DVLA Change of Ownership: Online & by Post
Transferring a car's registered keeper takes a few minutes online with the V5C reference number. Here's exactly what the seller and the buyer each need to do — and, before the transfer makes it yours, enter the reg below to check the car's keepers, VIN, tax and history free.
- DVLA keeper count & VIN
- Instant, free, no card
- Finance & write-off checks
Which change-of-ownership route is yours?
Seller or buyer, logbook or no logbook, private or trade — answer three quick questions and get the exact steps.
How to change car ownership online with the DVLA
The seller does this. It's free, takes about five minutes, and the DVLA confirms by email straight away. You'll need the V5C logbook in front of you.
Find the 11-digit reference
It's printed on the front of the V5C logbook, labelled "Document reference number". This is what proves you hold the logbook.
Open the GOV.UK service
Go to "Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle", choose that you've sold or transferred it to a private individual (or a motor trader), and enter the registration and reference.
Enter the new keeper's details
Their full name, address and the date of the sale. The DVLA posts the new V5C to that address, so get it from the buyer in writing and check it against ID.
Give the buyer the green slip
Tear off the green new keeper slip (V5C/2) and hand it over. The buyer taxes the car with its 12-digit reference; you destroy the rest of the old V5C once the DVLA confirms.
Tell DVLA you've sold or bought a vehicle
The official GOV.UK service — free. Opens in a new tab.
The seller's job and the buyer's job
Most change-of-ownership problems — fines arriving at the wrong address, cars driven untaxed, logbooks that never turn up — come from each side assuming the other has done it.
Notify the DVLA
Tell the DVLA online (or post the V5C) the same day. Keep the confirmation email. Your tax refund for full remaining months is automatic; cancel any Direct Debit only after the DVLA confirms.
Tax, insure, then drive
Keep the green V5C/2 slip. Tax the car online with its 12-digit reference before driving — tax never transfers. Arrange insurance. Expect the new V5C within five working days (online) or four weeks (post).
Different section, same idea
Selling to a dealer uses the "motor trader" option online or the yellow section 4 (V5C/3) by post. Scrapping goes through an Authorised Treatment Facility. Taking the car abroad permanently uses the export section (V5C/4) instead.
Changing ownership by post with the V5C
Slower, but it's the fallback if you can't use the online service. Which section you complete depends on the age of the logbook.
| What you're doing | Current V5C (red, issued from April 2019) | Older V5C | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private sale or transfer | Section 2 — new keeper details; both sign | Section 6; both sign section 8 | Post the V5C to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA |
| New keeper slip for the buyer | Section 6 (green, V5C/2) | Section 10 (green, V5C/2) | Buyer keeps it to tax the car and as proof until the new V5C arrives |
| Selling to a motor trader | Section 4 (yellow, V5C/3) | Section 9 (yellow, V5C/3) | Post the yellow slip to the DVLA; trader keeps the rest |
| Permanent export | Section 5 (V5C/4) | Section 11 (V5C/4) | Post the export slip; take the rest of the V5C with the vehicle |
What a buyer should check before the transfer
A change of keeper is easy to do and hard to undo. These are the four things to confirm while the car still belongs to someone else.
Outstanding finance
If the car is on HP or PCP, the finance company owns it — not the seller, and not you after the transfer. The lender can repossess it from an innocent buyer. The Motorscan full check names the lender, agreement type and start date.
V5C matches the car and the seller
The VIN on the V5C must match the plate behind the windscreen and the stamp in the engine bay; the registration, make, model and colour must match the Motorscan record; and the seller should be the named keeper at the address you're standing at. A V5C with a watermark missing, or a seller who "is selling it for a friend", is a walk-away.
Keeper count and dates
The number of former keepers printed on the V5C should agree with the DVLA count in the free check. A mismatch means the logbook is out of date — or not this car's. Several short keeperships in a row are worth a question.
Write-off, stolen and mileage
The DVLA record doesn't hold insurance write-offs or theft markers. The full check queries the MIAFTR write-off register and the police/insurer stolen registers, and compares the odometer against every MOT reading for clocking.
Check the car before the keeper changes
Free, instant, and about ten seconds from reg to result.
Enter the registration
Type the number plate into the search box above — from the advert, or standing next to the car with the V5C in hand.
Match it to the V5C
The free report shows make, model, colour, engine, date of first registration and the DVLA keeper count. All of it should agree with the logbook.
See tax, MOT & mileage
Current tax/SORN status, MOT expiry and every MOT test with recorded mileage — so you know what you'll need to do on day one.
Unlock finance, write-off & stolen
The full check adds the records that would make the transfer a mistake: outstanding finance, insurance write-off category, theft markers and plate changes.
Transferring a car's keeper — frequently asked questions
How do I change the ownership of a car online?
The seller (current registered keeper) does it at GOV.UK's 'Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle' service. You need the 11-digit document reference number from the V5C logbook, the vehicle registration, and the new keeper's name and address. Submit it, and the DVLA emails confirmation immediately, posts a new V5C to the new keeper within about five working days, and refunds any full months of remaining tax to the seller automatically.
Does the buyer or the seller tell the DVLA about a change of ownership?
The seller. Legally it's the registered keeper's responsibility to notify the DVLA that the vehicle has been transferred — online, or by posting the completed V5C. The buyer's job is to keep the green new keeper slip (V5C/2), tax the vehicle before driving it, and chase the DVLA if the new logbook hasn't arrived within four weeks.
Can I change car ownership online without the V5C?
No. The online service needs the 11-digit reference number printed on the V5C, and the postal route needs the physical document. If you've lost the logbook, apply for a replacement first (£25 online, usually delivered within five working days) and then transfer the vehicle. If you're buying a car and the seller doesn't have a V5C, treat it as a serious warning sign — see our guide to replacing a V5C.
How do I change ownership by post?
On the current (red, post-2019) V5C, fill in section 2 with the new keeper's details, both of you sign it, tear off the green section 6 new keeper slip (V5C/2) and give it to the buyer, and post the rest of the V5C to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA. On older logbooks the sections are numbered 6 and 10. Allow up to four weeks for the new V5C to arrive, and a few weeks for the seller's confirmation letter.
Does road tax transfer to the new owner?
No — not since October 2014. Vehicle tax is cancelled automatically when the DVLA records the change of keeper; the seller gets a refund of any full remaining months, and the buyer must tax the vehicle in their own name before driving it. The buyer can do that instantly online using the 12-digit reference on the green new keeper slip.
Can I drive the car home after buying it?
Only if it's taxed in your name and you're insured to drive it. Tax doesn't come with the car, so tax it online with the V5C/2 reference before you set off — it takes a couple of minutes. Insurance needs to be in place too; a Motorscan free check gives you the make, model, engine size and insurance group you'll need for a quote.
What happens if the seller doesn't tell the DVLA?
The seller remains the registered keeper on paper, which means any speeding fines, parking penalties, congestion charges or Continuous Insurance Enforcement letters for the vehicle come to them — and they can be fined up to £1,000 for failing to notify. If you've bought a car and the logbook hasn't arrived in four weeks, write to the DVLA with the vehicle details, the date of sale and the seller's details so the record can be corrected.
How do I change ownership when selling to a dealer or scrapping the car?
Use the same online service and choose 'sold to a motor trader', or complete the yellow section 4 (V5C/3) of the V5C and post it to the DVLA, giving the rest of the logbook to the trader. Scrapping is the same, via an Authorised Treatment Facility who will issue a Certificate of Destruction. In both cases the DVLA refunds any full months of tax to you.
How do I transfer a car to a family member?
Exactly the same as a sale — the DVLA only cares that the registered keeper has changed, not whether money was involved. Use the online service with the V5C reference number and the family member's details. They'll need to tax and insure the car in their own name before driving it.
Should I check the car before the ownership is transferred?
Yes — before you hand over any money, not after. A Motorscan check confirms the registration, make, model and VIN match the V5C you're being shown, shows how many keepers the DVLA has recorded, and in the full check flags outstanding finance (the lender can repossess a financed car from you even after a legitimate-looking transfer), write-offs and stolen markers. Once the transfer goes through, the problems become yours.
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