Vehicle collection

Before booking vehicle collection

There are a few things you'll need to think about and do.

Find your V5

You'll need to give your V5 document (also known as a logbook) back when you hand your car back.

If you've lost or misplaced it, you'll need to get a new one before we can collect your vehicle.

Apply to the DVLA for a duplicate logbook online or call the DVLA Helpline.

It takes 5-7 days to arrive. 

You can still send the VT form back to us, but we can’t collect your vehicle until you have a new logbook.
 

Roadworthy vehicle

Your vehicle needs to be roadworthy so our agents can drive it away. 

If it's not roadworthy, we’ll need to arrange a special collection. It will cost you £250.  

A vehicle may not be roadworthy if: 

• you have any warning lights showing on your dashboard 
• your tyres don't have legal tread depth - the legal limit for minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is 1.6 millimetres, across the central three quarters of the tread around the whole tyre.  
• your windscreen is chipped or cracked.

It must have a valid MOT certificate. 

You can check on vehicle roadworthiness on GOV.UK.

If you have any concerns about your vehicle's MOT or roadworthiness after you’ve sent back your VT form, please call us on 0800 151 2454. 

Decide if you want to keep personalised number plates

If you have personalised number plates (also called a private or cherished plate), you’ll need to apply to the DVLA to remove them from the vehicle before you give it back.  

If you don't do this, we'll sell the vehicle with them and you couldn't use them anymore. Get more information on personallised number plates on GOV.UK.  

Changing the details of your personalised plates can take 4-6 weeks. Give yourself enough time to keep your personalised number plates.

The DVLA will usually confirm that the vehicle registration will go back to the old one.

Please put the old plates back on the vehicle before it’s collected. 

Getting your vehicle ready for collection

Follow this simple checklist to get your vehicle and documents ready for our agent to collect the vehicle.  

• Check your mileage and vehicle condition 
• Leave the paperwork we’ll need in the glovebox 
• Make sure you provide a service history 
• Return any other items that came with the vehicle 
• Take all your personal belongings and delete personal data 

Book vehicle collection

Once we've received your completed and signed VT form we'll ask British Car Auctions Logistics (BCA), or one of our other agents, to call or send you a text to arrange collection of your vehicle.  

Our agents collect vehicles between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

It can take up to 10 working days from when we get your completed VT form to arrange collection.

Tell the DVLA you're returning your vehicle to us

On the day of your vehicle collection, you'll need to either fill in a section in your logbook or tell the DVLA online that you've given it back.

By post

There's a section called 'Selling, transferring, or part-exchanging this vehicle to a motor trader'.

It's section 4 in logbooks issued after April 2019, or section 9 in logbooks issued before then.  

Please fill out this section with the motor trader details below and send it to the DVLA. 

Black Horse Ltd
Ettrick House
37 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh Park
EH12 9EB 

You won't need to include a Black Horse Ltd signature or VAT number. 

Online

Go to DVLA’s website

Select 'Sold or bought a vehicle' from the menu 

When asked "What have you done with your vehicle?", please select "sold it" 

Then for "Did you sell the vehicle privately, or to a motor trader?", select "Sold it to a motor trader" 

Complete this using our motor trader details below:

Black Horse Ltd
Ettrick House
37 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh Park
EH12 9EB