The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued an alert to UK drivers regarding their number plates. To be road legal, every car must have a certified plate, with Royal vehicles engaged in official duties being the only exception.
As the authority responsible for issuing driving licences and overseeing British motorists, the DVLA also shares crucial information to ensure safety on the roads. In an update on X on Monday, DVLA said: “Number plate lost, stolen or damaged? Registered number plate suppliers will ask for identity documents and proof you can use the registration number.”
The latest guidance emphasises that drivers must provide certain documents confirming their entitlement to the number, and further explains that people may need a new plate if theirs has been lost, stolen, or damaged. This may also be the case when importing a vehicle into the UK, or after getting a personalised number plate.
Additional details were made available via a link included by the DVLA in their communication. To confirm your name and address, the following identity documents are accepted: a valid driving licence, a recent utility, council tax, or rates bill (no older than six months), a bank or building society statement from the past six months, or a national identity card, as reported by Lancs Live.
To verify your eligibility to use the registration number, you will need one of the following documents: your vehicle registration certificate (V5C or V5CNI), the green “new keeper slip”, a certificate of entitlement, a retention document, a vehicle tax or SORN renewal reminder, a temporary registration certificate, a number plate authorisation certificate (either physical or electronic), a letter of authorisation from a fleet operator with the document reference number, or a UK trailer registration certificate.
Additionally, if your car is part of the new V5C on demand scheme, you can also use a PDF of the vehicle’s details from the view vehicle record service as proof.