Penalty for a journey before you bought the vehicle

Sometimes a notice arrives for a journey made before the vehicle was yours, usually because DVLA records were updated late or the authority took weeks to issue it. You were not liable then, and every scheme gives you a ground to say so.

Which ground to use

• England schemes: you became the registered keeper after the time of the journey (SI 2013/1783 reg 8(3)(a)(iii)). Include the seller's name and address if you know it (reg 8(6)).
• London TfL schemes: you became the person liable after that date (SI 2001/2313 reg 13(3)(a)(iii)), with the seller's details if you have them (reg 13(5)).
• Scottish LEZs: you were not the registered keeper on the detection date (SSI 2021/177 reg 8(4)(b)).

Evidence

• Your purchase invoice or receipt with the date and time of collection.
• The new V5C or the V5C/2 slip, which shows when you became keeper.
• Finance or insurance documents that start on the purchase date.

Check the time, not just the date

If you collected the car on the same day as the journey, the time matters. The England ground is worded around "the time at which the motor vehicle was used". A receipt timed after the camera reading is strong evidence.