A vehicle must pass an identity check (or VIC) to determine if it falls under the A, B, or C salvage categories if the DVLA has been notified that it has been “written off.”  This is usually conducted by VOSA – the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency prior to the DVLA issuing a V5C registration certificate.  Whenever a vehicle has been rebuilt during a part of the actual repair process, it may cause the vehicle’s identity to come under scrutiny.

If you are applying for a VIC, the DVLA will ask you to declare whether your vehicle’s monocoque body or its chassis has been modified or replaced in any way.  VOSA will then be able to decide whether or not your VIC application can proceed based on the information that you provide them with, or whether your vehicle will need to be referred to a local DVLA office for further inspection.  At this point, it will be ascertained as to whether or not it falls under the DVLA’s guidelines for vehicles which have been rebuilt.

If the vehicle’s identity cannot be confirmed, it will fail the VIC.  Nor will it be entitled to retain the original registration marks.  It is possible that the vehicle can be registered with the DVLA, provided that hard evidence of a British National Type Approval can be produced in the form of a Minister’s Approval Certificate.  You can apply to VOSA for an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval), but you will need to contact the DVLA office and obtain an alternative VIN (Vehicle Identification number.