Just bought a car? Learn more about the V5C form and how you can fulfil your legal obligation of transferring car ownership.
Additional words by: Nimisha Jain
Last updated on 3 September 2024 | 0 min read
Buying or selling a car involves several legal responsibilities. As the owner or registered keeper, it’s crucial to complete the necessary paperwork and inform the DVLA promptly to avoid fines. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it, whether online or by post.
As soon as a car is sold, the seller can change car ownership online by notifying the DVLA of a new keeper. To do so, the seller needs to complete the ‘new keeper’ section of the V5C form and send it to the DVLA, and you (as the new owner) need to keep hold of the green section.
If you don’t receive the new V5C or if the seller has lost the car’s V5C certificate, then you’ll have to fill the V62 form to apply for a new registration certificate. Once the DVLA receives the old V5C from the seller, you should receive the new V5C within four weeks.
Before starting the ownership transfer process, you need to understand the difference between the ‘registered keeper’ and the ‘owner’ of the vehicle.
• Registered Keeper: This is the person responsible for the day-to-day use of the car. They handle tasks such as paying for road tax, ensuring the car has an MOT, and making sure it’s insured. Any fines or legal queries related to the vehicle will be directed to the registered keeper. • Owner: The owner is the person who purchased or received the vehicle. They are responsible for keeping the vehicle’s paperwork, including the V5C logbook, up to date. They must also ensure that anyone driving the car is properly insured. In many cases, the registered keeper and owner are the same person, but not always. For example, a company car will be owned by the company but registered under the employee who uses it. When ownership changes, the seller must transfer the car’s registration to the new keeper using the V5C form.
The V5C logbook, issued by the DVLA, records the vehicle's registered keeper. When ownership changes, the V5C logbook must be updated and returned to the DVLA. The DVLA will then issue a new V5C logbook in the name of the new keeper.
To transfer ownership, the current keeper must complete the ‘new keeper slip’ (green section of the V5C) and give it to the buyer. This slip contains an optional section to record the car’s mileage, which can help prevent future mileage fraud.
You are legally allowed to sell your car without a logbook (V5C) as it acts as a proof of registration and not as a proof of ownership.
That said, the DVLA recommends against it as it can look suspicious, and buyers may have concerns about the car being stolen, written off or having a loan against it. If you decided to go ahead anyway, you’d need to provide the buyer with a bill of sale which would include all the information that the buyer would need to apply for a new logbook using the V62 form.
Transferring ownership online is quick and convenient. The seller completes the ‘new keeper’ section of the V5C form and informs the DVLA online. The buyer keeps the green section (new keeper slip).
• Have the 11-digit reference number from the V5C logbook and the new owner’s details ready. • Visit the official UK government website and navigate to the ‘Tell the DVLA you’ve sold, transferred, or bought a vehicle’ page. • Complete the online form. You can include the new owner’s email address for confirmation. • Once submitted, you’ll receive email confirmation, and the new keeper will receive the updated V5C logbook within five working days.
If you prefer to transfer ownership by post, the seller will fill out the V5C form and mail it to the DVLA. The buyer should receive the new V5C within four weeks.
If the seller has lost the V5C logbook, the new keeper can apply for a new one using a V62 form. • Complete Section 6 of the V5C logbook with the new owner’s details. • Both parties should sign the declaration in Section 8. • Give the new keeper slip to the buyer and send the remaining V5C logbook to the DVLA at Swansea, SA99 1BN. • The new keeper will receive their updated V5C logbook within four weeks.
If you’re selling the car to a dealer or scrapping it:
• Complete Section 9 of the V5C logbook. • Send this section to the DVLA at Swansea, SA99 1BN, and give the rest of the logbook to the dealer or scrapyard.
Yes, you can transfer ownership to the new keeper without a V5C. To transfer ownership without a log book, you’ll have to write to the DVLA at – Swansea, SA99 1BA; and send them information about the car’s registration number, make, model and the date when you sold the car, along with the registered keeper’s name and address and the new keeper’s name and address.
Road tax is not transferable between owners of a car, even if you’re family members. Updated rules came into force in 2014 that put an end to issuing of tax discs and allowed sellers to get a full refund on the sold car’s remaining months’ tax. This means before you drive away with the car that you’ve just bought, you legally need to tax it.
If you’re buying from a dealer, they will be able to sort that for you. If you’re buying the car from a private individual, you can’t take advantage of any tax that’s left on the car. To tax the car, you need the new keeper section of the V5C online – another reason to insist on seeing the V5C before you buy the car – and you can tax the car immediately, either online via gov.uk (external link), over the phone (lines open 24 hours a day), or at a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax. Read more: Can I tax my car without a log book? VED tax explained
No, you can’t tax a car without a logbook as you need the 11-digit reference number.
If you’re a new keeper of the car and you don’t have a V5C in your name yet then you can use your green new keeper slip and tax the car using the 12-digit reference number.
Only the registered keeper can tax a car because you need the V5C form or the new keeper slip (if taxing your second-hand car for the first time) to tax the vehicle.
Sometimes the online DVLA service is unable to recognise recent documents. In such a scenario, should try and take your new keeper slip and all the required documents to the Post Office (external link) and they can help you tax your car.
In case this doesn’t work, you should contact the DVLA for further help.
If you’ve just bought a second hand car, you can tax the car using your new keeper slip. New cars usually come taxed when you buy them from a dealer.
If you’re renewing your car’s tax, you’ll need your V11 letter or your V5C. Regardless of whether it’s your first time paying vehicle excise duty or a simple tax renewal, you can visit the gov.uk website (external link) and use DVLA’s online services to tax your vehicle.
Different cars are classified under different tax bands or tax classes based on factors like the age of the car, engine size and how much pollution it emits.
If your car’s tax class changes, you need to inform the DVLA so that you’re paying the correct amount of tax. You can change your car’s tax class by post or by going to the Post Office, depending on why you’re changing the car tax. You can change the tax class at a Post Office when: • Your car tax is about to run out or your car and you’ve received a ‘last chance’ warning letter • Or, if you’ve been paying tax up until now and you’re changing your car’s status to being exempt from vehicle excise duty or the other way round where you’ll start paying tax on your car now You can change your car tax by writing a letter to the DVLA at Swansea, SA99 1BF if: • Your car is taxed and you want to change the tax class • The purpose of your vehicle changes, example: a car that was used for business is now being used for personal use • The car’s body-type changes • The structure of the car changes You’ll need your log book, V11 tax reminder letter, MOT certificate, method of payment for paying your car tax and an insurance certificate to change your car’s tax class. You can also use a V62 form or your ‘new keeper’ slip in case you don’t have the V5C. If your car is taxed and needs to change from one tax class to the other, you’ll need to fill a V70 form and post it to the DVLA.
Yes, the MOT is transferred to the new owner of the car. An MOT details a car’s roadworthiness and has nothing to do with who the owner is, so essentially, the car’s MOT certificate will remain valid for the time period it has been issued for, regardless of who the registered keeper is.
If you fail to inform the DVLA that you’ve sold your car, the car will remain registered under your name in DVLA’s records. This means the DVLA will keep charging you vehicle excise duty and fine you for failing to pay it.
Also, if the new registered keeper of the car is caught breaking any driving laws, you’ll be contacted by the DVLA for breaking the rules of the road – you may also get penalty points on your licence along with a fine. If you have received any fines or penalties because you forgot to inform the DVLA about selling your car, you should contact the DVLA immediately and inform them about the situation.
