Replacement V5C Logbook: The Fast Way
Lost, stolen or damaged V5C? The quickest replacement is the DVLA's own online service — £25, usually delivered in five working days. Here's every route and how long each takes. Buying a car whose logbook is "in the post"? Enter the reg below and check it first.
- DVLA keeper count & VIN
- Instant, free, no card
- Stolen & finance checks
Which replacement V5C route should you use?
Online, phone or form V62 — and whether you pay £25 or nothing — depends on two things. Answer them and get the exact steps.
How to get a replacement V5C — and how long each takes
The DVLA issues every replacement logbook; there's no third party that can do it faster. Pick the route that matches your situation.
Online at GOV.UK
For the registered keeper, where nothing about you or the vehicle needs changing. Enter the registration, VIN and your details, pay £25 by card, and the new V5C is posted to the address on the DVLA record.
By phone: 0300 790 6802
Same conditions as online — you must be the keeper on the record, with no changes to make. Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat 8am–2pm. Have the registration, VIN and a card ready; the £25 fee is taken over the phone.
By post with form V62
For everything else: you're a new keeper whose V5C never arrived, your name or address has changed at the same time, or the vehicle was bought without a logbook. Send the V62 and £25 (free with a green slip after four weeks) to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DD.
Get a vehicle log book (V5C) on GOV.UK
The official DVLA service — £25, usually five working days. Opens in a new tab.
Replacement V5C: situations, routes and costs
The right form depends on whether you're already the keeper on the DVLA record and whether anything needs changing.
| Situation | Route | Cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed — you're the keeper, no changes | Online or phone | £25 | ~5 working days |
| Lost V5C and you need to change your address or name too | Post — V62 (with the change noted) | £25 | Up to 6 weeks |
| Bought a car, have the green slip, no V5C after 4 weeks | Post — V62 with the V5C/2 | Free | Up to 6 weeks |
| Bought a car, no green slip, no V5C | Post — V62 | £25 | Up to 6 weeks, plus DVLA checks |
| Need to tax the car while you wait | V11 reminder online, or V62 at a Post Office | Tax only | Same day |
| Need to sell the car | Get the replacement first, then notify online | £25 | ~5 working days, then instant |
The seller hasn't got the V5C — what that really means
A genuine keeper can replace a logbook in five working days for £25. When a seller can't — or won't — the missing document is telling you something. These are the explanations, from benign to walk-away.
It genuinely got lost and they've applied
Plausible. Ask to see the GOV.UK confirmation email and agree to complete the sale when the new V5C arrives. Run the registration through the free check now — the DVLA keeper count, make, model and VIN should match what they've told you.
They never got one — they bought it without a V5C too
The DVLA record may still show a previous keeper, which means the seller can't legally transfer it to you. Until they're on the record (V62, up to six weeks), you'd be buying a car from someone who isn't its keeper.
The car is on finance
A logbook is often "missing" because the finance company or a previous keeper still has it. The Motorscan full check names any lender with an outstanding HP or PCP agreement — and a financed car can be repossessed from you regardless of what you paid.
Stolen, cloned or not theirs to sell
No V5C, a seller who isn't at the address on the DVLA record, a VIN plate that doesn't match, cash only, meet in a car park. The full check queries the police and insurer stolen registers and confirms the registration-to-VIN link. If anything doesn't line up, leave.
Check the car's record while you wait for the paperwork
Free, instant, and about ten seconds from reg to result.
Enter the registration
Type the number plate into the search box above — you don't need the V5C, the VIN or any documents.
Confirm the vehicle identity
The free report shows the make, model, colour, engine, date of first registration and DVLA keeper count held against that plate.
See tax, MOT & mileage
Tax/SORN status, MOT expiry and the full MOT history with recorded mileage — so you know what needs doing once the logbook arrives.
Unlock finance, stolen & write-off
The full check queries the finance houses, the police and insurer stolen registers and the MIAFTR write-off register — the checks that matter most when a V5C is missing.
Replacing a logbook — frequently asked questions
How do I get a replacement V5C urgently?
Apply online at GOV.UK's 'Get a vehicle log book (V5C)' service. It costs £25, and if you're the registered keeper and nothing about you or the vehicle has changed, the new V5C is normally delivered within five working days — that's the fastest route the DVLA offers. There is no paid express or same-day service; any website advertising an 'urgent V5 replacement' for a higher fee is simply submitting the same £25 application on your behalf, more slowly.
How much does a replacement V5C cost?
£25, whether you apply online, by phone or by post with a V62 form. The one exception: if you're a new keeper who has the green V5C/2 slip and the logbook hasn't arrived within four weeks of the sale, a V62 application is free.
How long does a replacement V5C take?
Online: usually within five working days. By phone: also around five working days, and only available when the keeper and vehicle details are unchanged. By post with a V62: allow up to six weeks — longer if the DVLA needs to make checks, for example where the vehicle has never been registered to you.
Can I apply for a replacement V5C by phone?
Yes — call the DVLA on 0300 790 6802 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm; Saturday 8am to 2pm). The phone route only works if you're the registered keeper on the DVLA record and none of your details or the vehicle's details need changing. Have the registration, VIN and a debit or credit card ready. If anything has changed, you'll need to use the V62 form.
What is form V62?
V62 is the DVLA's postal 'Application for a vehicle registration certificate'. You use it when the online and phone routes don't fit — you're a new keeper whose logbook never arrived, the vehicle has changed hands without a V5C, or your details need updating at the same time. Download it from GOV.UK or pick it up from a Post Office that handles vehicle tax, and send it with the £25 fee (where applicable) to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DD.
Can I sell a car without a V5C?
Legally you can, but you'll struggle to find a buyer — and you should. Without the V5C the seller can't notify the DVLA online, can't give the buyer a new keeper slip, and the buyer can't tax the car with a V5C/2 reference. Buyers are told to treat a missing logbook as a red flag. Order the replacement first (£25, about five working days) and sell with the new one.
Can I tax my car without the V5C?
Yes, if you have a V11 tax reminder letter — its 16-digit reference works on the GOV.UK tax service. Without a V11 or V5C, take a completed V62 to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax; you can tax and apply for the logbook in the same visit. If you're a new keeper, the 12-digit reference on the green new keeper slip lets you tax online immediately.
My V5C was stolen — what should I do?
Apply for a replacement straight away, online or by phone, and tell the DVLA it was stolen rather than lost. A stolen V5C can be used to give a stolen or cloned vehicle a plausible identity, so the DVLA flags the old document reference. If the theft was part of a burglary or car theft, get a police crime reference number too.
I'm buying a car and the seller's V5C is missing — should I walk away?
Be very cautious. A genuine keeper can replace a V5C in five working days for £25, so there's rarely a good reason a seller can't produce one. A missing logbook is how stolen cars, cars with outstanding finance and cars being sold by someone who isn't the keeper get moved on. Before doing anything else, run the registration through a Motorscan check — the free report shows the DVLA keeper count and confirms the make, model and VIN; the full check flags finance, write-off and theft markers.
Does a replacement V5C change the document reference number?
Yes — every V5C issued carries a new 11-digit document reference number, and the old one is cancelled. That's why you can't use the reference from a photo of an old logbook to notify a change of keeper, and why anyone trying to sell you a car with a photocopy of the V5C can't complete the online transfer.
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