Vehicle Identity Check
The Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) was introduced in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2003, and was created to prevent the illegal practice of vehicle cloning. It is a joint effort run by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
At present the VIC is only applicable to cars. When a car is written off by an insurance company as category C or higher, then it will require checking. Category D vehicles do not require inspection. The test, carried out by VOSA, determines whether or not a car presented is the same one that is listed against DVLA records. It is not a check on any repairs carried out to the car. To apply for a check a VIC1 form needs to be completed and submitted to VOSA.
A car bought with no V5 may also requiring a VIC, even if there has been no insurance claim, to confirm its identify before a new V5C is issued.
The VIC is necessary to ensure the V5C is not a stolen or cloned vehicle taking the identity of a destroyed vehicle. The VIC does not determine the roadworthiness or mechanical safety of the vehicle. This function is part of the MOT.
As of 2013 since its introduction in 2003 an estimated 900,000 vehicles have been tested under the scheme. However only 38 "ringers" or cloned vehicles have been successfully identified.
See also
The Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) scheme closed on 26 October 2015.
You no longer need a VIC test to apply for log book (V5C) if an insurance company has written off your vehicle.