It appears that when it comes to LoS vehicles, the DVLA and police operate in isolation, fail to share vital information, not because they cannot, but because they choose not to collaborate.
- The police may not advise the DVLA that a VRM is associated with a theft allegation i.e. the vehicle is reported stolen
But even if they do,
- The DVLA may not act upon such a notification:
“The DVLA does not automatically share any further information with the police about a vehicle record once a LoS marker has been applied.” 29/01/2026 FoIA response
It therefore appears that if, for example, the DVLA receives a request for a V5C (registration certificate) for a vehicle against which a stolen marker has been received, the polcie will not be advised.
Additionally, there are instances where the DVLA will not be notified of the vehicle’s stolen status by the police! See: ‘weeding‘.