DVLA warns of onging delays for motorists

Hello
Please can you tell me when you are planning on re opening now that car showrooms are open from the first of June. I am an independent dealer and have been waiting for two V5 documents since around the 14Th of March
Thank you for your assistance in this matter, and i look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks.
Ian Kinsey.

Is there any update when V5 departament in DVLA will be opening?

How do I cancel my road tax as I’m now disabled ??

On April 2nd I applied to renew my licence as I will be 70 on 16th June, by post as I do not have a passport or photo driving licence, I have not heard anything from DVLA, I cannot contact them, their leaflet says I can continue to drive while they are dealing with my application, the Police say it will illegal for me to drive. Who do I believe?

Why is it impossible to apply online for replacement provisional licence

I had to stop driving in April 2019 for 12 months due to medical condition. Fine now and doctor has sent report off to DVLA and I have completed appropriate forms too. It is now nearly 15 months since I had a licence and get nowhere when ringing DVLA except to be told it is with medical team. Really frustrated by all this.

Hi trying to remove my number plate online unable to do so! Sent in post weeks ago! Can’t get in touch with them, and now my new car has arrived but I have no log book now so can sell car!! Shocking

On June 2nd posted off form to take my private plate off a car I was selling with a cheque as the system wouldn’t allow me to do the transaction on line. The cheque still hasn’t been cashed and last Friday I traded the car in – the garage is now chasing me for the V5. When are the majority of the staff going back to work?

Bought a vehicle last week of March & decided it wasn’t the right car for me. I sent off the V5 & purchased the original car I’d been looking for. My plan was to sell the 1st vehivle to cover cost of 2nd but low & behold Im stuck with both cars & NO V5 for either. If many smaller companies have handled their business during CVD lock down how the heck is a body as vast as DVLA unable to provide even BASICS? People are sitting with no money but cars we need to sell but due to the inept government body responsible for looking after car registration the nation is on pause & can’t even speak to someone within the GOVERNMENT body responsible?!. I need my V5 for both vehicles & since DVLA is rigid in its demand for drivers filling in forms & paying excessively for the privilege of owning a vehicle, responsibility need to be taken & departments moving again to take pressure off of honest car owners!. Its inexcusable to hold an entire nation to ransom when many isolation rules have been lifted/relaxed. Come on DVLA your lack of co-operation is crippling drivers who pay enough as it is!

I would like to know why normal office workers can manage to access their systems and work from home but the DVLA cannot. People with medical conditions who are more at risk than others cannot get their licences because of this. People have not done anything wrong but are treated like criminals when they speak to the DVLA. Typical government body!

Seems as though DVLA has shut down. Had to apply by post for retention of private plate and I am waiting for V5 for my new car and old car. Has been a month now getting well knarked as DVLA are doing the civil service,provide no service.
Have £100 with dealer for return of V5 and no sign of when will return. Post office have confirmed delivery but DVLA have no knowledge.
DVLA get back to work everyone else is plus you are now causing agro

I quite agree the DVLA could be working from home as everything is on a data base. I have the same issue with wanting my number plate for a new car but can’t get a V5C for the one I’m selling. they have not cashed my cheque issued in April . Imagine the 100’s of 1000’s £ they are just depriving the treasury of in lost revenues at a time when we need it most. Lucky that they don’t have to make a profit like private sector! They are a disgrace and have not tried to adapt to the situation.

I sent V5 document to DVLA 27May, for address change and private plate registration. Seven weeks later I still have no response. Surely this is not due to Covid.

How long should I wait for my new V5 document, before chasing it up? It has been 4 weeks already.
Thanks.

has any experienced delays in getting their car tax refunded from a sold car? someone told me it will be 12 weeks?

So they are saying dont send in any documents ? might have been helpful for the online computer to be updated to flash up when i tried to take a private reg off a car it says fill in a V whatever and send it in ….thats what i did now sat waiting for a V5 that might not ever arrive in 6 weeks or more . lets blame it on covid -19 its easy … the Gov told workers to get back to work so why is DVLA on restricted opening times for staff ? eager to take our money online but slow in processing documents . shame on you DVLA

hi,How long dose it takes to renew driving licence? I have send my documents 2 weeks ago, driving licence plus passport to change my address. Do not have any document at the moment. Try to contact DVLA several times unsuccessfully.,

Hi, bought a car from a dealer six weeks ago and am still waiting for my logbook. Quite annoying as I have decided I don’t get on with the new car and am looking to px but need the logbook. This service is absolutely disgusting all under the excuse of Covid. I am a utility worker so have been working all through.

Hi I am in the process of buying a used car that previously had a personal registration plate. I am due to pick it up on Wednesday 22nd. At the moment the car hasn’t been re registered to its original plate by DVLA (details sent by the prev owner in June) and the dealer needs to pay for the tax on the car for me. Can anyone confirm if the whole procedure now has to stop until such time as DVLA get into gear…is it illegal for me to purchase and drive the car (I have added it to my insurance). Thanjs

i sent my drivers licence in to be renewed when i became 70 i have remarried and had to sent my marriage certificate in was told not to send a copy. i need this back urgently but can not get in touch have sent an email last week had no reply these were sent in to be signed for on the 6th of june

Hi, my partner sadly passed away in May. I decided to change the registration document into my name. I read the info on DVLA website how to inform when someone died and I got confirmation from online advisor. As required, I sent paper V5C with covering letter explaining the circumstances to Sensitive Casework Team on 3rd June. It was received by DVLA the next day. It will be 7 weeks since I sent paperwork. I am NHS worker and according to the info, they are prioritizing critical workers. I don’t think they are. Their phoneline is dead. I contacted their online services but It’s not processed yet. I need to sell the car now but I am still waiting for my V5C. They are apologizing but cannot give the timescale. If I knew, it would take that long, I would put my buyer’s details instead of mine. It’s very frustrating.

I applied via post to exchange my EU drivers license for UK. I had to post my passport in as ID, it’s been 5 weeks already and I can’t get in contact with anyone. I have no idea when I will get my passport back so can’t plan any travel. Frustrating to say the least.

Applied to remove my cherished number from my vehicle as the vehicle has to be retuned as part of a PCP agreement. Finance company won’t take vehicle as I had to send the documents and I don’t have a V5 or a retention certificate for the private plate.
Managed to get through To DVLA on the phone but the lady said that there was nothing she could and I would just have to wait. She had no idea how long this would take to process but that it would be months rather than weeks.

DVLA should be picking up the tab for any costs involved. I have worked from home through out the lockdown and there is no reason why they couldn’t. Other government agencies including HMRC have been working from home so why not these layabouts!!!

Its an absolute joke, I tried to reassign a private plate to a new motorhome I have bought during lockdown. I tried to do it online but computer says no send it to DVLA. Posted off documents recorded delivery 2 months ago, still no reply. I have emailed DVLA twice both times they just reply to say they can’t tell me if they have received it or when it will be processed. In the meantime the dealer cannot sell my old motorhome that I part-exchanged so they are not happy. I am left having to pay the tax on both motorhomes until they process the paperwork. I need to book ferries and am stuck as I don’t know which number plate will be on the vehicle when I travel. They are costing me an additional £25 a month for the tax, utterly p****d off with the whole system its diabolical. Don’t suppose they will be refunding me for their crap service

iposted v5 and all paperwork for private plate changeover on v5 begining of may,still heard nothing,phone useless,predone answers useless aswell,what a shower of shit dvla,everybodyelse is being encouraged back to work,why not you?

Hi. I purchased a vehicle on the 1st June and the dealer said he sent the logbook book via post. It is now 2 months gone in and still have not received the log book. I have taxed the vehicle but need to return it to the dealer as there is a fault in it. I can not even get a refund for the tax at the moment as I have no log book and can not declare it SORN. My money is being wasted on a stationary car parked in my driveway. I have also completed a V80 form and sent it alongside the the green slip which I had been given by the dealer to yourselves in order to get the tax refunded but not heard anything back yet. How much longer do i need to wait as it seems that I am making a loss here

Hi, I can’t understand why you haven’t even updated your progress of application paperwork even if you can’t complete them yet. Every day I check my progress of my provisional licence and everyday for over a month now you apparently haven’t had my application back. My step sister also applied for her provisional and she’s getting the same thing. At least fill in that much to put our minds at rest that you are ‘on it’. Soooo frustrating as you send the form back for us to fill in the day after we applied online.

Still waiting for V5 for a car I brought on March 19th .Dealer doesn’t want to know and can’t get a reply from DVLA.NOT HAPPY, I know we are in difficult times but couldn’t they at least update their website to tell you how long the delays are likely to be.

Applied for V5 by filling V62 in as the previous owner lost the V5… That was 13 weeks ago. Cant tax or sell it.

2nd of July filled a v317 form with a cheque to remove my private plate, still waiting even tho it got signed for from the dvla private plate department

Absolutely appalling service. I have been waiting over 2 months for the V5C to come back in my name, for my deceased mother’s car so that I can try to sell it. The phone lines are down, and there is no clear way to email them about your situation. I just got told that they had received my application form on their web chat service but it still hadn’t been processed and they could not give any indication of a time frame as to when I would receive them back. Meanwhile other government departments such as Probate were able to provide Death Certificates and Grant of Probate for my mother’s death in this lockdown period of time, but the DVLA seem to be able to do nothing or even have the decency to escalate my application which is linked to a bereavement.

So my mother’s car is just sat there costing me money when I want to try and sell it without looking like a crook without the right paperwork. Absolutely no sympathy from the DVLA or any attempt to try and escalate the issue for me.

Awful awful service.

Hi DVLA. As I have exhausted every other platform of communication with you and receive no response. I have been waiting for my car registration document V5C since February 2020. It is now August 2020! I still have not received it. When will I receive it please? I’m glad I’m not a car dealership, they must be suffering big time.Can you state exactly how many staff are working to address the back log? Do any staff work from home? I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Me too……I tried to tax on line wrong information is currently being held about so i couldn’t on line register my car tax.
so i was sent to robot….it couldn’t tax me
then i was put through to a operator- but it was lunch
then i called back high- it volume of calls and was told to call at some other point
i tried to send an email but it bounced back
i tried to send a text saying i had made reasonable effort to contact the DVLA it wasn’t delivered
tried calling back again still high volume of calls
I wrote a hand written letter signed stating all of the above
j watson

Martin. I had a webcam with them on 30th July as I am still waiting for my v5 since May 22nd they told me 1500 out of 8000 working. I asked why they couldn’t work shifts to improve their service unfortunately that got me cut off

Time to increase the on line services that are available, why do replacement log books need to be applied for by snail mail and hand. Why cant an on line process can be devised. Then 7,000 odd staff sitting at home on full pay can then be axed and normal service resumed. The 1500 still working should be kept on. I know it sounds a bit harsh but come on the rest of us are trying to get things going why cant you?

5 months now and still no v5.. 2 v5s missing (still at DVLA) 2 vehicle tax refunds missing and 4 vehicle sold notifications missing.
come on DVLA i have worked all the way through this pandemic will little or no reward and you still have my money and you still have my logbooks. NONE of the contact phone numbers are working, can not do web chat because that too is NOT working.
is there anyone at all working at DVLA ?????????????

Still waiting on my provisional. I’ve sent them everything I have I.D wise. 6 weeks later and still nothing. Their phone line is dead, their email service doesn’t work Or is blocked and those you get through to on the online chat service, can’t tell you anything. I need my I.D for work and it’s gone for the foreseeable, so what do we do? Surly it’s illegal to hold on to someone’s personal identification documents for as long as you like to without any time scale of returning them? Shocking non existing service. If I’d have known I wouldn’t have bothered sending them anything.

In exactly the same boat, there is no reason why assigning a number plate I’ve had and transferred back and forth for the past 20 years cant be done online. There is no way I’m sending documents into them at the moment.
You can bet your last penny though that requests from parking companies are still being dealt with as normal.

The DVLA is in crisis, they will never clear the backlog with things as they are. The CEO running this car crash is a woman called Julie Lennard who joined the DVLA in 2014 as Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications. Before that she worked at The National Archives and prior to that she worked for Which? magazine as a journalist.
We need to get our MPs on the case as vehicle paperwork is going to grind to a halt. You can send Julie an email at julie.lennard@dvla.gov.uk. She reports to Emma Ward at the Dept for Transport, the perm secretary is Bernadette Kelly and Grant Shapps is the MP in charge as Secretary of State.
This is going to snowball into a major disaster when cars and drivers all over the UK don’t have the right documents and the Police will have a field day…

Applied for the return of my driving license a little over 6 months ago after it had been revoked(unfairly in my opinion) by DVLA late last year on medical grounds. I enclosed with my application a letter from my GP stating that i am fit to drive. DVLA have still not contacted my GP or looked at my application as of yesterday when i telephoned DVLA medical drivers license dept.
With the prospect of a 2nd wave of covid-19 looming large which will again close down DVLA entirely my hopes of receiving my license back anytime soon are dwindling fast.

One option: I could drive my car 50 yards then report myself to the Police. A 12 month ban would then ensue but that would still mean that i would be legally free to drive within a shorter time frame than DVLA are taking to proccess my application for the return of my license..

Appalling service everyone else is getting back to work. I have emailed 10 times asking for an update on a provisional license and had only an automated response each time. I have asked each time for a response it’s absolutely rubbish

I have applied for a provisional but after inputting my card details for payment, the DVLA website kicked me out and told me to start all over again. I checked my emails first for a receipt of application, nothing, so checked my bank account and the money for the license is now pending. No idea if they have received my application or not and completely unable to get hold of them via phone, email or webchat to find out!!

I have had 2 V5C’s come and go, for change of ownership over lockdown, and towards the back end. they both arrived pretty quick, even the road tax refund came pretty quick, but now I am waiting for a V5C for another car and its taking ages! how is it that during lockdown they come faster? These typical government organisations take an age to do something for you but as soon as they want money from you it’s in writing faster than you can imagine! disgusting. They and many other public companies just using COVID as an excuse! Most people have found a way round this so why can’t they? Maybe it’s full of employees that don’t care but for enjoying themselves on furlough. Get back to work.

My new car remains in the showroom as I am unable to remove my personal plate from my existing car. DVLA website I must do this using snail mail and paper forms. I have tried every phone number for DVLA. Each time I end up pressing an average of eight numbers to connect me to the right department and then receive a short message that says no one is available please try again later – and the phone disconnects. When we had regional offices the whole thing could be done at the counter in less an hour. If the Welsh cannot cope with the. Punting number of unprocessed requests perhaps it’s time to go back to regional office structure. Have no idea how much longer this will take. At this rate my new car will become a classic before its time. I have now written to my MP and received a standard automated reply.

I sent off the V5 for change of owner on my new car on 20th May and still no new V5 has arrived, I still have the green slip but I’m reluctant to send it off with form V62 as that will leave me with nothing. This is hopeless.

Foolishly i didnt think to check that I could apply for change of address on my v5 online so posted it to DVLA in July, nothing since then and a complete brick wall of pointless and useless telephone services and online rubbish, no business would be allowed to operate in such a shambolic way, typical government agency attitude

I have been waiting for a V5 since 23rd July, the DVLA can see I have taxed the car , just waiting paperwork, I wonder if they have run out of V5 forms, the car was my husbands who died in June 2020, in comparison the grant of probate my husbands will executor applied for in July arrived on 12th October.

My husband passed away on the 2nd of June, I’ve sent in all the forms needed to have the car registered on my name. In order for me to sell it. In the meantime the car is breaking down, it now needs a new battery and who knows what else. We’re waiting immigrate and have flights booked for November but still no v5. 4 months on!!

Hi, I have been trying to assign a personalised number plate via the DVLA site for 3 days, however it is not working! nor is there any explanation given

regards john

I had a car delivered to me from a garage miles out of my area on the 3rd August 2020 and I still haven’t received my V5. I phoned the DVLA in October and I was told they were still dealing with the backlog from March. I don’t have the tear off slip that the garage didn’t pass on to me. The DVLA told me not to worry because I had taxed and insured the vehicle and that I would receive my V5 eventually. They could not confirm to me that they had actually received the V5 from the garage though so I just have to wait.

I have been trying to ring the Medical team on their published number of 0300 790 6806 since 21st November. I have ruing 5 times every day without fail. It always comes up as busy. I have tried on other numbers, but they always forward me back on to the number above.

This is not acceptable.

We have moved to a new address. Both my husband and son registered online together with me. They both had replacements immediately, whilst I am still waiting for mine despite having lived in the UK for 50 yrs and a driver here for 40 yrs just because I was not born here n had to complete a form to send back. My application was sent by recorded delivery on 8th April but my tracking transmission says they are still waiting! What’s going on?? Is anyone at work at DVLA?!

Impossible to learn if my application is being processed. No Application Reference Number provided. Applied to update photo and change name. Also informed of medical condition. Says usually 6 weeks but due to Covid will take longer. How much longer is anyone’s guess. Far too vague. Might be an idea to email letting people know postal applications have been received and a likely timescale for return instead of just letting us wonder.

My old driving license expires on 22.06.21. I submitted my License renewal application on 3rd May. They took the payment on the 4th but my application still has not been processed. I’ve tried many times to contact DVLA by phone, email and web-chat – it’s impossible to get any response. I am disabled and rely on my car for daily necessities. I’m running out of any support for DVLA.

I applied for my new driving license in March, expiry of previous license being 26 May. I gave the DVLA all details regarding my medical conditions and received a confirmation email advising me that my application was being processed and could take up to 6 weeks. I am still waiting and am using a printout of the DVLA email confirming that I am still entitled to drive whilst waiting for my new license to arrive.

One lives in hope of a positive outcome in the not to distant future!!

Absolutely disgusted with DVLA. No way to contact them, I’ve made over 400 calls, filled in numerous online forms and still NOTHING. If I keep driving will I be fined because my licence is out of date.

We bought a new motorhome which finally arrived 1st June we have collected it from the dealers but when I check online ( is car taxed ) it says no such registration I have copies of all paperwork which was sent to DVLA proving it was taxed as of 1st June we are not using the new vehicle yet but have our first outing booked for 7th July as all paperwork is with DVLA and tax should have started 1st June can I use it on the 7th July or will I get stopped and have vehicle taken away even if I have all the paper, would love to know where I stand if anyone can help cheers Tom

my mother wanted d to change for a photo licence sent off her marriage cert and paper licence and passport plus my lad id is still waiting for his v5 the cheques still havent been cashed for nearly 4 month BOOK YER IDEAS UP DVLA WONDER HOW MANY ILLEGAL DRIVERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE

Absolute Joke. The girlfriends been waiting for a V5C for a car i gifted her for nearly a year now. Have had to resort to letter writing and more recently sending a repeat V62 application both by recorded post. Trying to get through on the phone was near impossible and the online chat was useless to get ownership changed, even though i am still technically the vehicles owner; just send in the V62 i was told. The car is now on a Sorn as a fault developed with the brake servo and some welding is needed to pass its next MOT. It cannot be sold on as still no V5C, so it just sits there in limbo waiting for a DVLA clamp to be applied, even though it is parked off road in a raised up area that used to be garages.
Similar issues waiting for a years vehicle tax refund on another vehicle that is double taxed, like that should be allowed to happen these days!. Funny though, they wanted their money within two weeks for the same vehicle that i am convinced i taxed September last year, then got a 5 month penalty for January this year. The online services seem very flawed and i.m.o. cannot be trusted.
Nearly everyone else has gone back to work, why not the DVLA? All seems a bit fishy.

Turning 70 is not good, I sent off for a new licence mid july as I turned 70 in august, still no licence back and cant contact anyone at all, The forms and online says I can still drive yet DVLA show my details as licence expired. Yet in may I had to apply for a new licence at a cost of £21 as it expired in july, the new one issued only lasted till my 70th birthday .. that came back within a few days ??? and now I SORN`d one of my cars and was charged £41-50 for doing so but I pay by DD so what is going on .. and again DVLA can not be contacted … can I drive … will I get my monEy back from the SORN

Bought a car from a dealer in mid May 21. No V5C so far in mid September. Uncontactable. Tax is due in October. How do I do that?