| Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) Scheme |
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 The VIC scheme is a compulsory identity check, carried out by VOSA, of any car or tricycles which has been ‘written off’ as category A, B or C salvage by an insurer following accident damage and which is subsequently repaired for road use. The check also applies to scrapped cars with third party insurance |
The scheme was introduced primarily to deter vehicle crime. In particular, to help prevent criminals from stealing cars and passing them off as repaired accident damaged.
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The VIC seeks to ensure that the vehicle presented for inspection is that recorded on DVLA’s vehicle register. The vehicle examiner looks for evidence of repaired damage and to this end will compare the vehicle presented for inspection to the Insurance Company’s inspection report. A check is also made to ensure that the vehicle specification is the same and that the identification plate/number is the original rather than a substitute.
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| Once VOSA is satisfied that the vehicle is the original a certificate is issued to the customer which allows them to register the vehicle. As a consumer protection aid any subsequent Vehicle Registration Certificate is annotated “Accident damaged and/or substantially repaired”. |
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However, not all vehicles are accepted through the VIC scheme. For instance, if a vehicle has been re-shelled with a new bodyshell (from the manufacturer) and the VIN is therefore not visible/available or has been stamped by someone other than the manufacturer, or, if a vehicle has been radically altered from its original specification, it is rejected from the VIC scheme and is referred to DVLA. The vehicle is then subject to DVLA’s INF 26 procedures. However, it cannot retain its original identity irrespective of how much of the original vehicle is used in the rebuild.
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| The objective of the VIC scheme is to ensure that vehicles which have been written off by an insurance company, or declared '‘scrapped'’ by their owners due to accident damage, and are subsequently repaired/rebuilt for road use are the vehicle they purport to be and not a vehicle that has been stolen. |
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