Certificate of Destruction (CoD)

The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Storage and Treatment) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 require that vehicles at the end of their life must only be treated at Government approved, Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs).

For those vehicles covered by the Regulations most ATF’s will use a web-based de-registration system to mark the vehicle as permanently scrapped and issue a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) to the vehicle's last owner. Some ATF’s will also use a paper based system. For further details click here.

Since Certificates of Destruction can only be isssued by licenced ATF’s this is the last owners guarantee that the vehicle will be disposed of correctly and recycled to EU target levels.

If the business that you take your scrap car to cannot give you a COD but offers you an “alternative” way of de-registering your vehicle this should be treated with suspicion. Any legitimate ATF can issue you a COD.

Not obtaining a COD could mean that your old car is not depolluted i.e. hazardous materials within the vehicle are allowed to pollute the enviroment, it could also mean that it is not recycled to the level it should be, wasting resources.

For you, no COD means that the vehicle record is still “Live” on the DVLA database. It could mean you are liable for traffic offence penalties and VED costs if the car or its registration number are used illegally whilst the vehicle is stil registered to you.

Play Safe, Insist on a COD.