How do I scrap a car for someone who has died?

If you are dealing with the estate, you can arrange for the car to go to an Authorised Treatment Facility like ours, and we take care of the collection, the scrapping and the Certificate of Destruction. On top of that, the DVLA asks you to write to its Sensitive Casework Team so its records are updated and any road tax refund goes to the right person.

Who is allowed to scrap the car?

The person sorting out the estate, usually the executor named in the will or the administrator if there is no will, decides what happens to the car. If you are a close relative helping out, check with whoever is handling the estate before the car goes, especially if anyone else might want it.

When you book with us, let us know the registered keeper has died. On collection day we will ask for your own photo ID and proof of address, and it helps to have the V5C logbook if you can find it.

What do I need to tell the DVLA?

The DVLA has its own process for vehicles when a keeper dies. In short:

• Report the death. If the Tell Us Once service is available where you live, it can notify the DVLA along with other government departments. If not, you can write to the DVLA.
• Write about the car. The DVLA asks for a letter to its Sensitive Casework Team saying your relationship to the person, the date they died and who should receive any vehicle tax refund.
• Send the right part of the logbook. When a car goes to the motor trade, the DVLA's bereavement guidance says the trader fills in the yellow "sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade" section; you send that perforated section with your letter and give the rest of the V5C to the trader.

The address for the letter is DVLA Sensitive Casework Team, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ. You do not need to include a death certificate. The rules are different in Northern Ireland.

If you are not sure which forms apply to your situation, the DVLA's "Telling DVLA after someone dies" page on gov.uk sets it out, or you can contact the DVLA directly.

What happens to the road tax?

Vehicle tax cannot be passed on to anyone else, so it is cancelled once the DVLA knows the car has been scrapped. Any full months left are refunded automatically; you do not have to apply. That is why the letter should say who the refund should be paid to, otherwise it may be sent in the name on the logbook.

Any Direct Debit for the tax is cancelled automatically at the same time. Car insurance is separate, so remember to contact the insurer to cancel the policy after we have collected the car.

What if we cannot find the logbook?

That is common when a house is being cleared. We can still collect and scrap the car without the V5C using your ID and proof of address; our guide on scrapping without a logbook explains how. Make a note of the registration and, if possible, the VIN, as the DVLA letter will need to identify the car.

Is there anything to check before the car goes?

A few things are worth a look, because once the car has been scrapped they cannot be undone:

• A private number plate. If the car has a personalised registration you want to keep, it has to be taken off the car before scrapping. See our guide on private number plates.
• Finance. If the car was on a finance agreement, the finance company owns it until it is settled. Speak to them first.
• Personal belongings. Check the glovebox, door pockets, boot and under the seats. People often find documents, spare keys or items of sentimental value.
• Blue Badge or parking permits. Remove these and return them to the issuing council.

How does payment work for an estate?

We pay by bank transfer on the day we collect, never cash, as the law does not allow cash payments for scrap vehicles. Let us know which account the money should go to, for example the estate's account if one has been set up. Collection by our own drivers is free.

Quick answers

Do I need a death certificate to scrap the car? The DVLA's guidance says you do not need to send one with your letter. We will ask for your own ID and proof of address on the day.

Can I scrap the car before probate? That is a question for whoever is administering the estate and their solicitor, if they have one. We just need to know you are the right person to arrange it.

Will the tax refund come automatically? Yes, for any full months remaining, once the DVLA knows the car has been scrapped. Say in your letter who should receive it.

Do you issue the Certificate of Destruction? Yes. We are an Authorised Treatment Facility, so we notify the DVLA and issue the certificate ourselves.

When you are ready, get a quote and mention that the keeper has passed away so we can help with the details.