The DVLA has quashed internet rumours that it is about to phase out the V888 service, used to trace the whereabouts of a vehicle and its registered keeper. “We will continue with the V888 form,” said a DVLA spokesperson.
Sentimental enthusiasts have in the past used the V888 service to find out a where a much-missed classic currently resides; others mine the online Vehicle Enquiry Service (VES) to find out if an former car of theirs is still on the road.
V888 requirements remain much the same: if there is ‘reasonable cause’ to supply information about a car and its owner, Swansea will oblige. V888 forms can be used to find out who was responsible for an accident, reveal the registered keeper of an abandoned vehicle, or track down insurance fraudsters.
It’s not a foolproof service; DVLA can deny requests if it disagrees with your motives and, as in the case of the neglected Triumph Vitesse in Barnet earlier this year, a V888 form did not alert the owner as to the plight of their classic.
