What do I put in V55/5 box 8 body type?
Reviewed 2026-07-10
Short answer
Use a plain DVLA-style body or vehicle description that matches the vehicle, such as 2-door saloon, estate, hatchback, motorcycle, tricycle, moped or flat lorry.
Official position
The V355/5 guidance says box 8 is type of body or vehicle and gives examples including 2-door saloon, estate, 3-door or 5-door hatchback, sports, convertible, coupe, motorcycle, tricycle, moped and flat lorry.
What to do
Describe the physical vehicle type, not the trim level or marketing name.
Keep the wording consistent with the foreign document, MOT, approval certificate and V55/5 box 9 wheelplan.
For motorcycles and trikes, use the actual vehicle category rather than a car body style.
Avoid over-specific trim names unless needed in box 7 model/full specification.
Common mistakes
- Putting the make or model in box 8.
- Writing SUV, JDM trim names or auction descriptions that do not match DVLA-style body records.
- Using motorcycle when the vehicle is legally a tricycle or quadricycle.
Related help
Official sources
Use the relevant tool
V55 form checker
Apply this answer to your vehicle, then carry the result into your free registration route.