Frequently asked questions

Not simply because you want to. The registered keeper's details are personal data. They can be released only where there is a lawful purpose, such as reasonable cause of the kind the DVLA recognises: for example, establishing who was responsible for an accident, dealing with an abandoned vehicle or pursuing a legal claim. We screen every request for a lawful purpose before any trace begins.

No. We do not provide a person's home address on request and we do not offer a service for finding where someone lives. Where a request passes screening, we release only what is necessary for the purpose given.

A documented reason that justifies identifying the keeper and cannot reasonably be met in another way. Examples are damage to a parked vehicle, a collision where the driver left and the police have been told, a vehicle abandoned on private land, a legal claim that needs a keeper to be identified, and a debt supported by a judgment or a written agreement. Our acceptable use and lawful purpose policy sets out the criteria.

We decline requests that have no lawful basis, requests we cannot verify, and requests that appear to be personal. We do not trace a former partner, a relative, a neighbour, or anyone who may not wish to be found, and we do not trace a vehicle to follow a person's movements or find out where they live.

Because the reason is the basis on which we decide whether to act. The "reason for search" field is mandatory, and a request without a clear reason cannot be considered. We also keep a record of each decision, so that we can show why a trace was or was not carried out.

Not always. The registered keeper is the person recorded by the DVLA as responsible for the vehicle, and is usually the person who taxes and insures it. The owner may be a different person or a company, for example where the vehicle is on finance or lease. The keeper is also not necessarily the person who was driving. A trace identifies the keeper on the date relevant to your request.

Fees range from £50 to £200 per trace, inclusive of VAT. We confirm the fee in writing after your request has been accepted and before work starts. See the pricing page for what decides the fee.

The work your request needs: the evidence and screening required, the information you can give us, whether the keeper is wanted on a past date, the complexity of the trace and the number of vehicles.

If we carry out an accepted trace and cannot identify the registered keeper, or cannot support the result, you pay nothing and any payment is refunded. A request that we decline at screening is never charged.

We contact you within 24 hours of receiving your request. That reply tells you whether we can proceed, need more information or cannot act. The time taken to complete a trace after that depends on the case and the evidence.

Yes, if you can show reasonable cause. An individual uses form V888, which is sent by post with the fee stated on the form. The DVLA decides each application. Our DVLA V888 page compares the two routes.

They may be. Data protection law requires us to tell people when we obtain their personal data from a source other than themselves, unless an exception applies, for example where telling them would make it impossible to achieve the purpose or would seriously prejudice it. We decide this case by case and record the reason. See our privacy notice.

We use it to assess your request, carry out the trace if it is accepted, keep a record of the decision and comply with the law. We keep records only as long as we need them for those purposes and then delete them. The privacy notice gives the details, including your rights.

We do not guarantee that a trace will identify a keeper. We check every result against the information you gave us before we release it.