Your vehicle or property has been damaged and the other driver left without leaving details. You have the number plate, perhaps from a witness or a camera, and you need to know who the registered keeper is so that you or your insurer can pursue the claim. The registered keeper is not always the owner of the car, so we explain the difference in every result. If you need to contact the owner of the other vehicle, say so in your request.
This is one of the circumstances in which the DVLA accepts that there may be reasonable cause to release keeper details. The DVLA's guidance describes a minor incident that has caused damage to a vehicle or property, or where the information is needed to deal with a personal injury claim, as a situation in which an individual may apply, provided reasonable cause can be shown.
What we need from you
We will ask for evidence that the incident took place and that the vehicle in question was involved. Helpful material includes:
- the registration number, make and model of the other vehicle;
- the date, time and location of the incident;
- photographs of the damage and, if you have it, footage or witness details;
- a repair estimate or invoice;
- the police reference or your insurer's claim number, if the incident has been reported;
- your own vehicle's registration number, if it was involved.
If you are instructing us for someone else, we need their written authority.
How we treat the request
Your reason for the search is read by a member of our team and tested against the evidence. We confirm that identifying the keeper is necessary, that is, that you have no practical alternative such as exchanging details, using your insurer or reporting to the police. We then confirm the fee in writing and carry out the trace.
Because keepers change, we trace the keeper on the date of the incident. We ask for the date for that reason.
What you receive
The result is sent only to you, in writing, with conditions on its use. It is limited to what is needed to pursue the damage claim.
What we will not do
- We do not trace a vehicle because the requester dislikes how someone parked or drove. A parking dispute with no damage and no legal claim is not a lawful purpose for a trace.
- We do not trace a driver in order to confront them.
- We do not provide a keeper's details to you for any purpose other than the one you gave us.
Your other options
You may also report the damage to the police and notify your own insurer, who may be able to pursue the other party without your needing the keeper's details. The DVLA also accepts applications from individuals by post, using form V888, for a fee set out in its guidance. Our DVLA V888 page compares that route with ours.
Accident, insurance and the keeper
Whether the damage arose in an accident or a parking incident, your insurance policy may require you to give the insurer the other party's details, and the insurer may be able to obtain them. Check your policy before you instruct us. If the insurer cannot or will not obtain the details, a trace may still be justified.
Reasonable cause and data protection
The DVLA will release a keeper's details only where a requester shows reasonable cause, and it expects the information to be used for the purpose given. We apply the same discipline. The keeper's name and address are personal data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and a damage claim is a legitimate reason to need them, but only to the extent necessary to pursue that claim.
Common questions
Do I need a police report for minor damage? Not always, but we will ask whether the incident has been reported, because a police or insurer reference is strong evidence of what happened. If you have not reported it, we may ask you to do so first.
What if I only have part of the registration? Please tell us what you saw and how you came to know it. A partial or uncertain registration risks identifying the wrong person, and we will not proceed on a guess.
What if the damage was caused on private land or in a car park? The place does not change the test. We will ask where it happened and who was told, for example the car park operator or the landowner, because they may hold footage or records that you can request directly.
Have a lawful reason to identify a registered keeper?
Tell us what has happened and why you need the information. We will reply within 24 hours.
Request a trace