The New Keeper Slip (V5C/2) Explained
The green slip is what you walk away with when you buy a car — and it's enough to tax it on the spot. Here's what it does, what to do if it's lost, and what to do if the logbook never arrives. Before you accept one, enter the reg below to check the car matches its paperwork.
- Make, model & VIN vs logbook
- Instant, free, no card
- Finance & write-off checks
Got the green slip? Lost it? Never had it?
Tell us where you are and we'll give you the exact next step — taxing, waiting, chasing the DVLA or walking away.
What the new keeper slip is for
The V5C logbook is built to be torn apart when a car is sold. The main body goes to the DVLA (or is replaced by an online notification); the green tear-off strip — section 6 on the current red V5C, section 10 on older ones — goes to the buyer. It does three jobs:
How to tax a car with the new keeper slip
Road tax hasn't transferred with a car since October 2014 — the seller's tax is cancelled the moment the DVLA records the change of keeper. The green slip exists so you can tax it yourself, right there on the driveway.
Find the 12-digit reference
It's printed on the green V5C/2 slip. (The 11-digit number on the main V5C is different — that one's for the seller to notify the DVLA.)
Open GOV.UK "Tax your vehicle"
Choose the option for a vehicle you've just bought, enter the registration and the 12-digit reference.
Pay
Card, or a monthly/six-monthly Direct Debit. You'll get confirmation on screen and by email — the tax is live immediately and the police ANPR database updates shortly after.
Insure it, then drive
Tax and insurance are separate. The Motorscan free check gives you the exact model, engine and insurance group for a quick quote if you haven't got cover lined up.
Tax your vehicle on GOV.UK
The official DVLA service. Have the green slip's 12-digit reference ready. Opens in a new tab.
Lost slip, no slip, or no logbook afterwards
Three problems account for almost every new keeper slip question. Each has a clean fix.
I've lost my new keeper slip
If the seller notified the DVLA, the new V5C is coming anyway — just wait (five working days online, four weeks by post). Need to tax before then? Take a V62 form to a Post Office that handles vehicle tax; you can apply for the V5C (£25 without the slip) and tax the car in the same visit.
The seller couldn't give me one
A seller with no V5C can't give you a V5C/2 — and can't notify the DVLA online either. Before any money changes hands, ask them to order a replacement logbook (£25, about five working days). If they won't, walk away: a missing logbook is the single most common sign of a car that isn't the seller's to sell.
The logbook never arrived
Almost always the seller didn't notify the DVLA. Contact them first. If that fails, apply with form V62 — it's free if you apply with the green slip more than four weeks after the sale, and you should include the seller's details and the date of sale so the DVLA can correct the record.
What to verify before you take the green slip
The slip is the last thing that changes hands. By the time you're holding it, the money has gone. Do this while the seller still has the V5C in one piece.
The VIN on the V5C is the VIN on the car
Compare the 17-character VIN on the logbook with the plate at the base of the windscreen and the stamp in the engine bay or door pillar. The Motorscan free check confirms the registration belongs to that VIN. A mismatch means a cloned plate or the wrong logbook.
The seller is the keeper on the V5C
Name and address on the logbook should be the person and the house in front of you. "Selling it for a mate" with someone else's V5C is how stolen and financed cars get moved.
The keeper count agrees
The number of former keepers on the V5C should match the DVLA count in the free check. If the logbook says two and the DVLA says four, the logbook isn't current — or isn't this car's.
No finance, no write-off, no theft marker
None of these are on the V5C. The full check queries the finance houses, the MIAFTR write-off register and the police and insurer stolen registers — if any of them come back positive, don't take the slip.
Check the car before you take the slip
Free, instant, and about ten seconds from reg to result.
Enter the registration
Type the number plate into the search box above — while the V5C is still on the seller's table.
Match it to the logbook
Make, model, colour, engine, first registration date and DVLA keeper count — every one should agree with the V5C.
See tax, MOT & mileage
Confirms the car's tax will need doing the moment you hold the slip, and shows the MOT history with mileage so you can spot clocking.
Unlock finance, write-off & stolen
The full check adds the three records that make a green slip worthless — and you'll know before you pay, not after.
The V5C/2 — frequently asked questions
What is the new keeper slip?
The new keeper slip — officially the V5C/2, often called the 'green slip' — is the tear-off section of the V5C logbook that the seller hands to the buyer when a vehicle changes hands. It's section 6 on the current red V5C (section 10 on older logbooks). It carries the registration, make, model and a 12-digit reference number, and it's the buyer's proof of the transfer until the DVLA posts them a new V5C in their name.
What can I do with the new keeper slip?
Two things. First, tax the vehicle: enter the 12-digit reference from the slip at GOV.UK's vehicle tax service (or at a Post Office) and you can tax it immediately, before the new logbook arrives. Second, prove you're the new keeper — if you're stopped, or if the V5C never turns up and you need to apply for one free of charge.
How do I tax a car with the new keeper slip?
Go to GOV.UK's 'Tax your vehicle' service, choose the option for a vehicle you've just bought, and enter the 12-digit reference number printed on the green V5C/2 slip along with the registration. Pay by card or set up a Direct Debit. You can do it on your phone at the seller's house, and you should — the car isn't taxed in your name until you do, and tax doesn't transfer with the sale.
I've lost the new keeper slip — what do I do?
If the seller has already told the DVLA, just wait for the new V5C (up to five working days online, four weeks by post) — the slip's only job was to tide you over. If you need to tax the car before then, apply for a V5C using form V62 at a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax; you can tax at the same time. Without the slip the V62 application costs £25. If the seller hasn't notified the DVLA yet, ask them to do it online now — it's the quickest fix.
Can I drive the car with just the new keeper slip?
Yes, provided you've taxed it in your name (which the slip lets you do instantly) and you're insured. The slip isn't a document you need to carry, but keep it safe until the new V5C arrives — it's your evidence of the date you became keeper if anything is disputed.
How long does the new V5C take to arrive after getting the green slip?
If the seller notified the DVLA online, the new V5C usually arrives within five working days. If they posted the logbook, allow up to four weeks. If it hasn't arrived within four weeks, the usual cause is that the seller didn't actually notify the DVLA — contact them first, then apply to the DVLA with form V62; it's free if you apply with the green slip more than four weeks after the sale (otherwise £25).
Is the new keeper slip proof of ownership?
No — and neither is the V5C. The logbook records the registered keeper, the person responsible for taxing and insuring the vehicle, not the legal owner. A car on finance is owned by the lender regardless of whose name is on the green slip. That's why a finance check matters before you take the slip: a Motorscan full check shows any outstanding HP or PCP agreement against the registration.
The seller gave me the whole V5C instead of just the slip — is that OK?
It's a common mistake, but it's not how the system works: the seller is supposed to send the main part of the V5C to the DVLA (or notify online and then destroy it), and give you only the green slip. If you've got the whole logbook, check whether they notified the DVLA online — if they did, the new V5C is on its way and you can recycle the old one when it arrives. If they didn't, you can fill in the new keeper section yourself and post it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA, but you're relying on the seller's signature being on it.
Should I check the car before accepting the new keeper slip?
Yes. Once you've got the slip and the seller has notified the DVLA, the transfer is effectively done. Before that point, run the registration through a Motorscan check: the free report confirms the make, model and VIN on the V5C belong to the car in front of you, and shows the DVLA keeper count; the full check flags outstanding finance, insurance write-off categories, theft markers and mileage discrepancies — the things that make a green slip worthless.
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