Insurance write off categories: what A, B, S and N mean
Insurance write off categories decide whether a damaged car is destroyed or repaired. Two of the four end in destruction and two do not, which is the difference between a car you can never see again and one someone else may be driving next year.
Insurance write off categories: key facts
| Category A | Cannot be repaired. The entire vehicle must be crushed. Cannot return to the road |
|---|---|
| Category B | Cannot be repaired. The body shell is crushed, but other parts may be salvaged |
| Category S | Structural damage, but repairable. Usable again once roadworthy |
| Category N | Non structural damage, repairable. Usable again once roadworthy |
| Who sets them | The Association of British Insurers, under its Salvage Code of Practice |
| When they changed | 1 October 2017. S replaced C and N replaced D |
| Telling DVLA | Still required, with the same £1,000 fine |
What changed in 2017
The old Category C and Category D were about the cost of repair relative to the car's value. The replacements, S and N, are about the condition of the vehicle instead: whether the damage is structural. A cheap car with modest structural damage is now Category S, where under the old system it might have been written off purely on economics.
The change took effect on 1 October 2017 under the Association of British Insurers' Salvage Code of Practice.
Which ones end in destruction
Category A is absolute: the whole vehicle is crushed, parts included. Category B means the shell is crushed but usable parts may be removed and sold on first, which is where a good deal of the used parts trade comes from.
Categories S and N are repairable. The car can go back on the road once it is roadworthy, and the category stays on its record, which is why a Category S or N car sells for less than an equivalent clean one.
The paperwork
Send the V5C to your insurance company and keep the yellow section headed "sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade", exactly as you would when scrapping. For a Category S write off, send the complete log book to the insurer and apply for a free duplicate using form V62.
You must still tell DVLA the vehicle has been written off. The fine for not doing so is £1,000, the same as for scrapping.
A write off is not the same as scrapping
Scrapping is your decision to dispose of a vehicle at an authorised treatment facility, which gives you a Certificate of Destruction. A write off is an insurer's decision on a claim. Only Categories A and B necessarily end in destruction. If you keep a Category S or N car rather than letting the insurer take it, you are back to the ordinary rules, including deciding later whether to repair it or scrap it yourself.
If you disagree with the valuation
An insurer writing a car off is making two judgements: that it is uneconomic or unsafe to repair, and what it was worth. The second is the one most disputes are about, and it is negotiable.
What helps is evidence rather than argument: advertisements for the same model, year, mileage and specification currently for sale, a record of recent work and new parts, and service history. A valuation based on a generic trade guide can be moved by three or four genuine comparable listings.
You can also usually ask to keep the vehicle rather than let the insurer take it, with the salvage value deducted from your settlement. That makes sense for a Category S or N car you intend to repair, and no sense at all for Category A or B, which must be destroyed.
Buying a Category S or N car
Both can be sound once properly repaired, and both sell for noticeably less than an equivalent clean car. The things to check are the same in each case:
- What was damaged, and who repaired it. Ask for the repair invoices and photographs of the damage.
- An independent inspection, particularly for Category S, where the damage was structural by definition.
- Insurance. Confirm cover and the premium before you buy, not after.
- Resale. The category stays on the record permanently, so the discount you enjoy now is a discount you will give later.
And if you keep a written off car off the road
Put it on a SORN rather than letting the tax lapse quietly, and remember that a SORN leaves you as registered keeper. If you later decide to scrap it rather than repair it, you are back to the ordinary route: an authorised treatment facility, a free Certificate of Destruction, and telling DVLA yourself.
If you decide to dispose of a Category S or N car rather than repair it, you are back to the ordinary route, and our guide to finding a scrap yard near me covers choosing a facility.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Category S and Category N?
Category S means the car suffered structural damage but can be repaired. Category N means the damage was not structural. Both can return to the road once the car is roadworthy.
Can a Category A or B car ever be driven again?
No. Category A means the entire vehicle must be crushed. Category B means the body shell is crushed, though other parts may be salvaged and sold on. Neither may return to the road.
What happened to Category C and Category D?
They were replaced on 1 October 2017 by Categories S and N under the Association of British Insurers Salvage Code of Practice. The test changed from the cost of repair to whether the damage is structural.
Do I still have to tell DVLA if my car is written off?
Yes, and the fine for not doing so is £1,000. Send the V5C to your insurer and keep the yellow section. For a Category S write off, apply for a free duplicate log book on form V62.
Is a written off car worth buying?
A Category S or N car can be perfectly sound once properly repaired, and sells for less because the category stays on its record. Have the repair inspected, and be aware insurance and resale are both affected.
Sources
- Insurance write-offs, GOV.UK, accessed October 2026
- Getting to know the new insurance write-off categories, The Motor Ombudsman, change effective 1 October 2017
- Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write-offs, GOV.UK, accessed October 2026
- The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003, Part V on certificates of destruction