Is category C the old category S?

No. C was decided by repair cost against value. S is decided by whether a repairable vehicle suffered structural damage, so the tests answer different questions.

Is category D always non-structural?

No. D meant the estimated repair cost did not exceed the pre-accident value but the insurer did not repair. It was not a structural classification.

Do old categories disappear from history?

No. The codes are no longer assigned, but an existing total-loss record remains relevant to a history check, insurance and resale.

Insurance write-offs

Old categories C and D still matter

Insurers stopped assigning them when the present code arrived in October 2017, but older records remain attached to vehicles already categorised.

What did category C and category D mean?

Both meant repairable. C meant the estimated repair cost including VAT exceeded the pre-accident value. D meant it did not exceed that value, but the insurer still chose not to repair.

Competition and Markets Authority, Motor insurance market investigation: appendices and glossary (as of 24 September 2014)

Checked on 7 September 2026.Competition and Markets Authority, Motor insurance market investigation: appendices and glossary (as of 24 September 2014)

The categories at a glance

Old categories C and D still matter: category summary
Category	ABI meaning	May return	V5C and DVLA
C: Old repairable category C	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable but the estimated repair cost including VAT exceeded its value immediately before the damage.	Yes, after safe repair	Category C was the old category now paired with S on form V62 when an insurer destroyed the V5C. A replacement does not erase the recorded history.
D: Old repairable category D	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable and the estimated repair cost including VAT did not exceed its pre-damage value, but the insurer chose not to repair it.	Yes, after safe repair	Unlike old category C and current category S, category D was not the category singled out for a replacement V5C. The absence of wording on a V5C is not a clean history check.

A cost test, not today's structural test

The old code divided C from D by the relationship between estimated repair cost and the vehicle's pre-accident value. The present S and N categories divide repairable salvage by structural damage instead.

That means C is not a historical synonym for S, and D is not a synonym for N. An old category alone does not tell you whether the original damage was structural.

Can an old C or D car be used?

Yes, both were repairable categories and a properly repaired vehicle can still be used if it is roadworthy, taxed, insured and has a valid MOT where required.

The category remains in the insurance history. A new keeper does not get a clean record simply because the category stopped being assigned in October 2017.

V5C and MOT

Current form V62 still identifies category C alongside category S where an insurer destroyed the V5C, reflecting the replacement document route for those records.
Old category D was not treated as the replacement V5C category. An apparently unmarked V5C does not prove the car has no category D history.
An MOT pass checks the defined items on that date. It does not reveal the original damage, certify the repair or erase category C or D.

Value and insurance today

Price the vehicle as a recorded total loss and judge the actual repair evidence. The official definitions contain no resale discount, so no fixed percentage can be justified.

Tell the insurer the old category before taking cover and get the quote before purchase. The same warning about higher premiums, unavailable cover and non-disclosure applies to older categories.

Common questions

Is category C the old category S?: No. C was decided by repair cost against value. S is decided by whether a repairable vehicle suffered structural damage, so the tests answer different questions.
Is category D always non-structural?: No. D meant the estimated repair cost did not exceed the pre-accident value but the insurer did not repair. It was not a structural classification.
Do old categories disappear from history?: No. The codes are no longer assigned, but an existing total-loss record remains relevant to a history check, insurance and resale.