Questions bodybuilders actually ask.
Answered plainly, from the VCA's published guidance and from having done it.
Do we actually have to do this?
If your approval is GB unlimited or GB medium series, yes, for every M, N or O vehicle built from 29 November 2026. National small series approvals are exempt. Vehicles built before 29 November don't need one, even if registered later.
What's the "digital signature"? We just sign the paper one.
Not a picture of anyone's signature. It's a certificate issued to the company, like an electronic company stamp, that the software uses to seal each file. The VCA reject any file that carries no signature at all. You load it into CoC AutoDocs once per PC. A test key is built in so you can start uploading to the VCA test system today.
Where do we get that certificate?
From a trust service provider, in the company's name. The VCA's guidance says to sign the way EU manufacturers do, and today they check that a signature is present rather than which tier of seal was used. Ask the VCA at ecocdataenquiries@vca.gov.uk which providers they accept. More on this.
Where does our data go?
Your signing key stays on your PC, stored in the browser so it can't be read back out — not even by us. The files you make and your history are stored in an EU data centre, encrypted in transit, and only your team can open them in the app. Our own access is limited to running and supporting the service, and every administrative action is logged. You upload to the VCA yourself, under your own login.
Can you submit the files for us?
No, and neither can anyone else. The VCA are explicit that third parties can't submit on a manufacturer's behalf. You upload under your own portal login.
What if a file's wrong?
Correct it in the app and reissue. The new file carries the next version number, which is how the VCA's system handles corrections, and the old one is marked superseded.
We're a stage 2 builder. Do we need the base vehicle's data in the file?
No. The VCA's own FAQ says multistage builders only complete the sections that apply to their stage. What goes in and what doesn't.
Is this "VCA approved"?
The VCA don't approve software. CoC AutoDocs's files are checked against the VCA's published schema before they're made and signed to the XAdES standard their guidance points to. Acceptance is always the VCA's decision.
Who's behind it?
An independent software business in Greater Manchester, built around what a small bodybuilder's office actually needs from eCoC and nothing more. About.