My post in 'Motoring' section

[kazzianne]

Hi guys - I posted a question in motoring lastnight as to how on earth I can find somebodys address from their car reg number,but seeing as not as many people look at that section I wondered if any of you clever things can tell me how to do this.How would I get it from DVLA? Or any other ideas pleeeassseeee!! Im not doing anything illegal by the way!!

[Cockney_si]

You would probably need to contact the police who may then in turn contact the person, dues to data protection issues they probably won't give out addresses.

[Ethel]

Quite simply you can't.

Neither the police nor the DVLA would give out that information unless it was necessary in an insurance claim. And the the information would be passed to your insurance company, not you.

[kazzianne]

Oh - a few people in 'motoring' posted that I could in various ways thru DVLA - if you have seen their posts.

[jake-the-peg]

You also posted in that section that you had "a very good reason for wanting to find out" but you couldn't tell the DVLA

Forgive me for being suspicious here but if the DVLA won't release information on a private individual here I'm not sure we should help you!

Incidently I think releasing information like this would be illegal under the Data Potection Act.

[Skids]

By the way, your original question and this question are both in the Motoring section.

[kazzianne]

Skids - they have just moved my second post from B&S to Motoring as well.

[kazzianne]

Jake - if you know me on here at all you will know that I am a genuine person.I only didnt give the reason as it was quite long-winded,but briefly,if you have read my old question you will know that my partners ex did a runner with his daughter and we didnt know where to.We finally found out - and then on saturday she has moved again without telling us!! We can go through the courts but it will take at least a month and so I was wondering if it was possible to find her through her reg number,thats all.

[rugeleyboy]

ask a private detective,they have friends in dark places (if they are worth there salt)!!

[ugly_bob]

Going through DVLA would take time too. They wao'nt know until she sends in her licence and/or V60 (? registration document ?) for a change of address

[kazzianne]

Thats true Bob.God this is a nightmare.I totally understand peoples right to privacy eyc,but when she keeps vanishing off the face of the earth it is so stressful.

[jake-the-peg]

I understand but people register cars expecting that that information is protected.

If the DVLA or other authorities made it available to everbody who had a dispute with their other half they might as well post the database on the internet!

Then everybody would be registerring vehicles under false names and there'd be chaos.

You are of course making the possibly erroneous assumption that your partners ex is behaving and updating the DVLA with new address in a timely fashion every move - loads of genuine people forget when they move and only realise when their tax disk runs out!

I think you're barking up the wrong tree here a bit, trying to solve the sympton not the root cause - sounds like more of a legal issue -has he no right of access established?

[JudgeJ]

Whether you consider it right or wrong, this is precisely why this sort of information is not generally available. The DVLA keep these details so that motoring matters such as driving offences, road fund licence offences and the like can be legitimately pursued by those with the authority to pursue them. Of course they would also make such details available to enable criminal law enforcement even where the crimes committed are not motoring offences. The Data Protection Act makes provision for such exceptions.

However, the situation you describe is not a legitimate reason to make use of the details held by the DVLA and in any case you are not an authorised user of those details. It is true that, certainly recently, the DVLA has seen fit to make the details they hold more widely available and I am quite sure that it will not be too long before their more relaxed actions are challenged in the courts.

There us also a purely practical aspect of your problem as well. The accuracy of the details held by the DVLA depends upon their being promptly updated. If, as seems likely, your partner's ex is trying to make herself scarce, it is most unlikely she is going to make it easy for people to locate her by updating her details.

[Bluemukka]

Also, the DVLA and Police have to have a reason to check out this kind of information, they can get into serious trouble if they just do it on a whim/personal reasons etc.

[kepla]

I work in Information Governance for the NHS and can assure you that the only way in which you could persuade DVLA or the police to yield this information would if if a crime had been committed or if it was 'in the public interest'. I suggest you examine your motives for wanting to catch your husband's ex. If they are causing any form of harassment, have taken something belonging to your husband or have kidnapped somebody then you should get the police involved. If not, then perhaps you should persuade your husband to let it drop. After all, he is supposed to be with you now so why go chasing round after his ex. If there are children involved then the answer is very simple. Get pregnant, frequently.

[kazzianne]

kepla - the reason my boyfriend is trying to find his ex is that she has vanished with entire contents of his house,money etc,its a long story.

[ugly_bob]

I think you need to contact the police and let them deal with it then. May cause you more problems if you try to go vigilante

[kazzianne]

Morning Bob - well since I put this post on my boyfriend and I discussed it last night and have decided that we dont want to get ourselves into trouble - she is in the wrong - and so we have handed the entire thing over to his solicitor to find her thru the courts.It will cost a fortune,and take time,but hopefully will get results.

And a big thankyou for all who kindly offered advice and opinions - 3 starts to all of you!