Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello all,

I’m looking for some guidance on a DVLA Single Justice Procedure Notice relating to a vehicle insurance offence.


The SJPN alleges that the keeper “kept an uninsured vehicle” in June 2025.
However, the vehicle had already been returned months earlier, in February 2025, under a PCP agreement.

The vehicle was collected by Manheim on behalf of the finance company, and the inspector completed the V5C motor trader section at the point of collection.


Evidence I currently have:

Manheim email confirming the inspection/collection appointment

Manheim inspection report with Feb 25 collection date and signature

Finance provider’s letter confirming the vehicle was “returned on xx February 2025”

Scanned copy of the V5C motor trader slip completed by the Manheim inspector which I completely forgot to post to DVLA !

I also want to note that we never received the Fixed Penalty Notice DVLA say they issued in June. The SJPN is the first correspondence seen.


Important context:

The vehicle was registered in my wife’s name, but because of her health issues and severe anxiety, I cannot involve her in anything stressful or court-related.
For this reason, a full court hearing is not an option, and I am trying to resolve this without it escalating.

My questions:

Is it advisable to contact DVLA Prosecutions immediately (with the evidence) before entering any plea, to request that they review/withdraw the case?

Does this situation fit the statutory defence that the accused was not the keeper at the time of the alleged offence?

Based on experience with DVLA enforcement cases, what is the recommended approach?

Has anyone here had success getting an SJPN withdrawn by emailing DVLA with proof that the vehicle was sold/returned before the offence date? (via prosecutions@dvla.gov.uk or dvlaenforcement@dvla.gov.uk)

If DVLA refuse, what realistic options remain that avoid a court appearance?

Any help or experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

Scanned copy of the V5C motor trader slip completed by the Manheim inspector which I completely forgot to post to DVLA !

When, if at all, did you eventually send it off? This would seem like the reason your wife now has the SJPN.

Quote from: enigmalive on December 02, 2025, 10:57:27 am

Scanned copy of the V5C motor trader slip completed by the Manheim inspector which I completely forgot to post to DVLA !

When, if at all, did you eventually send it off? This would seem like the reason your wife now has the SJPN.

Hello, thank you for your response.
The slip was never sent because it remained in a drawer after it was signed and handed to us by the collection driver. One state that it had already been sent, as I would not have sent it by recorded delivery in any case.

it’s important for people to be aware that not sending the completed slip to the DVLA can have serious consequences.

There are a high number of cases across all 3 main areas of this forum (criminal matters, council PCNs and private parking), in which a failure to update the registered keeper details of a vehicle is at least partly to blame for the situation a poster finds themselves in.

I wrote to the DVLA but haven’t had a reply yet, so I’m now preparing to send the guilty plea before the deadline.

Just to confirm:

1. Is it OK to post the plea (recorded) on the 21st day from the date shown on the SJPN?

What does the SJPN say?
If the plea has to be received within the 21 days, then clearly not.
Why on earth would you want to enter a plea by post at the last minute if hoping that the DVLA will change their mind? Do you have access to the internet, such that you could enter a plea online at literally the last minute?

2. Can I include the completed slip we forgot to send, along with the plea, or should I send that separately to DVLA with the date the vehicle was collected by the auction?

A plea of insanity is unique in criminal law in that the standard of proof on the defence is beyond all reasonable doubt, as opposed to on the balance of probabilities for all other matters (or raising an issue).
Technically you could send a pair of worn socks with your plea, which might be marginally more helpful as regards an insanity plea.

This whole thing was caused by you not notifying the DVLA of change of keeper. Not doing so was a separate offence in and of itself, but that is not be pursued and rarely is. Until you have notified the DVLA of change of keeper, more bad news is likely to be coming your wife's way, as already explained by DWMB2.

3. Is the MC100 (Statement of assets and other financial circumstances) mandatory to fill out ?

Arguably, Article 6 ECHR negates any putative requirement to do so until you have been convicted, as you are entitled to a presumption of innocence. If you are pleading guilty, then I'd be less confident.

On the face of it, the offence is one of being registered as the keeper, without having informed the DVLA in the prescribed manner of any subsequent change of keeper, without an insurance policy being in place. The obligation to inform the DVLA falls on the RK (it is a separate offence not to do so, albeit one that is rarely prosecuted).

If the finance company had informed the DVLA of the change of keeper, before the material time, then the OP's wife would presumably no longer be the RK and there would be no offence, and on the face of it the defence would seem to have been made out - assuming that whilst liability is personal, performance can be delegated.

If the OP performs a vehicle check on the DVLA's website it will show when the V5C was last updated - which won't help much if it's been updated since June , but might give a heads-up if the DVLA's own evidence that the OP's wife was the RK at the time shows she wasn't.

as andy said the op (wife) needs to get onto dvla and find out when the v5 was changed. or maybe the finance Co can enlighten her.