Untaxed vehicles

Here you'll find details on how we deal with untaxed vehicles that we seize on behalf of DVLA. Please read carefully and then go to this page to find out how to collect your vehicle.

If we seize a vehicle which has been driven whilst untaxed, we will take it to a police pound. To reclaim your vehicle you must go to the pound with the following:

• the V5C Registration Document for the vehicle
• evidence that you have re-taxed the vehicle – Post Office receipt or DVLA website receipt
• photographic proof of identity – Driving Licence, Passport or other acceptable photographic identity
• evidence of your address – recent utility bill connecting the keeper to the registered address

The pound will ensure that the registered keeper database at DVLA is current and that it shows the claimants name and address, as validated by the identity documents produced.

If the claimant is not the registered keeper, who is residing at the registered address, the pound will require that the DVLA records are brought up-to-date before the vehicle is released.

Updating may involve making an official notification to DVLA of change of keeper which may require application for a replacement V5C. Unless exempted from payment of the fees, a further payment of the DVLA fees may be required.

Statutory charges

Full fees must be paid before a vehicle is released. If a cheque is used, the vehicle will not be released until the cheque has cleared.

The release fees are set by the Government and not the police and are set out in The Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles) Regulations 2008 as amended by The Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008).

In addition to the release fee, the keeper may remove their vehicle from the pound (e.g. in order to get an MOT so the vehicle may be taxed) upon payment of a surety.

The release fee is not refundable but the surety will be refunded, at the same pound, if reclaimed within 14 days, provided evidence of Excise Duty having been paid is produced at the vehicle pound.

The pound will check the duty payment is valid and will then issue the surety refund to the payee. If paid by credit card, the refund can be made to the card. If paid by cash, the refund can be made by cash or company cheque.

Please note: Declaring a vehicle SORN does not entitle the customer to a surety refund.