WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CAR IS STOLEN

Here are the best things to do when the un-thinkable happens

Call your police station

Make sure that before you call the police to report your car stolen make sure you have all the vehicle details prepared to give to the police, i.e registration number, make, model and colour of the vehicle.

Once the police have taken the details down they will provide you with a crime reference number which you will need if you are going to pursue an isurance claim on the car and on the cars tax disc.

Call your insurance company

Contact your insurance company as soon as you know the car is stolen and reported to the police. If you car is not recovered and your insurance company pay out a claim then you should tell the DVLA the date the payment was accepted and the name and address of the company who insures you.

You will need to contact your insurance company immediately for advice. If your vehicle is not recovered and your insurance company pay out a claim, then you should tell the DVLA the date the payment was accepted and the name and address of the insurance company.

Next step is to complete the "notification of sale or transfer" or V5/3 part of your registration document or the V5C/3 yellow section if you have the new style registration certificate.

Refund of vehicle tax

If your car is stolen and not recovered then you are elgible to apply for a refund on your vehicle tax. It is common for cars to be recovered within a few days so you should avoid applying for this refund until 7 days after the crime occurred.

A special application form is available for this process, the V33. Also required at this stage is the crime reference number given to by the Police upon the time your crime is first recorded.

What you should do if you have a personalised registration number

If your stolen vehicle had a personalised registration number, you can normally reclaim it if the vehicle has still not been found after 12 months, provided certain requirements can be met:

The DVLA will require a letter from your insurers confirming they have no objection to the number being re-issued

To apply or for further information, you will need to write quoting your vehicle registration number to the Cherished Transfer Section, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BW.