Providing Proof of Identity When Scrapping a Car

At Take My Scrap Car, we’re often quizzed on the necessity to provide proof of ID when scrapping a car. Given how you’re sending your old vehicle away to be destroyed, why do you need ID?

More importantly, is it possible to scrap a car if you do not have an approved form of ID to hand?

Scrapping a Car in Accordance with UK Law

In order to send your car away for responsible recycling, you will need to show a form of photo ID and your V5C document. Make no mistake about it, this isn’t simply a company policy we impose here at Take My Scrap Car.

It’s the law - we cannot legally collect and dispose of scrap vehicles, in the absence of ID.

This has been the case since 2013, when an act was introduced to clean up the industry. The prevalence of dodgy dealers and questionable collection agents forced the government to take action, introducing legislation that has remained in place ever since.

In terms of providing ID, the act makes clear the following:

1. A scrap metal dealer must not receive scrap metal from a person without verifying the person’s full name and address.

2. That verification must be by reference to documents, data or other information obtained from a reliable and independent source.

Long story short - dealers are legally required to ask for and inspect ID, before collecting scrap vehicles.

Why is it Necessary to Show ID?

It may all seem a little bureaucratic on the surface, but it actually makes perfect sense. The legislation was introduced to put a major dent in the UK’s illegal car scrapping market.

Without these rules in place, criminals would be free to steal cars and sell them for scrap - no questions asked. By the time anyone had figured out they weren’t who they said they were, the car could have been torn to shreds and processed into several dozen new kitchen appliances.

And it’s an initiative that worked, with some estimates suggesting that illegal car scrapping is down by around 80% compared to a decade ago. It therefore stands to reason that ID is an absolute necessity, for anyone looking to scrap their car legally.

If You Have No ID Available

Realistically, there’s no plausible reason why you would not have a valid form of ID available. Assuming it’s your car you’re scrapping, you should at least have a driving licence you can use as ID.

If by any chance you’ve lost all forms of ID you own, you’ll need to apply for a new one. Sadly, there’s no option for legally scrapping a car without offering proof of identity. Something to consider before organising collection, if you’ve absolutely no idea where your passport or driving licence is!

For more information on any of the above or to discuss collection of a scrap car in your area, contact a member of the team at Take My Scrap Car today.