DVLA Paperwork You Need When Selling a Car

Selling a car privately in the UK involves more paperwork than most people realise. Get it wrong and you remain legally linked to a vehicle you no longer own — exposed to liability for fines, tolls, and any offences committed in it. Here's the complete process.

The V5C: Your Most Important Document

The V5C (Vehicle Registration Certificate, informally called the "logbook") is the central document for any car sale. It's not proof of ownership — ownership is determined by who paid for the car — but it records who is responsible for the vehicle.

Critical: Never buy a car without a V5C in the seller's name. A missing V5C is a significant red flag. It may indicate the car is stolen, on finance, or has undisclosed history.

What the V5C Contains

Field	Why Buyers Check This
Registered keeper name	Should match the seller you're meeting
Vehicle make, model, colour	Should match the actual car
Date of first registration	Confirms the age of the vehicle
Engine number and VIN	Can be cross-checked with the car physically
Previous keeper count	High number of keepers in a short time can be a flag

Notifying the DVLA When You Sell

This is the step most private sellers miss or delay — and it matters.

You must notify the DVLA on the day of the sale that you've transferred the vehicle to a new keeper. Until you do, you remain listed as the registered keeper. That means:

Penalty Charge Notices (parking fines, bus lane fines) sent to your address
Any toll charges (Dartford crossing, etc.) linked to the vehicle
Potential complications if the vehicle is involved in an incident

How to Notify the DVLA

Online (fastest): gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle You'll need:

The V5C document
The new keeper's name and address
The date of sale

By post: The yellow "sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle" section (Section 6) of the V5C. Complete it and post it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD. Keep the green "new keeper supplement" and give it to the buyer until their new V5C arrives.

After notification: The DVLA will cancel your vehicle tax. Any remaining full months of tax are automatically refunded — you don't need to apply separately.

What the Buyer Receives

When you hand over the car, the buyer should receive:

The V5C (logbook) with Section 6 completed, dated, and signed — or the green new keeper supplement if you've already posted the main document
MOT certificate (if applicable)
Service history — stamped book, receipts, or printouts
Any spare keys
Any extras: handbook, parcel shelf, locking wheel nut key

Road Tax: What Changes at the Point of Sale

Vehicle tax (road tax) is not transferred when a car is sold. The seller's tax ends at the point of sale and is refunded by the DVLA automatically (for any remaining full months).

The buyer must immediately tax the vehicle in their own name before driving it. This is done at gov.uk/vehicle-tax using the new keeper supplement or V5C.

Do not assume the tax carries over. Driving an untaxed vehicle is an offence. Buyers should tax the car before the journey home — this can be done on a mobile phone before leaving the seller's property.

SORN: If the Car Won't Be Driven

If the buyer plans to keep the car off the road (storing, restoring, or waiting for insurance), they need to declare a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) at gov.uk/make-a-sorn.

As the seller, once you've notified the DVLA of the sale and cancelled your tax, your responsibility ends. But if the car was previously SORNed by you, be clear with the buyer about its status.

What If You've Lost the V5C?

You can apply for a replacement V5C online at gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla for £25. Allow 5–7 working days.

If the V5C is genuinely lost and you're trying to sell: apply for the replacement before listing. A car sold without a V5C will attract lower offers and more suspicious buyers — and legitimately so.