What do i need to do if my car is a total loss and I want to retain it?

​https://www.gov.uk/scrapped-and-written-off-vehicles/insurance-writeoffs

Contact is for “full”advice, as it is dependent on your situation.

You do NOT need to send your insurer your documents if the vehicle is “non structurally damaged”.

Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write-offsContents

1. How to scrap your vehicle
2. Where you can scrap your vehicle
3. Insurance write-offs

Insurance write-offsWhen you make an insurance claim because your vehicle is damaged, your insurance company will tell you:

• if your vehicle is being ‘written off’
• how much they’ll pay you

When your vehicle is written off, your insurance company pays you the current value of the vehicle, instead of the cost of repairing it.
Your insurance company will decide if the vehicle should be written off or not.
Write-off categoriesWhat you do next depends on which category your vehicle is in.
CategoryRepairing the vehicleUsing the vehicleACan’t be repairedEntire vehicle has to be crushed
BCan’t be repairedBody shell has to be crushed, but you can salvage other parts from it
CCan be repaired, but it would cost more than the vehicle’s worthYou can use the vehicle again if it’s repaired to a roadworthy condition
DCan be repaired and would cost less than the vehicle’s worth, but other costs (such as transporting your vehicle) take it over the vehicle’s valueYou can use the vehicle again if it’s repaired to a roadworthy condition
NCan be repaired following non-structural damageYou can use the vehicle again if it’s repaired to a roadworthy condition
SCan be repaired following structural damageYou can use the vehicle again if it’s repaired to a roadworthy conditionWhat you need to doYour insurance company will usually deal with getting the vehicle scrapped for you. You need to follow these steps.

1. Apply to take the registration number off the vehicle if you want to keep it.
   
2. Send the vehicle log book (V5C) to your insurance company, but keep the yellow slip (V5C/3) from it.
   
3. Tell DVLA your vehicle has been written off.
   

You can be fined £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA.
Keeping the vehicleIf you want to keep a vehicle in category C, D, N or S, the insurance company will give you an insurance payout and sell the vehicle back to you.
To keep a category C or S vehicle, you also need to:

• send the complete log book to your insurance company
• apply for a free duplicate log book using form V62

DVLA will record the vehicle’s category in the log book.
You can keep the log book if you want to keep a category D or N vehicle.