Automobile Theft

What to do if your car is stolen

If your vehicle has been stolen, there are certain steps that need to be taken:

• Collect together all the vehicle details, such as registration number, manufacturer, model, colour, and insurance documents.
• Note down all belongings that were in your car and were stolen along with it. 
• Contact the police. They will assist you with any concerns and issue you with a crime reference number
• Contact your insurer. You will need the crime reference number when you do this. They will advise you on any claims you may be able to make.
• If your vehicle is not found and returned to you, then you may be liable to a payout. You will need to fill out the ‘notification of sale or transfer’ V5C/3 part of your VC5 registration document to inform the DVLA if you are eligible, in order that you will no longer be responsible for the vehicle.
• Reclaim your tax. You will need a V33 form to do this; they are only available directly from the DVLA. You will need the crime reference number from the police for this.

Personalised number plates

If you had personalised number plates for your vehicle when it was stolen and they are not returned to you within 1 year, you should be able to reclaim the same plates. To do this you must follow the procedure outlined above as the theft will have had to be registered with the DVLA for at least 1 year. You will also require a letter from your insurance company stating that they acquiesce to the reissuing.

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