The DVLA and Selling Your Car

Selling your car? One of the most important steps is telling the DVLA about the sale. If you don’t, you could be held responsible for vehicle road tax, speeding fines, and other penalties on a car you no longer own. The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) keeps a record of every registered vehicle in the UK, including who the registered keeper is. When you’re selling your car, you need to update those records so the new owner takes on responsibility.

Key Takeaways

• Notify Immediately: You must inform the DVLA as soon as a sale occurs to avoid liability for the new owner’s fines and a potential £1,000 penalty.
• Tax Refunds: Vehicle tax is no longer transferable. The DVLA will automatically issue a refund for any full months remaining via cheque.
• Online vs. Post: You can notify the DVLA online from 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 7am to 8pm on weekends for faster processing, or by post using the V5C logbook.
• Private Plates: If you wish to keep a personalised registration, you must apply to retain it before selling the vehicle.
• V5C Sections: For private sales, fill in Sections 6 and 8. For sales to traders, use Section 9.

If you don’t update your details with the DVLA, you could be liable for taxes and legal penalties on a car you’ve already sold. You can be fined up to £1,000 for not supplying up-to-date information, even if you can prove you weren’t the one driving. The good news? The process is quick and straightforward. Use the DVLA’s online service and the database is updated immediately, with instant confirmation sent to your email. No posting documents, no waiting around.

What is the DVLA?

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is the government body responsible for keeping records of all drivers in Great Britain and all registered vehicles across the UK. It is headquartered in Swansea, and in Northern Ireland the equivalent body is the Driver and Vehicle Agency. With more than 40 million vehicles on its database, the DVLA plays a central role when you buy or sell a car. Here’s what it’s responsible for:

• Recording driver endorsements, disqualifications and medical conditions
• Issuing photocard driving licences
• Issuing vehicle registration certificates to vehicle keepers
• Taking enforcement action against vehicle tax evaders
• Registering and issuing tachograph cards
• Selling DVLA personalised registrations
• Helping the police and intelligence authorities deal with crime
• Providing anonymised data to those who have the right to use the service

With more than 40 million vehicles on its database, the DVLA records can help car buyers make their next purchase with confidence.

The database helps identify stolen or cloned registration details, makes sure cars are taxed correctly, and confirms whether they have a valid MOT. It also holds ownership details, so you can check the current and past registered keepers to make sure you’re dealing with the actual owner of the car.

Other details held by the DVLA include the year of manufacture, engine capacity, fuel type, colour, and the tax rates you’ll pay as an owner.

Important: Never share your V5C’s 11-digit document reference number, or any copies or photos of your logbook. Think of it like a credit card number. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to obtain a duplicate copy of your V5C.

How to tell the DVLA you’ve sold your car

Sold your car? It’s extremely important to inform the DVLA as soon as the transaction has happened, otherwise, you will still be on record as the registered keeper of the vehicle. And that means you’ll be responsible if the car isn’t registered properly and taxed.

It also means that any speeding fines and other legal penalties linked to your buyer will be coming through your letterbox for the car you have just sold.

The DVLA must know your car has been sold or you will be liable for anything the new owner should be paying. It’s also worth remembering this because you could be fined up to £1,000 for not informing the DVLA of the sale.

It’s always vital to tell the DVLA as soon as you sell your car.

The process you need to follow will be slightly different if you’re selling your car privately or otherwise. Both options need details from your V5C logbook, and if you’ve lost it (or need more info), we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to the V5C here.

You can find information on how to get a replacement V5C there, or you can simply sell without a V5.

What if you don’t have your V5C logbook?

If you don’t have your V5C logbook, write to the DVLA with your name and address, the vehicle registration number, the make and model, the exact date of sale, and the full name and address of the new keeper. Post it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA.

For private sales, follow these steps with your V5C logbook:

• Section 6: Fill in the new keeper’s name and address.
• Section 10: Duplicate the new keeper’s info; the buyer keeps this section as their temporary proof.
• Section 8: Both the seller and buyer must sign here.
• Submission: Post Sections 1-8 to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA.

If you’re selling or transferring your vehicle to a motor trader, insurer, or dismantler you need to fill in Section 9 instead. In a reversal of the private procedure, you just send the Section 9 form to the DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA. The trader gets to keep the rest of the V5C logbook.

Worth knowing: You remain legally responsible for the vehicle until the motor trader informs the DVLA and your details are removed from the vehicle record. So if a trader offers to handle the notification for you, make sure they do it promptly, and follow up if you don’t receive confirmation within four weeks.

Whether you’re selling to a private individual or an automotive business, you should receive an acknowledgment letter to confirm you are no longer the registered keeper of the vehicle within four weeks.

If it doesn’t arrive within a month, you then need to contact DVLA Customer Enquiries on 0300 7906802

Updating information is quicker online, but you still need your V5C logbook information

You can also inform the DVLA that you’ve sold your car, or transferred or bought another vehicle online via the UK Government website. You’ll need your V5C logbook to hand, and the service is available from 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 7am to 8pm on weekends.

How do you get a tax refund from the DVLA after selling your car?

Since October 2014, road tax doesn’t carry over when you sell your car. So the new owner has to buy new road tax before they can legally drive away, any insurance will also be invalid without tax.

And it also means you might be selling your car with unused road tax remaining. When you tell the DVLA it has been sold or transferred, your vehicle tax should be cancelled automatically.

Registering the sale online tends to mean your refund arrives more quickly, usually in 3-5 working days.

If you pay by Direct Debit this should also stop straight away.

You should then get a refund cheque sent to the name and address on the vehicle logbook. The refund will be for any full months left on your vehicle tax, so if you sell your car on the 15^th of the month, you won’t get money back for the remaining 15 or 16 days. If the vehicle tax refund cheque doesn’t arrive in six weeks, you’ll need to contact the DVLA.

How to get information on your car from the DVLA

You can access information from the DVLA on any car registered in the UK. Access from the DVLA includes:

• Vehicle information including when the current tax and MOT expires, the engine size, colour, year of manufacture, the date it was first registered and the tax rate.
• Current and previous registered keepers of a vehicle.
• The MOT tests for a vehicle since 2005, including whether it passed or failed, the recorded mileage, where the test was done, and if any parts failed or had minor problems.
• Whether a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled for a serious safety problem.

You can find out the vehicle details and information on any car easily online by entering the registration number of the car.

This is useful if you need to check how much vehicle tax is left to be refunded. Or if you want to quickly check how long is left for the MOT on your car or a car you want to buy.

It can also be useful if, for example, if you can’t find your V5C or remember all the details. You might want to start advertising it before your replacement logbook arrives. In which case, you can confirm the engine size, colour and more online.

If you want more details on current and previous MOT tests, then you can also find this out on the DVLA website with just the registration number. The details include the MOT test number, test location, recorded mileage and expiry date.

Check details of any car by entering the registration number, including this Rolls Royce owned by Apprentice legend Alan Sugar!

The MOT history also includes the details of any Major Defects in the event of the car failing. And any advisories recorded whether for both passes and failures. So you’re aware of what may need monitoring or repair in the near future.

This same check for MOTs also includes any safety recalls from the manufacturer. Safety issues can also cover parts and accessories recorded as being fixed to the vehicle. It’s worth knowing if there was a recall on your car. And if the work was carried out to fix it.

If a potential buyer knows about a relevant safety recall for your car, you need to be able to reassure them it’s been solved.

Finally you can check current and previous registered keepers, although this is only available from the DVLA by post. And you need a legitimate reason, such as tracing a car following an accident or tracking down the owner of an abandoned vehicle.

How to contact the DVLA after selling your car

You can contact the DVLA to let them know you’ve sold your car by completing the relevant section of the V5C logbook for a private sale (Sections 6 and 8). Or for a sale or transfer to a motor trader, insurer, or dismantler (Section 9).

You then need to post the correct section to the DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA.

You can also inform the DVLA of the sale or transfer of your car online by the Gov.uk website. However, you can’t use the service if you’ve already sent your logbook by post. The service is available from 7am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 7am to 8pm on weekends.

If you use the online service, the DVLA database is updated immediately and you’ll get instant confirmation by email. If you notify by post, you should receive an acknowledgement letter within four weeks confirming you’re no longer the registered keeper. Either way, keep this confirmation somewhere safe.

If you have questions or concerns about the DVLA and selling your car, you can contact them on the phone, via email or letter. To find the right details, simply go through the quick set of questions on the Contact DVLA page.

You can reach the DVLA via the following channels:

• Email: Use the official DVLA email service.
• Phone: Call Customer Enquiries at 0300 790 6802.
• Post: Write to Vehicle Customer Services, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR.

How do you check when your MOT is due?

If you’ve misplaced or lost your last MOT test certificate, you can check when it expires for free. Motorway’s MOT Checker gives you an instant lookup of your MOT status, expiry date, and full test history. You can also check directly via the DVLA to see the full MOT history for tests in England, Scotland, and Wales since 2005.

You’ll simply need the vehicle registration number. And test results are uploaded as soon as the MOT centre has recorded the result. To see the test location you’ll need to wait at least 14 days and have the 11-digit number for the car from the V5C logbook.

Start by going to the page to Check the MOT history of a vehicle and click on the ‘Start Now’ button.

You’ll then see some of the details of your car. You can expand the MOT history section by clicking on the down arrow to see all the recorded details.

You can click on ‘view test location’ next to each result to enter your 11-digit V5C Document Reference Number. You can then see exactly where the car has been tested each time.

And you can also click on the down arrow to expand the section for Outstanding vehicle recalls.

How to keep your number plate when selling your car

If you currently have a private personalised reg plate, you may want to keep it to use later or swap it to another vehicle.

Typically, the car you sell will be automatically reassigned with the original registration number it had when the personalised plates are taken off. To do that it must have been registered with the DVLA. It should also be able to move under its own power and be of a type that needs an MOT.

Your car will also need to have been taxed or had a SORN in place continuously for the past 5 years. And if you have declared your car SORN for more than 5 years, you’ll need to tax it before starting the process.

You can apply to take off and retain your custom number plates by post or online. You may also need to have your car inspected before the process is finished.

The online process to take a registration number off a vehicle is available during standard GOV.UK service hours. Check the page for current availability before you start. And if you don’t need an inspection, the change will happen immediately. You can also assign the number to another car straight away using the reference number you get after you apply.

By post, the registration number will be removed within two weeks. You’ll need to send a completed form V317 ‘transfer or retain a vehicle registration number’. And either the vehicle logbook (V5C), or the new keepers supplement with a completed V62 ‘ application for a vehicle registration certificate V5C ’.

Both the online and postal methods require an £80 transfer fee to be paid.

When you successfully remove the private personalised registration number, you’ll be sent a V778 retention document. This will give you the right to assign that customer number plate for up to 10 years. But you’ll need to renew that right before it runs out.

The right to use your private registration number is also lost if you sell or destroy your vehicle before you get the V778. If you decide not to use your personalised number plate, you can give up your right to it. You can apply to get a refund of the £80 cost, as long as it’s not been assigned to any vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if I no longer have my V5C when I sell my car?

If you’ve sold your car without a V5C logbook, you can’t use the GOV.UK online service. Instead, write to the DVLA and include your name and address, the vehicle registration number, the make and model, the exact date of sale, and the full name and address of the new keeper. Post to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA. The buyer will need to apply for a replacement V5C using form V62 before they can tax the car. You can also read Motorway’s V5C guide.

Can a motor trader tell the DVLA I’ve sold my car on my behalf?

Yes. If you sell to a motor trader, dealer, or garage, you can hand over your V5C logbook and ask them to notify the DVLA online via the GOV.UK service. However, you remain legally responsible for the vehicle until the trader submits that notification and your name is removed from the DVLA record. To protect yourself, you can also notify the DVLA yourself using the yellow V5C/3 slip and the 11-digit document reference number. You should receive an acknowledgement letter within four weeks confirming you’re no longer the registered keeper.

Ready to sell?

Need to sell your car, or want to understand more about documentation or maintenance? Check out more of our guides here, covering everything from the paperwork you need when buying and selling, to various notices you may need to file with the UK’s driver and vehicle licensing agency.

• Value my car – online car valuation
• How to sell a car to a dealer
• Sell to an online car buyer
• Sell to a car buying website
• How to sell a car privately
• How to buy or sell a private number plate
• V5C: the ultimate guide to the V5 logbook.
• What documents do I need to sell my car?
• The ultimate guide to car tax
• How to transfer car ownership
• Print a reg plate for your car
• Is your car worth less after an accident?