Change of keeper: how to update the V5C when you buy
What the seller and the buyer each do when a used car changes hands, when the new V5C arrives, and why you must tax the car before you drive it.
Updated
When you buy a used car, the seller tells DVLA that you are the new keeper. You leave with the green "new keeper" slip (V5C/2), tax the car before you drive it, and wait for a new V5C in your name. If the seller does it online while you are there, the new logbook usually arrives within 5 to 7 working days. By post, allow about 4 weeks.
That is the whole process. The details below are about making sure it actually happens, because the paperwork is the seller's job but the consequences of a missed step land on you.
Who does what
| Step | Seller | Buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Tell DVLA about the sale | Yes, online or by post | No |
| Fill in the green new keeper slip | Yes | Check it is filled in and keep it |
| Keep the old V5C | Destroys it (online) or posts it to DVLA | Never takes it away |
| Tax the car | Gets a refund for full months left | Must tax it before driving |
| Insure the car | Sorts out their own policy | Arranges cover before driving |
GOV.UK says the seller will usually register a used vehicle to the new keeper. You only register it yourself if the car has no V5C.
The seller's side, step by step
Telling DVLA online
This is the quicker route, and the one to ask for. GOV.UK lists the online service as available Monday to Friday, 7am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 7am to 8pm. The seller needs the V5C to hand. They:
- Register the car to you online, using your name and address.
- Fill in the green new keeper slip and give it to you.
- Destroy the old V5C.
If you can, watch them complete it on their phone before you drive away. You then know the change has gone through.
Telling DVLA by post
On a newer-style V5C, the one with multi-coloured numbered blocks on the front, the seller completes section 2. On the older style they complete section 6, and both of you sign the declaration in section 8. They give you the green slip and post the V5C to DVLA.
The post route works, but you are trusting the seller to send it. Ask them to confirm when it has gone.
What the seller gets back
Once DVLA knows about the sale, the seller's vehicle tax is cancelled and they get a refund for any full months left. That is why the tax never comes with the car.
The buyer's side, step by step
- Check the logbook before you pay. The "DVL" watermark, the serial number, and a VIN and engine number that match the car. Our guide to the V5C logbook walks through it.
- Get the green new keeper slip. Check that the seller has written in your details and the date of sale. Keep it safe.
- Insure the car before you drive it.
- Tax the car before you drive it. Use the reference number on the green slip with the GOV.UK tax service. If you are not going to drive it yet, make a SORN instead.
- Wait for the new V5C and check every detail when it arrives.
Tax does not transfer
GOV.UK is direct about this: you must tax a vehicle you have bought before you drive it, or declare it off the road with a SORN. The tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle.
You can tax online straight away with the reference from the green slip, by Direct Debit or by debit or credit card. If you want to know the cost first, try the car tax calculator or the car tax check, which works from the details on the V5C. Whether the car is taxed right now is shown by the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service. If you plan to keep the car off the road for a while, read SORN explained, because a SORN does not pass from the seller to you either.
When the new V5C arrives
GOV.UK gives these timings:
| How the seller told DVLA | Usual wait |
|---|---|
| Online, used vehicle | 5 to 7 working days |
| By post | Within 4 weeks |
When it arrives, it is your job to check that everything is correct: your name and address, the registration number, the VIN and the colour. If something is wrong, mark the changes on the V5C and send it back to DVLA. GOV.UK says the corrected V5C should arrive within 4 weeks.
If the new V5C does not arrive
Contact DVLA if it has been 4 weeks since the car was registered to you. Do it before 6 weeks have passed. At the time of writing, GOV.UK says that if you have not received your V5C after 6 weeks and have not told DVLA, you will have to pay £25 for another one.
If the seller told DVLA by post, there is a separate route. Fill in form V62 and send it with the green new keeper slip. The slip must be from the most recent V5C, and you can compare the date on the slip with the last V5C issue date on the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service. If you cannot send the slip from the most recent V5C, the fee is £25.
Buying from a dealer
A dealer tells DVLA about the sale in the same way, but the rules on tax are the same. You still need to tax the car before you drive it and you will still receive a new V5C in your name. Ask the dealer how and when they told DVLA, so you know which timing applies.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a new V5C take after a change of keeper?
GOV.UK says 5 to 7 working days when the seller registered a used car to you online, and usually within 4 weeks otherwise.
Can I drive the car home on the seller's tax?
No. Tax does not transfer with the car. Tax it with the reference on the green new keeper slip before you drive, and make sure you are insured.
What is the V5C/2?
It is the green new keeper slip in the logbook. The seller fills it in and gives it to you. It has the reference you need to tax the car while you wait for the new V5C.
What if the seller will not tell DVLA while I am there?
Ask for the green slip and for confirmation that they have posted the V5C. If the new logbook has not arrived after 4 weeks, contact DVLA, and do so before 6 weeks.
Should the seller give me the old V5C?
No. If they tell DVLA online, they destroy it. If they tell DVLA by post, they send it to DVLA. You keep only the green slip.