Change of address: who do I need to tell?

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:23

I know I need to tell my insurance company and probably breakdown cover company. There's also some government department that I need to tell isn't there? I've tried giving DVLA a call, but their telephone answering robot says they don't take changes of address. Who is it I need to call?

Sorry for being such a noob.

kaiowas · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:37

For any cars you own you need to fill in the relevant part of the V5 and send them away. For your driving licence you can do it online here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Motoringtransactions/BeforeyouapplyD/DG_066944

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:39

"The V5"?

kaiowas · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:48

The document that the DVLA will have sent you when you bought the car which says you are the registered keeper.

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:50

Edit: answered just before posting

Oh that thing. I think I still have that somewhere in the car...

That's annoying. Why can't I just tell them over the phone or email?

Burnsy2023 · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:53

THe V5C is the vehicle logbook.

Details here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motorin.../AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_10020009

Looks like this:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...7&prev=/images?q=v5c&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&um=1

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:58

Another thing: do I really need to get my license updated every time I change my address too? I've moved house about half a dozen times over the last 4 years, and my license still has my parents' address on it.

stoofa · 7 Jul 2009 at 10:59

SlyReaper said:
Another thing: do I really need to get my license updated every time I change my address too? I've moved house about half a dozen times over the last 4 years, and my license still has my parents' address on it.

Yes.
It's an offence not to and you can get a nice big fine - up to £1000 if I remember correctly.

AtreuS · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:18

SlyReaper said:
Another thing: do I really need to get my license updated every time I change my address too? I've moved house about half a dozen times over the last 4 years, and my license still has my parents' address on it.

If you have an accident and have to provide your license for inspection and its noted that your address is wrong its a £1k fine.

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:22

What does address have to do with driving licenses though? I can understand the vehicle registration needing to be tied to an address; they need to know where to send NIPs if they need to. But license? Why do they need to know? If I got into an accident, they could get my address off the vehicle registration documents.

Burnsy2023 · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:26

SlyReaper said:
What does address have to do with driving licenses though? I can understand the vehicle registration needing to be tied to an address; they need to know where to send NIPs if they need to. But license? Why do they need to know? If I got into an accident, they could get my address off the vehicle registration documents.

The addresses may not be the same. One may be a company car for example or maybe you borrowed it.

DanTheMan · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:31

If you have your photocard license and the paper counterpart, you can just fill in the new address on the paper part and then send both parts back to:

DVLA,
Swansea,
SA99 1BN

Fr0dders · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:33

Burnsy2023 said:
The addresses may not be the same. One may be a company car for example or maybe you borrowed it.

its also because you can use the driving license of proof of address for banks

Effectively that means you could (if you were so inclined) use it for fraud purposes.

Theres no way of really telling the difference between those that lie to the DVLA, and those that just forget to change their address, so they just introduce a blanket fine for having the address "wrong"

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:39

Out of interest, what happens if you don't have an address? What if you lived in a boat or something?

Dup · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:41

I don't understand though, my license is still at my parents address (being changed soon) however as its my parents/family who live there it's not such a big deal. Technically I live at both address, although my parents is not my main address. How do they enforce that situation?

ScarySquirrel · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:44

stoofa said:
Yes.
It's an offence not to and you can get a nice big fine - up to £1000 if I remember correctly.

Ooops, I am still registered to a place I lived at 2-3 years ago :eek:

SlyReaper · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:46

Well I've applied for an updated license. The paper license is lost in the mists of time, so I have to fork out 20 quid. Which is odd since they would have had to send me a new one anyway. :mad:

Burnsy2023 · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:49

ScarySquirrel said:
Ooops, I am still registered to a place I lived at 2-3 years ago

You not great about this knowing the law malarky. Lets hope your future police training will sort that

Scuzi · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:52

Having your licence at your parents address is fine though as long as you are contactable at that address.

Fr0dders · 7 Jul 2009 at 11:53

SlyReaper said:
Out of interest, what happens if you don't have an address? What if you lived in a boat or something?

what address do you put on the V5 then ?

you cant register a car without an address. So presumably youd put on your driving license whatever is on the V5.

Scuzi said:
Having your licence at your parents address is fine though as long as you are contactable at that address.

well technically its not because you dont actually live there

but then again, given its your parents address, how would they proove otherwise ? they arent going to hire fraud investigators to disproove you i suppose