Guide
How to scrap your car
Scrapping a car properly takes about a week from first click to certificate, and most of that is waiting for a collection slot. Here is the whole process, what the law requires, and the mistakes that cost people money.
Step 1 — Get a price you can rely on
A scrap price is built on the car’s kerb weight multiplied by the current price of scrap metal, then adjusted for what is on the car: a catalytic converter, alloy wheels, a good battery, and whether it starts and drives. A quote that ignores those things is a guess, and guesses get “renegotiated” on the driveway. Our valuation looks the car up by registration and asks about condition before it commits to a figure.
Step 2 — Check who you are dealing with
Two things make a scrap buyer legitimate: an Authorised Treatment Facility permit from the Environment Agency, and a scrap metal dealer licence from the local council. Anyone collecting the vehicle also needs a waste carrier registration. We hold all three — ask the driver to show you if you like. If a buyer offers cash, walk away: it is illegal, and it usually means the car will not be scrapped at all.
Step 3 — Sort the paperwork
The driver needs to see:
- Photo ID — a driving licence or passport.
- Proof of address — a utility bill, bank statement or council tax letter from the last three months.
- The V5C logbook, if you have it. Keep the yellow V5C/3 slip (section 4 on newer logbooks) if you plan to tell the DVLA yourself, though we do that for you.
Take your belongings out, including anything in the boot and under the seats. Remove a private registration before collection if you want to keep it — once the car has a Certificate of Destruction the plate is gone.
Step 4 — Collection day
Our driver arrives in the slot you chose, checks the car matches what you told us, checks your ID, and sends the payment by bank transfer while you watch. The car is winched onto the truck and you are done. If you told us it was a non-runner and it turns out to start, or vice versa, the driver will say so and adjust there and then — never a surprise after the car has gone.
Step 5 — The certificate and the DVLA
Back at the yard the car is depolluted and dismantled, and we issue your Certificate of Destruction on the DVLA’s system. That is the moment your responsibility for the car ends: the DVLA record is updated, any remaining vehicle tax is refunded to you automatically, and you can cancel the insurance. Keep the certificate — it is your proof if anything ever comes back to the registration.
The mistakes that cost people money
- Taking a “guaranteed” price from a middleman who then sends a different firm to collect.
- Letting the car go without a Certificate of Destruction, and finding out a year later it was never scrapped.
- Cancelling the insurance and tax before the car has actually been collected.
- Selling the catalytic converter separately for a few pounds, and losing more than that off the scrap price.
- Leaving personal documents in the glovebox.
Common questions
Do I have to use an Authorised Treatment Facility?
Yes. Only an ATF licensed by the Environment Agency (or SEPA / NRW) can legally depollute and destroy a car and issue a Certificate of Destruction. If a buyer cannot show you an ATF permit, the car may be sold on, and you stay on the DVLA record as the keeper.
Can I be paid in cash?
No. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 it is a criminal offence for a scrap dealer to pay cash for a vehicle in England and Wales. Payment must be traceable — bank transfer or cheque — and made to the registered keeper.
Should I declare SORN before scrapping?
Not usually. If the car is taxed, leave it until it has been collected; the DVLA refunds remaining full months once the scrapping is notified. Declaring SORN only matters if the car will be sitting off the road, untaxed, for a while before collection.
What if I have lost the V5C?
You can still scrap the car. We check your photo ID and proof of address instead, and notify the DVLA ourselves. It is worth writing to the DVLA separately to say the vehicle has been scrapped, with the date and our details, so nothing bounces back to you.
How long until the DVLA record is updated?
We notify them when the Certificate of Destruction is issued, usually within a few days of collection. Their confirmation letter and any tax refund typically follow within four to six weeks.