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If you’ve received a seizure notice/letter or your vehicle was seized on suspicion of being driven without a driving licence or valid insurance, go to our seized vehicle page to find the right information.
Here, you'll find information on what to do if your vehicle was impounded by the police because it was:
If your vehicle has been impounded and is being kept with one of our recovery garages you’ll receive a notice letter when it’s ready for collection. You will not receive any communication in respect of a vehicle seized under DVLA regulations from the police, only from the DVLA.
You'll need to go to the recovery garage to prove your identity and your ownership of the vehicle and pay any statutory charges. You must do this within the timeframe stated in the letter.
This means either:
Student or employer’s IDs won't be accepted.
This means either:
Unless the vehicle is being removed from the recovery garage on a recovery truck it will need either:
If you don't have a valid insurance policy you can't drive the vehicle on the road. You'll have to remove it from the recovery garage on a recovery truck.
If we have impounded a vehicle that has been driven while untaxed on behalf of the DVLA you will need to comply with its release procedure. This requires:
You can find full details about the statutory charges you'll have to pay in The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023.
For vehicles impounded before 6 April 2023 you'll have to pay the charges listed in The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles (Prescribed Sums and Charges) Regulations 2008.
These charges are set by government, not the police, and vary depending on the weight and condition of the vehicle.
Please note, the daily storage charges start from midday the day after the vehicle was seized.
If you can't go to the recovery garage in person then someone else can collect it on your behalf.
That person must bring with them the documents listed above and also:
If you want to get property from the impounded vehicle, but not the vehicle itself, you need to bring proof that you're the vehicle's owner or registered keeper (a V5C or V5C/10).
Someone else can collect property on your behalf, but they need to bring:
Please note, if the vehicle is badly damaged it might not be possible to get into it to remove property.
We'll hold your property for 90 days before we dispose of it.
If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn’t roadworthy or won’t start, you need to arrange for a fully trained, equipped and insured vehicle recovery operator to collect it at your own expense.
We don’t allow vehicles to be repaired while they’re at the recovery garage (this includes changing tyres, repairing windscreens or jump starting).
Bring a set of keys, in case the driver didn't leave the keys in the vehicle.
If the vehicle was in a collision and you’re not sure it’s roadworthy, consider having it recovered by a professional recovery operator.
We highly recommend taking your vehicle to a garage for a safety check if you’re getting it back after it’s been stolen.
The police, including recovery garage staff, can't advise on whether your vehicle is roadworthy.
If your vehicle doesn’t have correct number plates and you’re planning on driving it, you must bring valid replacement plates when you collect it.
If you’re driving under a provisional licence you must bring someone who:
Make sure you have L plates on the vehicle.
If you don’t want to reclaim your vehicle, this is called 'disclaiming', you need to go to the recovery garage with proof of identity and proof of ownership.
Once you sign the vehicle disclaimer, it will be disposed of straight away, by scrapping or by sale at auction. You'll no longer be responsible for taxing and insuring the vehicle. However, even if you disclaim the vehicle you will still be liable for the statutory disposal charges.