Moving House – Things to Remember

Pick up keys, gas meter reading, disconnect phone line…

… Changing your address with the DVLA?

We all know that moving house is one of the most stressful times, so a To-Do list always helps. On that list, remind yourself to make sure you change your address with the following:

• Your vehicle insurance company;
• The DVLA, for both your vehicle registration documents (V5C) and your driving licence.

Where your vehicle is registered is where the DVLA send you correspondence, so this will also affect your tax reminders if you do not keep it up to date.

Changing your address with the DVLA is normally free, but failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £1000. If you fail to keep your tax up to date, this can result in your vehicle being seized, and you will have to pay a release fee to get it back, as well as the tax and a separate fine.

You can apply to change your licence online or by post, but the V5C must be done by post as you will need to send all documents off to the DVLA.

Failure to change your address with your insurance company can lead to your insurance being invalid, which could have big consequences if you were to be in a collision.

If the police have reason to send you documentation and it does not reach you because you have not told the DVLA about your updated address, this is not a valid excuse.

To check if your vehicle is taxed and has a valid MOT, click here: https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax. You are also able to check if your vehicle is insured using askMIB: https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/.

Using these links is one of the quickest ways to make sure your vehicle is up to date, but make sure you keep hold of your important documents when moving house: you never know when you may need them next.

For more information, click here: https://www.gov.uk/dvla-change-address.