keeper’s name
• Cancel a vehicle tax direct debit from the deceased’s bank account (though the tax itself will end)
• Give you permission to drive the car

If you want to keep the vehicle, sell it, or scrap it, you will need to contact DVLA separately – even after completing Tell Us Once. The sections below explain exactly what to do.

(Source: gov.uk – organisations you need to contact and Tell Us Once)

Returning the driving licence

If Tell Us Once does not cover this (for example, if you are not using the service), or if you simply have the licence in hand and want to return it directly, write to DVLA with the following:

• Your name and relationship to the person who died
• The deceased’s full name, address, and date of birth
• The date they died
• The driving licence itself (if you have it)

You do not need to include a death certificate.

Send the letter and licence to:

DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB

If you cannot find the driving licence, do not worry – DVLA does not require it. Simply write to notify them of the death and explain that the licence cannot be located. There is no penalty for a missing licence in bereavement circumstances.

(Source: gov.uk – telling DVLA after someone dies)

The vehicle: what to do with the V5C logbook

The V5C logbook records who is the registered keeper of a vehicle. When the registered keeper dies, it needs to be transferred – whether you are keeping the vehicle, selling it, or scrapping it.

Important: vehicle tax cannot be transferred. Whatever you plan to do with the car, the existing vehicle tax will be cancelled and a new tax arrangement must be set up in the appropriate name.

If you want to keep the vehicle

You must register as the new keeper and tax the vehicle in your own name before you drive it on a public road. You cannot drive it – even briefly – before doing this. Using an untaxed or uninsured vehicle is a criminal offence. (Source: gov.uk – telling DVLA after someone dies: keeping a vehicle)

If you have the V5C:

1. Complete section 2 (new-style V5C) or section 6 (older style)

2. Keep the green ‘new keeper’ slip – you will need this to tax the vehicle

3. Write a letter including: your relationship to the person who died, the date they died, and who should receive any vehicle tax refund

4. Send the V5C and letter to:

   Sensitive Casework Team, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ

5. DVLA will cancel the existing vehicle tax and any direct debits, send a refund cheque for any unused tax months, and issue a new V5C in your name

6. Use the green new keeper slip to tax the vehicle before you drive it

If you do not have the V5C:

1. Complete form V62 (available from the Post Office or at gov.uk) – there is a £25 fee
2. Write the same explanatory letter
3. Send the form, fee, and letter to the Sensitive Casework Team at the address above
4. DVLA will issue a new V5C once they have processed the application
5. Tax the vehicle once the new V5C arrives before driving

If you want to keep the car off the road while you sort things out:

Include form V890 (the SORN – Statutory Off Road Notification) with your letter. This registers the vehicle as off the road, meaning no tax is required. A SORN is only valid while the vehicle is kept off public roads – it cannot be driven or parked on a public road while it is SORNed.

If you want to sell the vehicle

With V5C:

Complete the relevant section of the V5C to record the sale. Give the green ‘new keeper’ slip to a private buyer (or the yellow section to a motor trader). Send the rest of the V5C to DVLA with an explanatory letter, including the date of sale, your relationship to the deceased, the date of death, and who should receive the vehicle tax refund.

Without V5C:

Write a letter to the Sensitive Casework Team with the date of sale, your relationship to the deceased, the date of death, the buyer’s details, and who should receive any vehicle tax refund. The buyer will need to apply for a replacement V5C using form V62.

If you want to scrap the vehicle

Notify the authorised treatment facility (ATF) – the scrap yard – that the owner is deceased. They will issue a Certificate of Destruction and notify DVLA on your behalf. Send the V5C to the ATF when you hand over the vehicle.

(Source: gov.uk – telling DVLA after someone dies)

Vehicle tax: refunds and direct debits

When DVLA is notified of a death – whether through Tell Us Once or directly – the existing vehicle tax is cancelled immediately. DVLA will issue a refund cheque to the estate for any full months of tax that remain unused.

If the vehicle tax was paid by direct debit from the deceased’s bank account, DVLA cancels the direct debit when they process the notification. However, if there is a timing issue (for example, a payment goes out before the cancellation is processed), contact the bank directly to stop further payments. The estate is entitled to a refund of any overpaid vehicle tax.

If the vehicle is being kept by a family member or executor:

Once the new V5C is in place, the new keeper will need to set up their own vehicle tax. They can do this using the green ‘new keeper’ slip at the Post Office or online via gov.uk/vehicle-tax. Tax must be in place before the vehicle is driven on a public road.

If you want to keep the car off the road:

File a SORN (form V890, sent with your letter to the Sensitive Casework Team). A SORNed vehicle does not need to be taxed, but it cannot be driven or parked on a public road.

(Source: gov.uk – telling DVLA after someone dies)

Driving the car after a bereavement

This is one of the most important things to understand, and it is often mishandled.

You cannot legally drive the deceased’s car until:

1. The vehicle tax is in your name (or the vehicle has a valid SORN and you are not driving it on a public road)
2. You have motor insurance that covers you to drive that vehicle

Vehicle tax does not transfer. Even if the deceased’s vehicle tax was valid until next year, it is cancelled when DVLA processes the notification. The new keeper must tax the vehicle before using it on a public road.

Insurance is equally important. The deceased’s motor insurance policy does not extend to cover other drivers of the vehicle after the policyholder dies. You must either obtain insurance in your own name before driving, or arrange temporary cover. Contact the insurer as soon as possible to notify them of the death and understand your position. Note that car insurance is not covered by Tell Us Once – you must notify the insurer separately. For a full guide to the insurance process, see what happens to car insurance when someone dies.

Driving an untaxed or uninsured vehicle can result in prosecution, a fine, and – in the case of no insurance – penalty points on your own licence. (Source: gov.uk – telling DVLA after someone dies: keeping a vehicle)

Practical steps before driving the car:

1. Do not drive it until the V5C and tax are in your name
2. Notify the insurer of the death immediately and check whether the vehicle is still insured
3. If the insurer is unclear, arrange temporary cover before driving
4. Use the green ‘new keeper’ slip to tax the vehicle as soon as DVLA processes the V5C transfer

DVLA tasks at a glance

Common questions

Does Tell Us Once notify DVLA?

Yes. Tell Us Once notifies DVLA to cancel the deceased’s driving licence, remove them as the registered keeper of up to five vehicles, and end vehicle tax on those vehicles. This is automatic when you complete Tell Us Once after registering the death.

However, Tell Us Once does not transfer the vehicle to a new keeper or give anyone the right to drive it. Those steps require a separate process with DVLA’s Sensitive Casework Team. (Source: gov.uk – organisations you need to contact and Tell Us Once)

What happens to a driving licence when someone dies?

The driving licence is cancelled when DVLA is notified of the death. If you have the licence, you should return it to DVLA with a brief letter (no death certificate needed) to: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB. If the licence cannot be found, write to DVLA to notify them of the death and note that the licence is not available. There is no penalty for a missing licence in bereavement circumstances.

Do I need to inform DVLA if the car is being sold?

Yes, if you want the vehicle tax refund and want the records updated correctly. If Tell Us Once has already been completed, DVLA will have removed the deceased as the registered keeper. But when the vehicle is sold, you still need to notify DVLA of the sale – including the date, the buyer’s details, and who should receive any vehicle tax refund – by writing to the Sensitive Casework Team, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ with the relevant V5C sections completed.

Summary

The fastest route is Tell Us Once, which handles the driving licence cancellation and removes the deceased as keeper automatically. Use it within 28 days of registering the death.

After that, the main practical task is the vehicle – whether you are keeping it, selling it, or scrapping it. Each route requires a letter (and usually the V5C) sent to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team at SA99 1ZZ. Do not drive the car until the V5C is transferred and vehicle tax and insurance are in place.

Key contacts:

• Tell Us Once: gov.uk/after-a-death
• DVLA bereavement guidance: gov.uk/tell-dvla-about-bereavement
• DVLA phone (bereavement): 0300 083 0090 – Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm; Saturday, 8am to 2pm
• General notifications: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB
• V5C transfers (Sensitive Casework Team): DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ

For a full list of organisations to notify after a death – banks, utilities, government departments – see our complete notification guide. If the deceased had significant assets, you may also need to consider probate before transferring the vehicle or other property.

If the deceased also held a British passport, the process for cancelling it is equally straightforward. Like DVLA, the Passport Office is covered by Tell Us Once – or you can return the passport by post to HMPO, PO Box 767, Southport, PR8 9PW. See our guide to cancelling a passport after a death for the full details.