How to Tell DVLA You Have Sold Your Car

When you sell a car in the UK, you must notify the DVLA on the day of the sale. The quickest way is online at gov.uk, but you can also post the completed V5C logbook to Swansea. Until you do this, you remain the registered keeper and can be held responsible for fines, road tax and other charges run up by the new owner.

Why It Matters

The registered keeper in the DVLA's records is the person the DVLA will contact about unpaid vehicle tax, parking fines, ULEZ charges and anything else tied to that registration number. Notifying the DVLA immediately removes your name from the record. It also triggers an automatic refund of any full calendar months of vehicle excise duty (VED) still remaining on the car, sent by cheque to your registered address.

One point that catches many sellers out: vehicle tax does not transfer to the new owner. The buyer must tax the car in their own name before driving it away, or at the very least immediately after the sale. This is worth explaining to whoever you are selling to.

What You Need: The V5C Logbook

The V5C (logbook) is the key document. It has two parts:

• The main V5C document (the large certificate): you fill in the relevant section with the sale date and buyer's details, then either post it to the DVLA or complete the notification online.
• The new keeper supplement (V5C/2): the small slip, sometimes called the green slip. You hand this to the buyer. They use it as proof they own the vehicle until the DVLA issues a new V5C in their name, which usually takes a few weeks.

Do not hand the entire V5C to the buyer and do nothing else. You need to either post the main document or notify online.

The Online Route (Fastest)

1. Go to gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle
2. Select "sold or transferred to someone"
3. Enter the vehicle's registration number
4. Enter the 11-digit document reference number from the front of the V5C
5. Follow the prompts and confirm the sale date

Once submitted, the DVLA updates its records immediately. You will receive a confirmation, and the DVLA will write to the new keeper to confirm the change and eventually issue a new V5C. Your VED refund, if applicable, follows automatically by cheque.

The Postal Route

Fill in the seller's section of the V5C (the section asking for the date of sale and, if selling privately, the buyer's name and address). Then post the main document to:

DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD

Keep a photo of the completed V5C before you send it, and consider using tracked post. You will receive a letter of confirmation once the DVLA has processed it.

What If You Do Not Have the V5C?

If the logbook has been lost or was never with the car, you cannot complete the standard process. You will need to:

• Complete form V62 (available at gov.uk or a Post Office) to apply for a replacement
• Alternatively, write to the DVLA with the registration number, your details and the buyer's details, explaining the V5C is missing

Selling without a V5C is a red flag to any sensible buyer, and it complicates the handover significantly. If you are buying rather than selling and the seller has no logbook, treat that with caution.

After the Sale: What to Keep

Even after notifying the DVLA, hold on to:

• A copy or photo of the completed V5C
• A receipt or bill of sale showing the date, price, buyer's name and both signatures
• Any MOT certificates and service history you pass on (keep copies)
• The DVLA confirmation reference from the online service, or proof of postage if you sent the logbook

This protects you if a speeding fine or parking charge arrives weeks later with your name on it. You can respond with the sale date and proof of notification.

Checking the Record Has Updated

Once you have notified the DVLA, you can verify the change by entering the registration at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax, which will show the current tax status and confirm the record has been updated. The MOT history and current tax status are free to check from any registration number, and BeakCheck also pulls both alongside full DVSA MOT history with mileage readings at each test.

A Quick Summary

Step	Action
At point of sale	Give buyer the V5C/2 new keeper slip
Same day	Notify DVLA online at gov.uk or post the main V5C
Keep	Photo of V5C, bill of sale, confirmation reference
Expect	VED refund by cheque for full months remaining
Buyer's job	Tax the car in their name before driving

The whole process takes about five minutes online. Do it before the buyer drives away and you have no loose ends to worry about.