Policy paper
DVLA privacy policy
This privacy notice explains how DVLA processes your personal data. In particular, it explains how we collect, use, disclose, transfer and store your data.
Updates to this page
Documents
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DVLA aims to reflect comply changes with to all references applicable data protection laws when processing your personal information. These laws are in place to the safeguard Information your Commission's personal Office information and improve include accessibility measures by covering replacing data web security, addresses your with rights descriptive regarding hyperlinks. your personal data, and the use and disclosure of your data.
Further information on the standards you can expect from us is set out in our personal information charter.
Updates to this page
Published 24 May 2018
Last updated 25 August 2026
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25 August 2026
Added information on the use of artificial intelligence when handling correspondence and complaints made to DVLA.
3 August 2026
Updated the privacy policy on how DVLA may contact customers for feedback on the service received and that debt collection service providers may carry out profiling of a debtor.
23 July 2026
Updated statistics added to the introduction of the DVLA privacy policy HTML document.
15 May 2026
Added text to the first sentence in the section 'When you contact DVLA' to include service or data protection complaints.
11 May 2026
Updated information within Annex 1: Retention periods, under 'When you have a query or complaint'.
24 April 2026
Updated privacy policy HTML.
9 March 2026
Updated information on who we share your vehicle data with.
22 December 2025
Updated bullet point within the introduction section, under 'Who we may share personal information with'.
1 October 2025
Update to 'When you open a Driver and vehicles account' section.
14 August 2025
Updated statistics in line with the 2024 to 2025 annual report and accounts.
22 July 2025
Added information under the 'What information DVLA collects about you' section and updated the 'When you subscribe to receive DVLA email alerts' section in the DVLA privacy policy - HTML attachment.
20 May 2025
Updated the bullet point list under 'What information DVLA collects about you' and updated the 'When you contact DVLA' section in the DVLA privacy policy - HTML attachment.
10 April 2025
DVLA privacy policy document updated.
'When you buy a private (personalised) registration number' and 'When you have a query or complaint' sections of Annex 1: Retention periods document also updated.
30 January 2025
Update to information in the introduction under 'Who we may share personal data with' (22 January 2025)
20 December 2024
Figures updated in line with the DVLA annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024.
15 November 2024
Privacy policy updated under 'When you open a Driver and vehicles account', 'When you apply to register or tax a vehicle' and 'When you have a query or complaint'.
26 September 2024
Updated the section under 'When you open a Driver and vehicles account'.
10 September 2024
Updates to 'When you open a Driver and vehicles account'
24 July 2024
Updates to 'When you buy a private (personalised) registration number' and 'Transfers of data outside of the UK'.
3 May 2024
Updated information under the headline 'When you have a query or complaint' to advise on the processing of data when contacting DVLA through OSCD Recruitment webchat.
15 April 2024
Annex 1: Retention periods - HTML attachment added.
Privacy policy updated to link to 'Annex 1: Retention periods' in 'How long we keep information about you' section.
Privacy policy updated to include insurance industries in list under 'Who we may share personal information with'.
Privacy policy updated to add health care professionals under 'Who we share your driver data with' in 'When you apply for a driving licence' section.
12 January 2024
Update to 'Transfers of Data Outside of the UK'
22 December 2023
Updated information under the heading "Transfers of data outside of the UK"
8 September 2023
When you apply for a tachograph card -
We process your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018, and tachograph Regulation (EU) 165/2014, as it has effect in the UK.
30 August 2023
Added -
03. If you use an online service and we need to check your identity
04. When you open a Driver and Vehicle account
15 August 2023
Edited "Transfer of data outside of the UK".
17 May 2023
Amendment to section 9 of the DVLA privacy policy:
When you buy a private (personalised) registration number, we collect your name, address, email address, company name, telephone number and payment card details.
Where applicable, we will also collect the nominee name and nominee address.
3 April 2023
The below information was added to '14. When you have a query or complaint':
"To improve our complaint procedure, we carry out customer satisfaction surveys and we may contact you for feedback on how we have dealt with your complaint."
29 March 2023
'Data sharing agreement with Spain' subsection added to '13. Transfers of data outside of the UK'.
27 January 2023
Updated section 5 title to "When you apply to register or tax a vehicle".
Information in this section has been updated to: "To collect Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and enforce against VED evasion (this includes the payment of penalties, out of court settlements and using automated number plate reader technology and wheelclamping)".
8 December 2022
Information added to pont 5.
7 December 2022
Para 9. When you buy a private (personalised) registration number: added how long your note of interest in a registration number is kept for
22 November 2022
Added that we may share personal information with other Department for Transport agencies.
22 September 2022
Added 'Section 16 - When you are an external visitor to a DVLA site'. Also, 'Who we are' in Section 1 has been updated to include the latest figures.
26 August 2022
Updated third paragraph in Section 14 - When you have a query or complaint.
13 May 2022
Private car parking management companies added to 'Who we may share personal information with
Where it is lawful to do so',
27 April 2022
Amended para 2. Information we hold about you - to link to new form to make a subject access request
22 February 2022
Section 16: Added email address for DVLA's Data Protection Manager.
13 January 2022
Amendment to 'Why you must provide your personal data' within Para 3. When you apply for a driving licence
17 November 2021
Amended point 11, When you contact us about Clean Air Zones.
10 November 2021
Updated section 3.
29 September 2021
Updated section 13.
14 July 2021
Additional information added under point 1.
5 July 2021
Updated Data Protection address
4 June 2021
Updated sections 4, 5, 11, 12 and added a new section 13.
23 February 2021
Added a new section to the document under number 14.
5 February 2021
Additional information added at the end of point 3.
2 February 2021
Amendment to address for subject access requests.
4 January 2021
More links to privacy information added.
22 July 2020
New section 11 added
21 July 2020
Updated section 5 and added new section 11 (Charging Clean Air Zones).
16 July 2020
Updated number of driver records we hold.
1 May 2020
Update to DVLA privacy policy document.
26 March 2020
Updated information.
13 February 2020
Section 3 updated
21 January 2020
Privacy policy updated
29 August 2019
Update to Welsh version
29 August 2019
Updated information about V5C Registration Certificate.
2 July 2019
Introduction updated.
23 April 2019
Section 9: 'When you buy a private (personalised) registration number' - 'What information we collect' section updated.
25 February 2019
Trailer registration information added.
3 October 2018
Attachment updated.
29 May 2018
Added translation
24 May 2018
First published.
Details
DVLA aims to comply with all applicable data protection laws when processing your personal information. These laws are in place to safeguard your personal information and include measures covering data security, your rights regarding your personal data, and the use and disclosure of your data.
Further information on the standards you can expect from us is set out in our personal information charter .
Update history
2026-10-09 12:01 Updated HTML to reflect changes to references to the Information Commission’s Office and improve accessibility by replacing web addresses with descriptive hyperlinks.
2026-08-25 15:08 Added information on the use of artificial intelligence when handling correspondence and complaints made to DVLA.
2026-07-23 11:59 Updated statistics added to the introduction of the DVLA privacy policy HTML document.
2026-05-15 14:12 Added text to the first sentence in the section ‘When you contact DVLA’ to include service or data protection complaints.
2026-05-11 10:28 Updated information within Annex 1: Retention periods, under ‘When you have a query or complaint’.
2026-04-24 09:32 Updated privacy policy HTML.
2026-03-09 12:01 Updated information on who we share your vehicle data with.
2025-12-22 09:01 Updated bullet point within the introduction section, under ‘Who we may share personal information with’.
2025-10-01 10:21 Update to ‘When you open a Driver and vehicles account’ section.
2025-08-14 13:52 Updated statistics in line with the 2024 to 2025 annual report and accounts.
2025-07-22 12:00 Added information under the ‘What information DVLA collects about you’ section and updated the ‘When you subscribe to receive DVLA email alerts’ section in the DVLA privacy policy – HTML attachment.
2025-05-20 15:38 Updated the bullet point list under ‘What information DVLA collects about you’ and updated the ‘When you contact DVLA’ section in the DVLA privacy policy – HTML attachment.
2025-04-10 14:39 DVLA privacy policy document updated.’When you buy a private (personalised) registration number’ and ‘When you have a query or complaint’ sections of Annex 1: Retention periods document also updated.
2025-01-30 14:29 Update to information in the introduction under ‘Who we may share personal data with’ (22 January 2025)
2024-12-20 09:38 Figures updated in line with the DVLA annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024.
2024-11-15 09:34 Privacy policy updated under ‘When you open a Driver and vehicles account’, ‘When you apply to register or tax a vehicle’ and ‘When you have a query or complaint’.
2024-09-26 16:01 Updated the section under ‘When you open a Driver and vehicles account’.
2024-09-10 10:33 Updates to ‘When you open a Driver and vehicles account’
2024-07-24 09:53 Updates to ‘When you buy a private (personalised) registration number’ and ‘Transfers of data outside of the UK’.
2024-05-03 11:30 Updated information under the headline ‘When you have a query or complaint’ to advise on the processing of data when contacting DVLA through OSCD Recruitment webchat.
2024-04-15 12:51 Annex 1: Retention periods – HTML attachment added.Privacy policy updated to link to ‘Annex 1: Retention periods’ in ‘How long we keep information about you’ section. Privacy policy updated to include insurance industries in list under ‘Who we may share personal information with’. Privacy policy updated to add health care professionals under ‘Who we share your driver data with’ in ‘When you apply for a driving licence’ section.
2024-01-12 09:42 Update to ‘Transfers of Data Outside of the UK’
2023-12-22 11:44 Updated information under the heading “Transfers of data outside of the UK”
2023-09-08 11:42 When you apply for a tachograph card -We process your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018, and tachograph Regulation (EU) 165/2014, as it has effect in the UK.
2023-08-30 12:19 Added -If you use an online service and we need to check your identityWhen you open a Driver and Vehicle account
2023-08-15 09:45 Edited “Transfer of data outside of the UK”.
2023-05-17 07:50 Amendment to section 9 of the DVLA privacy policy:When you buy a private (personalised) registration number, we collect your name, address, email address, company name, telephone number and payment card details.Where applicable, we will also collect the nominee name and nominee address.
2023-04-03 09:26 The below information was added to ‘14. When you have a query or complaint’:”To improve our complaint procedure, we carry out customer satisfaction surveys and we may contact you for feedback on how we have dealt with your complaint.”
2023-03-29 12:45 ‘Data sharing agreement with Spain’ subsection added to ‘13. Transfers of data outside of the UK’.
2023-01-27 09:48 Updated section 5 title to “When you apply to register or tax a vehicle”. Information in this section has been updated to: “To collect Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and enforce against VED evasion (this includes the payment of penalties, out of court settlements and using automated number plate reader technology and wheelclamping)”.
2022-12-08 14:33 Information added to pont 5.
2022-12-07 11:35 Para 9. When you buy a private (personalised) registration number: added how long your note of interest in a registration number is kept for
2022-11-22 16:03 Added that we may share personal information with other Department for Transport agencies.
2022-09-22 10:37 Added ‘Section 16 – When you are an external visitor to a DVLA site’. Also, ‘Who we are’ in Section 1 has been updated to include the latest figures.
2022-08-26 15:00 Updated third paragraph in Section 14 – When you have a query or complaint.
2022-05-13 17:09 Private car parking management companies added to ‘Who we may share personal information withWhere it is lawful to do so’,
2022-04-27 10:30 Amended para 2. Information we hold about you – to link to new form to make a subject access request
2022-02-22 17:00 Section 16: Added email address for DVLA’s Data Protection Manager.