DVLA announces final tranche of revisions to historic vehicle registration policy

Published: 03/08/2026

Further to its statement on 20 August last year, the DVLA has today (3 August) announced the next stage in its programme of vehicle registration policy revisions following the Call for Evidence issued in 2024. 

The Federation would like to repeat its thanks to DVLA staff for the obvious thought and effort that has gone into these revisions.

Today’s announcement concerns the ‘reconstructed classic’ group with particular reference to the acceptance of ‘period typical’ newly-constructed bodies on vehicles with a chassis. 

Additionally, the DVLA will now accept the date of despatch from the ‘mother factory’ as the date of manufacture for vehicles originally supplied in CKD form.

The Federation believes that with this latest announcement the DVLA has now addressed all of the major concerns of the historic vehicle community and continue to be encouraged by the sympathetic and pragmatic approach being shown to the registration difficulties sometimes faced with older vehicles. 

Adds FBHVC Technical Director Ian Edmunds: “We will, of course, continue to pursue the few minor matters that remain and any new ones which may appear.”

The INF318 leaflet can be downloaded here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a6c7ab5cceb23e867897787/inf318-making-changes-to-a-vehicle.pdf

The text can of INF318 can be viewed online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-changes-to-a-vehicle-and-registering-kit-built-kit-converted-and-reconstructed-classic-vehicles-inf318/making-changes-to-a-vehicle-and-registering-kit-built-kit-converted-and-reconstructed-classic-vehicles-inf318

The entire DVLA guide can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/print

The Federation's guide to DVLA and the '40-year rule' is here: https://fbhvc.co.uk/mot-exemption-information