THE PAIN OF LICENSING UNREGISTERED CARS, AND A CHECKLIST TO MINIMISE THE TRIPS TO THE LICENSING CENTRE
- Darlington Dipsticks
- Oct 24, 2025
- 2 min read
WRITTEN BY MARKE COLEMAN
Our Jaguar is now licensed but the process had its moments. It took four trips to the Department of Transport Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) before I had the prized plates in my hand.
I wrote down a checklist while I was waiting on one occasion, and I hope it may help others. Our car was being licensed after extensive restoration, under Code 404.
Believe it or not but the engineering approval for the car was NOT the hurdle. Part of, but not a major part of the journey.
The first six documents listed below are essential for a relatively trouble-free process. Arguing the toss will get you nowhere, as the staff are required by law and are audited to full obligations.
Document 1: Sale receipt
The journey starts when the car is bought from someone else. If the car was licensed in your name and you unlicensed the car for restoration, then the first step should be easy – taking the last license renewal should be enough.
Otherwise, a receipt/invoice from the seller to you is needed. The following MUST be on the receipt:
Seller’s name and address
Buyer’s name and address
Date
Engine number
VIN or body number
Car description
Price paid
Finally, it must be labeled “Paid in Full”
If any of the above are missing, you will need to revert to the seller to have it changed. In my case it was eight years later, so I was very lucky to have a contact number and a reasonable seller. He could have said ‘no, the car is mine’ or ‘no, you have not paid in full’ etc. making life very much more difficult.
Get this document when you sell and if someone is buying from you - please do the right thing and insist that they take a document with the above with them.
Document 2: An engineering report from a qualified examiner. The examiner will have suitable forms, and this is the easy bit if your car passes.
Document 3: CMC1 form
This is a declaration from a Club executive stating that you are a fully paid-up member. Your membership number and currency of membership has to be completed. Again, this is relatively easy assuming the club executive. The Club has the forms - DOT cannot provide them.
Document 4: Form E81
This form can be difficult to find on the website so here is the link
This basically will allow you to apply for concession 404 for an old car.
Different forms may be needed for other concessions.
Document 5: VL17
I am not sure if this document was needed in the final process, but I would fill one in just to be sure. Only the buyers section needs to be filled in unless you bought the car from a dealer (unlikely) in which case the right side will also need to be completed.
Document 6: Identification of the person requesting the license.
Driver’s license or passport
Document 7: Optional
Special plate approval “Certificate of Right to Display and Trade” if a unique plate has been requested.
Cannington DoT was much easier to deal with than Midland DoT – not as busy therefore more inclined to be helpful.
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