DVLA Form V888/2 is the paper application a company or organisation posts to the DVLA to request registered keeper information from a vehicle’s record.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record It comes in two variants: V888/2B for general vehicle record inquiries, and V888/2A when you need the keeper on a specific date.2GOV.UK. Request by a Company for Keeper at Date of Event Information Form V888/2A Complete the form by hand, enclose supporting documents and a £5 cheque, and post it to DVLA in Swansea. The agency then either releases the keeper’s details or writes back explaining why it refused.
Which Version of the Form You Need
V888/2B covers general inquiries into a vehicle’s record: solicitors tracing a keeper for litigation, insurers validating a claim, or executors confirming a deceased person’s vehicle.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record V888/2A is narrower: use it when you need the name and address of whoever was the registered keeper on a particular date, rather than the current keeper.2GOV.UK. Request by a Company for Keeper at Date of Event Information Form V888/2A
One boundary worth flagging: if you are a private individual rather than a business, neither V888/2 form applies. You need plain Form V888 instead.3Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Giving People Information From Our Vehicle Record Filing on the wrong form is one of the easiest ways to have an application returned unprocessed.
Reasonable Cause: The Test Your Application Has to Pass
The DVLA will only release keeper details when the applicant shows a “reasonable cause.” That threshold comes from Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002.4Legislation.gov.uk. The Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing Regulations 2002 – Regulation 27
DVLA guidance lists the scenarios it treats as reasonable cause:5GOV.UK. Request Information About Another Vehicle or Its Registered Keeper
- Finding out who was driving a vehicle involved in a collision.
- Tracing the registered keeper of a vehicle left on private land.
- Identifying the keeper of a car parked on your property without permission.
- Tracing someone who drove off without paying, such as at a fuel station.
- Identifying individuals suspected of insurance fraud.
- Issuing parking tickets or trespass charge notices.
V888/2 itself narrows these into predefined tick-box categories: solicitor, insurer, or loss adjuster inquiries; bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings; enforcement of a court judgment; client validation for a claim; and executor-of-a-will inquiries.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record If your reason does not fit any of these, the form includes an “Other” option where you explain the circumstances in your own words. Vague or generic explanations are the most common reason applications stall or get refused.
Completing Form V888/2
Download the correct version from GOV.UK, print it, and complete it by hand in black ink. There is no online submission route. Every section has to be filled in fully; DVLA does not chase missing details and will return or refuse incomplete applications.
Company Details
Give your company’s full name, address, and a contact telephone number. Include your Data Protection registration number and, where applicable, your Companies House number.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record These identifiers let DVLA verify that the organisation is legitimate and properly registered for data handling. A wrong or blank number will get the application rejected.
Vehicle Details
Enter the vehicle registration number along with the make and model. If you do not know the make and model, you have to explain why on the form.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record A typical example: the vehicle was only partially visible during an incident and you captured the plate but not the badge. Say exactly what you could and could not see.
Purpose and Statement of Case
Tick the category that matches your request (solicitor inquiry, bankruptcy, judgment enforcement, claim validation, executor, or other). Then write your Statement of Case. This is the section that carries the most weight in DVLA’s decision.
A strong Statement of Case does three things. It describes what happened, explains why you need the keeper’s details, and states exactly how you will use the information. Include the date, time, and location of the incident. If you are enforcing a court judgment, reference the case number. If you are handling a deceased estate, state the relationship. Concrete detail reduces the chance of a clarification request or an outright refusal.
Supporting Documents
The form asks you to enclose documents that back up your Statement of Case. What counts depends on your reason:
- Court judgment enforcement: a stamped copy of the judgment order.
- Executor of a will: a death certificate or grant of probate.
- Accident or property damage: photographs of the damage, a police incident reference number, or correspondence from an insurer.
- Solicitor inquiry: a letter on firm letterhead explaining the legal proceedings.
These requirements are set out on the form itself under the guidance notes for each category.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record Under “Other,” include whatever evidence most directly demonstrates your reasonable cause. An application with no supporting documents faces a much higher chance of refusal.
Submitting the Form and Paying
Post the completed form, supporting documents, and payment to DVRE, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AJ.1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record
The fee is £5 per inquiry, paid by cheque or postal order made out to “DVLA Swansea.”1Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Request by a Company for Information From a Vehicle’s Record Cash and electronic payments are not accepted. The fee is non-refundable, so a refusal means you lose the £5.
Before sealing the envelope, photocopy everything: the completed form, your supporting documents, and the cheque or postal order. Use tracked or recorded delivery so you have proof of posting. DVLA can take up to six weeks to respond, and copies protect you if anything goes astray in the post.
After You Submit
DVLA reviews the application against the reasonable cause standard. If it is approved, you receive a letter with the registered keeper details. If it is refused, the letter explains which requirements were not met. There is no formal appeals process published on the form, but nothing stops you resubmitting a new application with stronger evidence or a more detailed Statement of Case.
One caveat to keep in mind before you act on what comes back: the information identifies the registered keeper of the vehicle, not necessarily the person who was driving it at the time of an incident. A company that leases vehicles, for example, may be the registered keeper rather than the individual driver. That distinction matters if you are pursuing a personal injury or property damage claim.
Your Data Protection Obligations Afterwards
Information released through V888/2 is personal data protected by UK Data Protection legislation. You may only use it for the specific purpose stated in your application. Unlawfully obtaining, disclosing, or sharing personal data from DVLA records is a criminal offence, and the Department for Transport will investigate misuse of the service.6GOV.UK. View Vehicle Record – Privacy Policy Receiving keeper information for a court claim and then passing it to a marketing database, for example, is an offence under Data Protection law. Treat the information as confidential, use it strictly for the stated purpose, and store or dispose of it securely once that purpose is fulfilled.