What to do if you lose important vehicle documents

We all have a special place in the home where we keep our precious documents: the passports, the birth certificates and the vehicle registration papers.  At least, we think we have a place where we keep them. Unfortunately, from time to time, important documents go missing or become misplaced.  The frantic searching when that vital document is not where it is expected to be can lead to mild panic or worse if the document still eludes you.  At Sandyford Motor Centre, we regularly have customers who cannot find essential documents relating to their car or the service history records of a vehicle they want to trade in or sell.  Don’t panic. There are things you can do to replace all the important documents.

The The National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) is a database containing details of all 2.5 million registered vehicles and their owners as well as the 2.6 million licensed drivers in the country.  Here in the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division of the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport (DTTAS)  all the motor tax information, drivers licenses and vehicle licencing certificates are processed.  This is also where they maintain the database of all the states registered vehicles and licenced drivers. The NVDF also fulfils legal obligations in relation to the national driver and vehicle registers. 

Lost log or vehicle registration book

With all this information kept safe by the government, it is relatively easy to replace your lost vehicle documents. To get a replacement vehicle registration certificate (sometimes still called the log book), download and complete form RF134 (pdf) from here. Hotfoot it to get the form witnessed and stamped by a member of the Garda Síochána at a Garda station. Then you simply send on the completed form with the appropriate fee to your local Motor Tax Office. The replacement should be with you in 14 days.

Driver’s license

If your current driving licence or learner permit is lost, stolen, damaged or defaced, you should apply to the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) a branch of The Road Safety Authority who have been tasked by the Irish Government to manage the processing and production of driving licenses in Ireland.  You can apply online or drop in to the NDLS office. The replacement licence or permit is a copy of your original driving licence or learner permit and will show the codes on your original license, such as whether you are driving a modified car or need glasses.  The original categories of driving will be there too.  Check out their website for what you need to supply to support the copy of the license. 

 Motor Tax Disc

Now you may be saying to yourself, who loses a motor tax disc, but it you neglect to put it in the windshield holder when it arrives, it can get lost or thrown out.  No worries. A replacement motor tax disc is available too should you manage to lose the new current one.  Log on to motortax.ie and download form RF134. 

 Car Service History

Its is always useful to have the car service history if you are trading in or selling, or just to check when certain maintenance or repair tasks were completed.  Here at Sandyford Motor Centre, we keep your car's digital service history with us, so that we may view and review. A full service history is one of the first questions our sales team ask for when customers are trading in their vehicle to us. A full service history to manufacturer standards will always accrue top value for trade in.

Losing important documents relating to your vehicle is an inconvenience and not a major crisis.  Even if they are temporarily misplaced in the home of gone as a result of a robbery or, heaven forbid, a fire, you can get copies. You may have to wait as the data bases are trawled and there is the inconvenience of applying for, paying for, and getting all the forms for the replacements, but this is minor when faced with the permanent loss of these papers.