A certificate of destruction is a legal document that the DVLA send whenever we sell a car or for scrap it for parts. The DVLA send the certificate to the vehicle scrapper/dismantler. The person who owns the vehicle before selling it to the dismantler should also receive a copy. When we scrap cars in the UK we should always use an authorised treatment facility. These authorised treatment facilities (ATFs) are legally required to provide you with this certificate.
What will a Certificate of Destruction Check tell you?
Our certificate of destruction (CoD) check will tell you whether the DVLA have ever issued a CoD for a vehicle. If one has, then it’s highly likely that someone has scrapped the vehicle in the past. A certificate of destruction will confirm that a vehicle is in fact no longer on the road. So if you are about to buy a car that has had a certificate of destruction issued, then it may be that the previous owner is trying to illegally sell a vehicle that has been scrapped in the past.
If you’re thinking of buying a used car, it’s a good idea to carry out a CoD check on the car before you buy it. This check will identify whether a car has ever been issued with a certificate of destruction. You then know whether to proceed with the sale or walk away.
Why Get a CoD?
Although it is not particularly common for someone to try and sell a car that has already been scrapped, it is possible. Imagine spending your hard-earned cash on a car only to find that it has been scrapped before. The car would have been scrapped for a reason. It could be that it has been severely damaged in an accident or involved in a serious crime. If a car has been scrapped then it won’t have a valid MOT. So there is a chance that the MOT and other documents could be fraudulent too. By carrying out a certificate of destruction check on the vehicle you can save yourself a world of difficulty. You also save yourself the possibility of driving around in a potentially dangerous car.