5-minute guide
An insurer that declares a car uneconomic to repair labels it with a letter. That letter settles whether the car may be driven again and whether its parts can be reused.
Category A means total destruction, with nothing salvaged. Category B means the shell is crushed, though certain parts may be recovered beforehand. Neither car is ever re-registered for the road.
Category S covers structural harm, for example to the chassis or crumple zones; Category N covers everything else. Either may be fixed and driven again, but on an older car the bill often outweighs the result.
Bought the car back from the insurer? Then repairing, selling or scrapping it is your call. Quote the category when you ask for an offer.
In short
Facts last compared with GOV.UK: October 2026.
FAQs
The follow-ups people usually have after reading this.
More on the full FAQs page.
It depends on the damage and the car's value. Get a repair quote and compare it with the car's value.
Your insurer usually tells the DVLA. If the car is repaired and put back on the road, follow the DVLA guidance.
Next guides
Two details, the reg and the postcode, put your car in front of the licensed buyer for your area. Their figure, your decision.