Registering a historic vehicle

[Dodge]

Not really a Ducati only topic but I know this is the bit of the forum that everyone reads.
My 1975 239 Mk3 is finally back on the road. I now want to get it registered as a historic vehicle with the DVLA. I have the original registration docs and checked that it still exists on their register; all okay. Got it MOT’d (although it possibly doesn’t need one). What is the next step to actually getting it registered as a ‘historic vehicle’?
Do I need to insure it before going to the PO (assuming they are still in business! Ha ha)?
Exactly what documents do I need to produce?
The DVLA website is confusing to say the least. I don’t want to waste time queuing at the mobile PO (it only visits once a week and is ridiculously busy). I need all my duc’s in a row – so to speak. Any advice welcome.

[ranton_rambler]

If you have the V5, when I have done a couple of my Guzzis, I just went to a bigger Post Office in town who knew what to do.
I think it will need to be insured.
My cases were slightly different as I made them Historic as they reached the 40 year threshold, so I did it when they were due to taxed.

You are right that it doesn't need an MOT, but I get all my bikes done anyway. I think it's good to someone else to have a look in case I've missed something, and it might just help in the event of a problem one day. I heard of a case where the RAC wouldn't come out to a VMCC member whose bike didn't have an MOT, although it didn't need one.

[Duccout]

Hi Dodge,

I have done two of them, one easy, one a pain in the rear. My Duc 900 became eligible this year, but when I went to the PO the bar code did not register with the DVLA, so the PO told me that I had to telephone them. As often happens with public bodies these days, the DVLA were useless and would not accept it as a classic vehicle, even though plainly it was. I tried two other POs who both could not help me, then my partner was going to ma main PO in town and she managed to get the guy to send off the log book and the form to DVLA and that did the trick.

You simply need the correct form and your log book and take them to a main PO. Good luck!


Colin

[Dave354]

Hi Dodge,
I I’m going through that process now and have just chatted with a really nice and knowledgeable chap from DVLA. I was delighted that my very old V5 was still valid and my registration still active, despite being off the road since 1986!
I have an e mail which i have attached below….. I hope this helps?



Thank you for contacting DVLA, following our conversation please find details below as discussed for your enquiry to change the tax class of your vehicle.
The quickest way to change the tax class is at the Post Office® that deals with vehicle tax. Alternatively, you can send in a postal application. Further information on each application can be found below.
Vehicles that are not able to claim the historic tax exemption.
You cannot tax your vehicle in the historic tax class if:
the vehicle is used for hire or reward
the vehicle is used commercially in connection with a trade or business

Post Office
The following documentation will need to be submitted:
V5C Registration Certificate
valid MOT Certificate (if applicable)* or V112 ‘Exemption from MOT testing’ form
valid insurance certificate or cover note for vehicles registered with a Northern Ireland address (downloaded or faxed copies are acceptable, however photocopies are not)
*From the 6th December 2023 light good vehicles and motorcycles will not be provided with an MoT certificate, in Great Britain. If your MoT has not updated via https://www.gov.uk, please include a screenshot or print out of the MoT history. Please note, any MoT's that have been carried out prior to the 6th December, you can send in your certificate.
You should write ‘Historic’ in the change to taxation class field in the change my vehicle details section of the V5C and sign section 8 where applicable.
You will be taxed immediately and an updated V5C will be returned.

Postal
The following documentation will need to be submitted:
V5C Registration Certificate
V10
MOT (if applicable)* or V112 ‘Exemption from MOT testing’ form
Insurance Certificate for NI registered vehicles (downloaded or faxed copies are acceptable)
*From the 6th December 2023 light good vehicles and motorcycles will not be provided with an MOT certificate, in Great Britain. If your MOT has not updated via https://www.gov.uk, please include a screenshot or print out of the MOT history. Please note, any MOT's that have been carried out prior to the 6th December, you can send in your certificate.
You should write ‘Historic’ in the change to taxation class field in the change my vehicle details section of the V5C and sign section 8 where applicable.
Please send the application to:
Taxation Team
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BF

How long will my application take?
If you are making a Post Office application, the vehicle will be taxed immediately and the documents will arrive within 4 weeks.
If you are making a Postal application, the vehicle will be taxed within 10 working days and the documents will arrive within 4 weeks.
Please allow 4 weeks for your new documents to be sent to you if applying by post. Please do not call us within those 4 weeks as your application will be processing and we will not be able to provide further information.
Information regarding any DVLA services can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dvla-services-update.
You can use the Vehicle Enquiry Service to check details about a vehicle including the date of the last log book (V5C) was issued. You can do this online at www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla
Vehicles over the age of 40 years that have not been radically altered are exempt from MOT testing.
Please be aware that it is the keeper or driver of the vehicle’s responsibility for ensuring the vehicle is in a road worthy condition and safe to be driven on the road.
DVLA will automatically issue a refund for any complete remaining months of your vehicle tax by post (if applicable).
If you pay your tax via Direct Debit, it will be cancelled automatically and future payments will be stopped when we receive notification that you have changed your vehicle tax class.
Please also note that there is a 10% surcharge on 6 monthly vehicle tax renewals (5% for 6 monthly Direct Debit) that is not refundable.
More information on the Historic vehicle tax class can be found on information leaflet INF34 Taxing Historic Vehicles.
Form V10 can be downloaded from https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... le-tax-v10 or obtained from a Post Office® that deals with vehicle tax.
Form V112 can be downloaded from www.gov.uk/government/publications/decl ... n-from-mot or obtained from a Post Office® that deals with vehicle tax.
There is an online service available, for more information on what the service provides, go to: https://www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account
Please do not reply to this email as the return mailbox is not monitored.



Best Regards
Jonathan
DVLA Email Logo

[IanHood]

Really simple process actually. You need you V5C and this form filled out https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... om-mot.pdf

Take both along to the post office. They will take both off you, 'tax' it for you (although you won't have to pay anything), and they send the docs off to DVLA. Some days (or weeks later, you'll get the new historic vehicle logbook in the post.

Ian

[Boxprod]

Here's a frustrating wrinkle in the fabric of our love of old singles, and possibly a warning for the unwary.

My 350 Mk3 was off the road from the early nineties, so before the SORN regulations were invented - and according to the AA website, it was therefore exempt from SORN because it was untaxed before 31 Jan 1998, and showed no road tax or SORN activity since then.
When I decided to rebuild the old thing, I thought I had better let the DVLA know that it still exists, so I SORN-ed it in March. All very straightforward. Then a week later I got to the Post Office and did what was needed to change its taxation class to 'historic'. Also straightforward.

Two weeks ago, I got a letter from the DVLA accusing me of having an uninsured vehicle on the road, and telling me to pay a penalty of £100, unless I could prove I had SORN-ed it. Happily, I had kept the email confirmation of SORN, so sent a printed copy to them.
Last week, I got another letter saying that becuase I had "retaxed" it when I changed the taxation class, the SORN had ended, so I was responsible for a "taxed" vehicle which isn't insured - so still liable to pay the £100 (or a discounted £50 if I pay quickly).

I'm going to get in touch with them and point out that a SORN doesn't have an end date (it's not like road tax, and it doesn't need renewing every year), and that there is nothing on any of the forms and their notes that mentions the need to re-do the SORN if you are only changing the taxation class of the vehicle.

Being bureaucrats, they probably will insist that I pay the penalty, even though the reason for it is concealed very deep in the regulations and not made plain to the ordinary citizen. I also expect that I won't be able to speak/write to anyone with the knowledge to understand what I'm talking about, let alone the authority to waive the penalty because it isn't explained anywhere.

But you have to try, don't you?
Onwards and upwards,
Pete.

[Duccout]

Hi Pete,

I wish you luck, but dealing with bureaucracy is like banging your head against the wall.


Colin

[ranton_rambler]

I think that by converting it Historic it is automatically taxed, albeit at zero fee. Thus the SORN is cancelled. I think the DVLA are right although I surprised the Post Office accepted it without insurance.

[veloduke]

Some info about SORN from the Goverment itself;

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvla ... tification

[Boxprod]

Wise and experienced heads are absolutely right about the DVLA/SORN/taxation class.

I paid the penalty soon enough to qualify for the discount, and dug deep into the DVLA site to write an email explaining my disappointment. I got the following reply within two days:-

"I appreciate you taking the time to contact us in this matter. I am sorry to hear of the situation you have described in your email.

We are only able to change the tax class on a vehicle at the time of taxing and an application to change the class and tax the vehicle would be made at the Post Office and I can only apologise if this was not clear to you.

Please note that insurance is electronically checked separate to taxing the vehicle, unless the vehicle is registered in Northern Ireland and an insurance certificate would not be requested at the time of taxing. You may be asked to provided a MOT certificate or V112 Certificate of exemptions, if this is unable to be checked electronically.

As the vehicle has previously not been taxed or SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) before 31st January 1998 and was therefore exempt from the SORN process, this would end once the vehicle is taxed and would then require to be declared SORN if taken off the road.

A SORN will automatically end if the vehicle keeper changes, it comes to its end of life with an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) or the vehicle is taxed."

That's a very civil response to my gentle grumble, so I offer it simply as a warning to any others who might fall into the trap!

Per ardua ad astra.

Pete.