Fake DVLA websites

Added on 29 November 2021

The following Alert is being circulated on behalf of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police and is being circulated nationally due to its relevance.

Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Police Division have received reports regarding fake DVLA websites that are charging people more money than they need to spend.

Reports have been received over the past few months, with an incident as recent as yesterday, whereby people are looking to either book their driving theory test or send away for a new/provisional driving licence and have been directed to a fake website.

Some people are searching using their internet search bar and have clicked on a link that isn’t an official DVLA site. These scam websites look genuine and will ask for payment which is often far greater than the cost of going directly through DVLA.

Scammers have been known to make fake websites which look very official, so if you’re looking for information from the DVLA online, look at the URL and make sure it ends in ‘gov.uk’.

DVLA is aware of problems with third party websites passing themselves off as DVLA, for example to customers who are applying for driving licences. Some sites exaggerate the nature of the services they provide, or deliberately underplay the services that people can get for free or at a lower cost from DVLA. These services are in no way affiliated with DVLA. In particular you may come across these websites in the sponsored links or paid-for results section when using online search engines.

These websites often claim to offer value-added services to ensure your application is correct before you send it to DVLA. However, using this service will mean you can end up paying as much as 3 times the normal price for your driving licence.

Use DVLA’s online driving licence or vehicle tax services on GOV.UK
By using the online driving licence or vehicle tax services on GOV.UK, you can be sure that you are dealing directly with DVLA and you will not be charged any additional fees. Your driving licence or vehicle tax application will be completed online without the need for a paper application in the majority of cases.

If you come across adverts for misleading websites you can report them. For advice on how to do this read Report a misleading website to search engines.