DVLA Campervan Rules Updated: What the October 2026 Changes Mean for Your Conversion

What changed in October 2026?

DVLA updated its guidance for considering a V5C body-type change to “motor caravan”. The external features now include “a high-top roof or pop-top elevating roof”, replacing the previous exclusion of pop-tops. This is a guidance and policy change, not a new general legal requirement for every campervan or a promise of acceptance.

That matters for many VW Transporter T5, T6 and T6.1 conversions, Ford Transit Customs and other vans where an elevating roof provides headroom without a permanent high-top. No model is guaranteed approval: DVLA considers the completed vehicle and its evidence.

The external features DVLA looks for

The updated list needs to be considered together, not as a choice of individual upgrades:

• Two or more windows on at least one side of the main body, excluding cab door windows, providing sufficient daylight into the living accommodation.
• A separate door into the living accommodation, other than the driver or passenger doors. A window in that living-area door may count as one of the two windows.
• A high-top roof or elevating pop-top roof.

Plan the glazing and access alongside the roof. A pop-top does not make an otherwise empty panel van eligible on its own, and roof-canvas windows should not be treated as a substitute for the specified main-body windows.

The living accommodation still matters

All four internal features are needed, appropriately and firmly secured as the separate official guide describes:

• Fixed seats and a table; the tabletop may be removable if its mounting is permanent.
• Sleeping accommodation, which may convert from the seats.
• Cooking facilities: DVSA describes a fixed single burner or microwave, not a portable camping stove.
• Storage facilities secured as required by the guidance.

The practical question is whether the finished layout works as living accommodation, not whether loose camping equipment can be placed inside it for photographs. Review the detailed mounting requirements before committing to furniture and appliances.

Putting the application evidence together

Use the latest V1006 checklist, marked 10/26, rather than an old downloaded copy. Prepare clear photographs and the V5C so DVLA can assess what is actually fitted.

• Complete the latest V1006 checklist.
• Photograph all key interior features, with the bed and table set up for use and the qualifying side windows shown.
• Include exterior views of the front, both sides and rear, with registration plates visible, plus a VIN/chassis-number photograph.
• Label the back of photographs with their description, date and vehicle registration, following the official instructions.
• Complete section 1 on a new-style V5C or section 7 on an older-style V5C, and post the required documents to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA.

DVLA may arrange an inspection or reject the application. It covers the inspection cost, but not the cost of transporting the vehicle, so keep that possibility in mind.

Already had an application refused?

DVLA introduced an official review service on 19 October 2026 for previously rejected motorhome body-type applications. Use the official review page to check the process and information needed. A previous refusal is not a guarantee that a review will succeed.

A V5C description is not the whole rulebook

A suitably converted vehicle can still be used as a campervan while its V5C body type remains a van, provided it meets the relevant internal criteria. Reclassification is not a compulsory step for every conversion.

The V5C body-type description does not itself set insurance classification, speed limits, road tax or other statutory obligations. Check the relevant insurer and legal requirements separately: there is no automatic cheaper insurance, tax saving or speed-limit change to promise here.

Start with a safe, usable conversion

Allow for the weight of the completed conversion and sufficient remaining payload for people, water and luggage. Travel seats and belts need suitable mounting, and good documentation should sit alongside sound conversion practice, not replace it.

At Potteries Camper Co in Stoke-on-Trent, our starting point is a specification that suits the van and how you will use it. We can help with that specification, but cannot guarantee DVLA approval or submit applications on customers’ behalf.