If your car is stolen in the UK, call 999 if the theft is happening now or you were threatened. Otherwise call 101, give the registration number, make, model and colour, and note the crime reference number. Then call your insurer with that number. If the insurer pays out, tell DVLA the car now belongs to the insurer; DVLA then cancels your vehicle tax and refunds any full months left.
Updated 5 October 2026 · Sources: GOV.UK (DVLA), Metropolitan Police, Police Service of Northern Ireland, ONS Crime in England and Wales
If someone demands your keys, hand them over: the Met Police says it is better to give up the keys than risk being hurt. Then call 999 as soon as you can and ask for the police. Never try to stop a thief or follow the car.
Car theft and your options in four numbers
What should I do first if my car is stolen?
Work through these steps in order. The first two get the police looking for the car and give you the crime reference number everyone else will ask for; the rest sort out your insurance, your paperwork and your money.
1. Get safe, then 999 if it is happening now
2. Report it to the police on 101
3. Call your insurer
4. Pass on any tracker location
5. Save a private plate before telling DVLA
6. Tell DVLA if the insurer pays out
Should I call 999 or 101 if my car has been stolen?
Call 999 if the theft is happening now, you were threatened or hurt, or the thieves are still nearby. If you simply come back to find the car gone, call 101, which is free, and ask for your local police. You will get a crime reference number that your insurer needs. Our guide 999 or 101? How to report a crime explains the difference.
Do I need to tell DVLA my car has been stolen?
Not straight away. GOV.UK says you must tell DVLA once your insurance company pays out, because the car has then been sold to the insurer. Do it online or send the yellow section of the log book to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD, with a letter giving the date the payment was accepted and the insurer’s details.
Will I get my vehicle tax back?
Yes, for any full months left. Once DVLA is told, it cancels the tax automatically and posts a refund cheque to the address on the log book, counting from the date it receives your information. Card fees and Direct Debit or six-month surcharges are not refunded. If you are keeping a private plate, you claim the refund separately on form V33 with your crime reference number.
Can I keep my private number plate?
Usually, yes. Send form V317, the log book and the £80 fee to DVLA by post within 2.5 years of reporting the theft. You qualify if you told the police, and the car had a valid MOT and up-to-date tax when it was stolen. If the car is not found, you must wait six months before putting the number on another vehicle.
What if I can see where my car is?
Give the location to the police or your tracker company and let them act. Going there yourself can put you in danger, and the people with the car may not be the thieves. The Met Police notes that some modern trackers can shut down the fuel system and bring a stolen car to a halt. Keep screenshots with the time for your report.
Who to contact after a car theft
Red ▲: do it now · Amber ▬: same day · Green ▼: when it applies. More on anonymous reporting: Crimestoppers explained.
How common is car theft in the UK?
Police in England and Wales recorded 312,250 vehicle offences in the year to March 2026, 11% fewer than the year before, according to the ONS. That total covers thefts of and from vehicles, not only whole cars. See how it compares with other crimes in crime by type in the 2026 figures, and when vehicle crime peaks in when is crime most likely. For your own street, use the postcode crime checker.
How do I stop my next car being stolen?
Cars with keyless entry can be stolen with “relay” kit, which the Police Service of Northern Ireland describes as a device that fools the car into thinking the key is close by. These four police-backed habits make any car harder to take:
Myths vs facts
- Myth: “A keyless car can’t be taken without the key.” Fact: PSNI explains that relay devices let thieves unlock and start a car from a few metres from the key, even when it is inside your home.
- Myth: “I must tell DVLA the moment the car goes.” Fact: GOV.UK says to tell the police and your insurer first, and DVLA once the insurer pays out.
- Myth: “A stolen car means losing my private plate.” Fact: You can usually keep it with form V317 if you reported the theft and the car was taxed and had a valid MOT.
Frequently asked questions
GOV.UK says to give the police the registration number, the make and model, and the colour. Add where and when you last saw it and any tracker location. Keep the crime reference number you are given.
If the stolen car is found after you applied to keep the number, you can assign it straight away, as long as you do it before the car is sold or scrapped. If the car is not found, you must wait six months.
Hand over the keys rather than risk being hurt, get somewhere safe and call 999. Then follow the same steps as above: crime reference number, insurer, DVLA. If you feel unsafe afterwards, read what to do if you think you’re being followed.
Sources
- GOV.UK: what to do if your vehicle has been stolen
- GOV.UK: get a vehicle tax refund
- GOV.UK: if you had a private (personalised) registration number
- Metropolitan Police: preventing car and vehicle theft
- PSNI: preventing keyless car theft
- ONS: Crime in England and Wales, year ending March 2026
General information, not legal advice. Your insurer’s own claim rules apply. In an emergency, always call 999.
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Check the area before you park up
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