News story

DVLA local office closure plan announced

All 39 DVLA local offices are scheduled for closure by the end of 2013.

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DVLA building

In July 2012, findings of a public consultation in to the transformation of DVLA were announced. The outcomes of this review determined that transactions and services should be gradually migrated from the existing 39 DVLA Local Offices to a mix of alternative channels. DVLA has started the changes necessary to facilitate the closures of the local offices as a step change towards a digital business.

All local offices are scheduled to close in three tranches, these are highlighted below:

Date for closure Offices
25 October 2013 Aberdeen
  Bournemouth
  Brighton
  Carlisle
  Chelmsford
  Edinburgh
  Ipswich
  Lincoln
  Sheffield
  Norwich
  Oxford
  Shrewsbury
  Stockton
  Swansea
22 November 2013 Bangor
  Beverley
  Chester
  Dundee
  Exeter
  Inverness
  Maidstone
  Peterborough
  Sidcup
  Theale
  Truro
  Worcester
13 December 2013 Birmingham
  Borehamwood
  Bristol
  Cardiff
  Glasgow
  Leeds
  Manchester
  Newcastle
  Northampton
  Nottingham
  Portsmouth
  Preston
  Wimbledon

Changes that will be introduced before the local offices close include:

Extending the existing service for taxing vehicles at Post Office® branches to include taxing Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and requesting duplicate tax discs.

Enhancing the existing Automated First Registration and Licensing scheme to enable tax discs to be distributed from DVLA Swansea direct to customers, dealers and fleet operators.

Changes to law that allow newly registered vehicles to be used/driven on the road for up to 14 calendar days from the date of registration without the need to display the tax disc. This mitigates concerns raised by customers around delays in receiving documentation through the post.

Centralised the work of 10 area enforcement centres and processes around applying for trade licences at DVLA Swansea.

Introduction of centralised postal applications directed to DVLA Swansea including personalised registrations (from 1 July) and first registration applications using V55 forms (from 22 July).

Redirecting customer mail to DVLA Swansea for processing, communicating these changes via local office and motor industry representatives.

Updates to this page

Published 21 June 2013