Guide
How to scrap your car online
Done properly, scrapping a car takes a few days from first click to certificate, and most of that is waiting for the collection. Here is the process end to end, what the law requires of you and of the buyer, and the mistakes that cost people money.
Step 1 — Get a price that will still be the price on the day
A scrap price is the car’s kerb weight multiplied by the going rate for scrap metal, adjusted for what is on the car — the catalytic converter, alloys, a good battery — and whether it starts and rolls. A quote that skips those questions is a guess, and guesses get “renegotiated” on the driveway. The valuation here looks the car up by registration, asks about condition, and then shows you the best figure any licensed yard covering your district will pay — so the yard that turns up is the yard that set the price.
Step 2 — Check who you are dealing with
Two things make a scrap buyer legitimate: an Authorised Treatment Facility permit from the environmental regulator and a scrap metal dealer licence from the local council; whoever drives the truck also needs a waste carrier registration. Every collector on the network holds all three — we check the documents before they join and chase renewals — and the driver will show you a copy if you ask. If anyone offers cash, walk away: it is illegal, and it usually means the car will not be scrapped at all.
Step 3 — Sort the paperwork
The driver needs to see:
- Photo ID — a driving licence or passport.
- Proof of address — a utility bill, bank statement or council tax letter from the last three months.
- The V5C logbook if you have it. Keep the yellow V5C/3 section: the yard’s certificate updates the DVLA record, but GOV.UK asks you to tell the DVLA yourself as well, and the 11-digit reference on it is what the two-minute online form needs.
Take your belongings out, including the boot and under the seats. Transfer or retain a private registration before the collection if you want to keep it — once a Certificate of Destruction has been issued the plate is gone.
Step 4 — Collection day
The collector rings before setting off, then arrives with a recovery truck, checks the car against what you told us, checks your ID and sends the bank transfer while you watch. The car is winched or driven onto the truck and you are done. If you said it was a non-runner and it starts, or the other way round, the driver says so and adjusts there and then — never a surprise after the car has gone.
Step 5 — The certificate
At the yard the car is depolluted and dismantled, and the Certificate of Destruction is issued on the DVLA’s system. That is the moment your responsibility ends: the DVLA record is closed, any remaining vehicle tax is refunded to you automatically, and you can cancel the insurance. The certificate number is recorded on your booking and the certificate emailed to you. Keep it.
The mistakes that cost people money
- Taking a “guaranteed” price from a site that does not tell you which yard will collect, then finding a different figure on the truck.
- Letting the car go without a Certificate of Destruction and learning a year later that it was never scrapped.
- Cancelling the tax and insurance before the car has actually been collected.
- Selling the catalytic converter separately for a few pounds and losing more than that off the scrap price.
- Leaving personal documents in the glovebox.
Common questions
Does the car have to go to an Authorised Treatment Facility?
Yes. Only an ATF licensed by the Environment Agency (or SEPA / NRW) can legally depollute and destroy a car and issue a Certificate of Destruction. A buyer who cannot show you an ATF permit may sell the car on, and unless you tell the DVLA yourself that it has gone to the trade you stay on the record as the keeper. Every collector on the network is an ATF.
Can I be paid in cash?
No. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 it is a criminal offence for a scrap dealer to pay cash for a vehicle in England and Wales, and the yards on the network do not do it anywhere. Payment is by bank transfer to the registered keeper, so there is a record.
Should I declare SORN before scrapping?
Not usually. If the car is taxed, leave it until it has been collected; the DVLA refunds the remaining full months once the scrapping is notified. SORN only matters if the car will sit untaxed and off the road for a while before the collection.
What if I have lost the V5C?
The car can still be scrapped. The collector checks your photo ID and proof of address instead, and the yard notifies the DVLA. It is worth writing to the DVLA separately with the date and the yard’s name — it is on your certificate — so nothing bounces back to you.
How long until the DVLA record is updated?
The yard notifies the DVLA when it issues the Certificate of Destruction, usually within a few days of collection. The DVLA’s confirmation letter and any tax refund typically follow within four to six weeks.