Why You Need to Notify the DVLA When Moving Home

January 25, 2022

When moving home, there’s a whole list of essential institutions you need to change your address with – the DVLA is one of the most important. Thankfully, you can now do so online using SlothMove, a simple change of address service.

Changing your address with the DVLA is not only a legal requirement, but has a number of other benefits too.

Thankfully, updating your address on your driver’s license, vehicle log book (V5C) and car tax has never been easier. In fact, you can now change your address with the DVLA online in just a matter of minutes.

So, why do you need to notify the DVLA when you’re moving home?

Why Update Your Address with the DVLA?

With so much to organise when moving home, changing your address with services like the DVLA can easily fall to the bottom of the pile. But, informing the DVLA of your house move is essential and could save you a lot of time and stress in the long run.

So, save yourself the hassle and update your address with the DVLA before you move to your new home. You’ll thank us later.

Here are our top reasons for why you need to notify the DVLA when moving home:

1. Important correspondence

Failing to update your address with the DVLA could cause you to miss out on vital correspondence regarding your vehicle, such as reminders to tax your car, MOT notices or vehicle tax refunds.

Keeping your driving license up-to-date will also minimise the risk of personal information falling into the wrong hands, which could leave you susceptible to identify theft and potential fraud.

2. Legal requirement

Drivers are required by law to notify the DVLA of a change of name or address. Thus, if you fail to inform the DVLA of these changes, you could face a fine of up to £1,000.

Not only can failure to inform the DVLA land you with a hefty fine, but it could also cause you to invalidate your car insurance premium.

Again, it is a legal requirement to have an insurance policy in place for any road-worthy vehicle as it provides financial protection if you have an accident and can cover injuries to other drivers, pedestrians and passengers in your car.

3. Driver’s license

When moving home, it’s crucial that you remember to update your provisional or full driving licence with your new address.

Failing to do so could result in you missing out on important information about your vehicle, such as when to renew your licence.

4. Vehicle log book (V5C)

Once you’ve updated your driving licence address, you’ll need to change your details on your vehicle log book (V5C) too.

To change your address on your log book, you’ll need to be the registered keeper, and you will need your registration number and your log book reference number.

You should also check whether your vehicle needs taxing in the next four weeks. If it does, you’ll need to tax your vehicle before changing your address.

5. Direct Debit

Finally, it’s also a requirement to update your vehicle tax Direct Debit when moving home.

It’s important to change your address on your Direct Debit because this is for your car tax which is linked to where your vehicle is registered.

Some people don’t pay for their vehicle tax via Direct Debit, so don’t need to notify them of a change of address.

Can you still drive while you wait for your new DVLA documents?

So, what happens if you update your address with the DVLA online but don’t receive your new documents for a couple of weeks? Can you still drive, or do you have to wait?

Don’t worry, you can continue to drive your vehicle on the roads legally while you’re waiting for your new DVLA documents to arrive in the post.

Do you still need to notify the DVLA if moving temporarily?

No, you don’t need to update your address with the DVLA if you’re only moving house temporarily. For example, there’s no need to inform the DVLA if you’re just moving away for university.

As long as you can still be contacted at your permanent address (e.g. your parents’ house) you can keep the same address on your DVLA documents, including your driving licence, vehicle log book and Direct Debit.

When should you update your DVLA address?

So, if you’re planning on moving home soon, start preparing to change your address with the DVLA as early as possible.

You should notify the DVLA of your house move at least 2 weeks before moving. This will give them time to update your details on their systems, create your new documents and get them sent to you in the post.

For more tips on moving home, take a look at our other property advice.

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