Like any other industry, the scrap metal industry is highly regulated in the UK. With the high demand for scrap metal, there is a need to curb the trade to minimize scrap metal theft. This is why if you are planning on selling a car for scrap, you need to understand the legal guidelines to be on the safe side of the law. In this article, we will take a look at the legal procedures when scrapping your car.
Proof of Identity
It is illegal to sell anyone’s property without their consent. Therefore, when scrapping your car, you must have documents to prove your identity. This is what the Scrap Metal Dealer’s Act demands. You will need a current photocard driving license. You can also use:
- A valid UK Passport
- A valid UK immigration document
- European Economic Area state passport
As proof of residence, you could use:
- A credit card statement
- A bank statement
- Tax statement from the council
- Any utility bill
However, none of the above documents for proof of residence should be more than three months old.
The Vehicle Registration Certificate – V5C
Selling a car for scrap is common. In fact, over a million vehicles are scrapped every year in the UK, according to https://www.ukcarmovement.co.uk/. But to regulate the trade, you are required by law to have your vehicle registration certificate, the V5C, before scrapping. You need to take out the yellow strips and hand over the rest of the certificate to the ATF. These yellow papers will come in handy later.
What if You Do Not Have a V5C?
Remember the yellow pages you took out of your car’s registration certificate when scrapping? These come in handy when nullifying your ownership of the vehicle. If you do not have your registration certificate at the time of sale, you can write to the DVLA informing them that you are no longer the owner of the said vehicle.
Certificate of Destruction
You receive this document from the treatment facility after selling your old car. The scrapyard requests for the document from the DVLA, and issues it to the car owner.
Do not expect any communication from the DVLA .If you have been getting regular updates from them, you might receive a letter stating you are no longer the vehicle owner.
Now that you know the legal requirements and documents required when scrapping your car, how do you sell a car for scrap? Well, it is an easy process. Here are the simple steps:
- Find a local ATF to sell to
- Clean out your car to get rid of any trash
- Contact them for a quote or car valuation
- Agree on a pickup date
- Get your certificate of destruction
- Inform the DVLA of the sale
- Claim your unused road tax
Deciding to scrap your car may not be an easy decision. But, if you follow the legal guidelines above, you will keep on the right side of the law, and get some much needed money for your scrap car.