How to fill in a V55/4 form

The V55/4 is DVLA's application for the first vehicle tax and registration of a new motor vehicle. It is a detailed two-page form because it creates the vehicle's first record on the DVLA register and captures technical, approval, tax and keeper information at the same time.

This guide follows the current official V55/4 and V355/4 guidance. Always check the official V55/4 publication page before posting, because DVLA can update the form or its notes.

First, check that V55/4 is the right form

V55/4 is for a vehicle that has never been registered before. GOV.UK specifically includes new imported vehicles and newly built kit cars.

You will commonly use V55/4 for:

• a brand-new vehicle that the dealer has not registered for you
• a genuinely new vehicle imported before it was registered in another country
• a newly built kit car that qualifies for new registration

Do not use V55/4 simply because a vehicle looks new or has delivery mileage. If it has already been permanently registered abroad, it will normally follow the used-vehicle route and use V55/5. Our V55/4 versus V55/5 guide explains the distinction, or you can use the free V55 form checker.

What to gather before you start

Most of the difficult-looking V55/4 boxes are copied from authoritative vehicle documents. Having those documents beside you is much quicker and safer than trying to research each specification separately.

Depending on the vehicle, gather:

• the Certificate of Conformity (CoC), IVA certificate, GB conversion IVA certificate or MSVA certificate
• the VIN or chassis number and engine number
• the purchase invoice and evidence that the vehicle is new
• form V267, the declaration that a vehicle is new, for a new import where required
• NOVA confirmation if the vehicle was imported
• keeper name, date of birth, contact details and UK address
• the correct tax class, vehicle-tax amount and intended tax start date
• an accepted identity document and any other evidence required for your route

Never invent a technical figure to make the form look complete. The official guide repeatedly directs applicants to copy emissions, mass, sound and approval details from the CoC or approval certificate. A blank optional box is better than an unsupported answer.

How to complete the V55/4, section by section

Tax and registration details

The first boxes cover the tax class, the period of tax, the first registration fee, the tax payable and the date from which tax should run. Use the current official tax rates and the class that actually applies to the vehicle.

Do not combine separate amounts. The registration fee, vehicle tax and any payment to a commercial form-completion service are different charges.

Vehicle identity

Enter the manufacturer, make, model, body type, wheelplan, colour, fuel type and full VIN or chassis number. A modern VIN is normally 17 characters. Copy it exactly from the vehicle and its documents; letters such as I, O and Q are not used in a standard 17-character VIN.

Also record whether the vehicle is left- or right-hand drive and the year in which this registration will take place. The registration year is not necessarily the same as the year of manufacture.

Type approval

Copy the type approval number and category from the approval evidence. The exact source depends on whether the vehicle uses a CoC, IVA, GB conversion IVA or MSVA route.

If the vehicle is exempt from type approval, do not invent an approval number. Give the full reason for the exemption in the exemption box and include the evidence the route requires.

Dimensions, weights and technical details

The form asks for figures such as wheelbase, track widths, mass in service, maximum permitted mass, axle weights and towing limits. Not every figure applies to every vehicle.

Use the units printed on the form and copy figures from the source named by V355/4. Do not add units inside a numeric box unless the form asks for them.

Emissions, sound and environmental data

The longer middle section covers values including CO₂, particulates, CO, HC, NOx, sound levels, Euro status and other approval data. This is where the CoC or approval certificate matters most.

Some boxes are required only for particular approval routes or vehicle categories. If your official evidence does not contain an optional value and the guide says it may be left blank, leave it blank.

Keeper and purchaser details

Enter the keeper's full name or company name, address and postcode. An individual keeper normally supplies their date of birth. Add current contact details so DVLA can get in touch if it needs to clarify the application.

Box 66 asks for the first part of the purchaser's postcode, sometimes called the outcode—for example, SW19, not the complete postcode.

Box 67 and the declaration

Box 67 is the list or notional price for the vehicle categories specified in V355/4, including relevant M1 vehicles. The amount is based on the timing described in the official guide, so check it close to the registration date rather than relying on an old invoice alone.

Finally, read the declaration and sign and date it by hand. If an authorised agent signs, complete the agent information the form asks for.

Heavy goods vehicle questions

Boxes 71 to 73 apply only to goods vehicles over the weight threshold stated on the form. Most car, motorcycle and light-van applicants will not complete them. If they do apply, answer them from the vehicle's actual configuration and testing status.

What to send with the V55/4

The form is only one part of the application. The exact pack varies, but a typical application may include:

• the printed, checked, signed and dated V55/4
• approval evidence or evidence of an exemption
• evidence that the vehicle is new, including V267 where required
• NOVA confirmation for an imported vehicle
• the identity evidence specified by DVLA
• payment for the first registration fee, if due
• payment for the correct period of vehicle tax
• any route-specific evidence requested in the official guidance

Use copies or originals exactly as DVLA specifies. Do not assume every document will be returned unless the official instructions say so.

Common V55/4 mistakes

Fill in the V55/4 online

Our guided V55/4 form builder turns the paper layout into relevant sections. You can upload a vehicle document, review extracted values, complete the remaining answers and download the populated DVLA form to print and sign.

It does not replace the supporting evidence or DVLA's decision, but it removes much of the work of mapping your documents into dozens of numbered boxes.

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