Legal claims arising from road incidents often turn on one practical question: who was the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time? Where a claim cannot be issued or served until that question is answered, a keeper trace may be a proportionate step.
We accept instructions from solicitors, insurers and other legal professionals, and from individuals who have a claim and a legal adviser, where the purpose is documented and lawful.
When we can assist
- identifying the keeper of a vehicle involved in a road traffic accident, in order to notify or issue a claim;
- identifying the keeper where the other party cannot be found and legal proceedings are contemplated;
- establishing the keeper at a date in the past for the purpose of a claim;
- supporting service of documents, where the court's requirements for service are met.
The DVLA recognises that insurers and solicitors acting for them may need keeper details to establish liability and recover costs, and it applies its own conditions to those requests. We apply a comparable approach to ours.
What we need
- your firm's name and your SRA number, or the equivalent for other professionals;
- the matter or claim reference and a short description of the proceedings contemplated or issued;
- the registration number, make and model of the vehicle, and the date of the incident;
- written confirmation that the keeper's details are needed for that matter;
- the client's authority, where you act for another person.
Keeper details and the DVLA
The DVLA holds the registered keeper record and releases it only for reasonable cause. A solicitor may apply to the DVLA directly, and the DVLA's published forms, including V888/2A for the keeper on a specific date, set out what it requires. Our service does not replace that route. It is available where a solicitor wants a screened trace, with a reply within 24 hours, to identify the registered keeper.
What we will do
We screen the request, confirm the fee in writing and carry out the trace. The result is checked and released to the instructing solicitor in writing. It may be used for the matter described and for no other purpose.
What we will not do
We do not trace a person for the purpose of private contact where there is no claim, and we do not act where a solicitor's involvement is cited but cannot be verified. We do not provide a witness-tracing or person-finding service as a substitute for proper process.
Data protection in legal work
Where we act for a firm, we will agree in writing whether we act as a processor or as an independent controller, and what the firm needs to tell the person traced.
Reasonable cause for legal claims
The DVLA's published scenarios recognise that insurers and solicitors acting for them may need keeper details to establish liability and recover costs, and that solicitors may need them for other claims. In each case the DVLA expects a claim or case reference and an explanation of why the information is needed. Our requirements follow the same pattern.
Practical points for instructing solicitors
- Give the matter reference and a short note of the claim, so that our record shows why the trace was needed.
- State the date of the incident. The keeper on that date may differ from the current keeper.
- Tell us whether you want the result sent to the firm only. We will not send it to the client directly unless you instruct us to.
- Where the person traced is likely to be told of the trace, consider how this fits with your own duties.
Common questions
Can you serve documents? No. We identify a keeper. Service must follow the court's rules and is a matter for the firm.
Do you accept instructions from litigants in person? We may do so where the proceedings are real and documented. We will ask for the claim form, a letter before claim or other evidence.
Can we instruct you on behalf of an insurer? Yes, with the insurer's authority and a claim reference.
Fees
Fees range from £50 to £200 inclusive of VAT. Where a firm instructs us regularly, we will discuss terms in writing. See the pricing page.
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