The V5C Registration Certificate
The V5C Registration Certificate - also known as the registration document or log book - is the most important document pertaining to your car. Not only does it identify your vehicle's legal keeper, it also proves that your car is registered with DVLA.
We should note here that the registered keeper of a vehicle, as named on the V5C, is not necessarily the same person as the vehicle's owner. The keeper is the person who drives the car and has responsibility for it on a day-to-day basis. This is the person who will generally be responsible for issues such as parking or speeding offences. The vehicle may actually be owned by a different person: in that case the V5C would give no indication of the legal owner of the car. This distinction is of most relevance when a vehicle is being bought or sold.
The V5C also reflects much of the information that DVLA currently has about your car in its database: this may include previous keepers, its age, its colour, engine size, passenger capacity, body type (the car's, not the passengers'), fuel type, exhaust emissions details and more.
If you make any significant changes to your car then you should check to see whether you are obliged to inform DVLA. The V5C certificate provides a way of informing DVLA of changes (colour, private registration number etc). When you submit a V5C bearing details of changes you have made to your car, DVLA updates its record and then sends you a new V5C, updated to show those changes. If you don't keep your V5C up to date you may be fined. You may also encounter problems if you try to sell your car. Buyers these days tend to be wary - a car that doesn't match its V5C description is unlikely to instill confidence.
If you accidentally lose, damage or destroy your V5C document, you may apply to DVLA for a replacement. A replacement V5C costs £25. You can check the current fee on GOV.UK when you apply.
If you are the person named as registered keeper of the vehicle on the original V5, you can apply for a replacement V5C online or by phone, as long as none of your details have changed. If you are not the registered keeper (for example, you have bought the vehicle and do not have its V5C), or the vehicle's details have changed, you will need to apply by post using form V62, available from GOV.UK.
Contact DVLA by telephone on 0300 790 6802
Or by post to:
DVLA,
Swansea,
SA99 1AR.
Frequently asked questions
A V5C is the vehicle registration certificate, also called the log book, issued by DVLA. It shows who the registered keeper of a car is, and holds details DVLA has on record including previous keepers, colour, engine size and fuel type. The V5C is not proof of legal ownership. It only shows who is responsible for the vehicle day to day.
V5 is the short form drivers commonly use for the V5C, a vehicle's registration certificate or log book. There's no separate "V5" document anymore. The current version is the V5C, which includes a green new keeper slip that the seller gives to the buyer when the vehicle is sold.
The current V5C is a red paper document printed with the vehicle's registration number, the registered keeper's details and the vehicle details DVLA holds. It carries an 11-digit document reference number on the front. Keep that number private: GOV.UK advises sellers not to share the document reference number or photos of the log book, because they could be used to get a fraudulent copy.
You can apply for a replacement V5C online or by phone if you're the registered keeper and none of the details on it need to change. The service usually costs £25 and DVLA usually posts the new V5C within 5 to 7 working days. If the vehicle's details need changing at the same time, you'll need to apply by post instead, using form V62. A postal application also costs £25 and usually takes around 4 weeks.
You cannot download a copy of your V5C online, but you can check some of the details DVLA holds about your vehicle, such as tax status, MOT expiry and first registration date, using the vehicle enquiry service on GOV.UK. To get a full replacement V5C you need DVLA's separate replacement service, not a general vehicle check.
The registered keeper named on the V5C is legally responsible for telling DVLA about changes such as a new address or a change to the vehicle, like its colour. This applies even though the registered keeper isn't always the vehicle's legal owner. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell DVLA when you change your address.
The V5C number, properly called the document reference number, is the 11-digit number printed on the front of the log book. It is different from the vehicle's registration number. Some DVLA online services ask for it, such as checking the current tax rate for your vehicle. You don't need it to apply for a replacement V5C online or by phone.
Yes. If you want a personalised number plate transferred straight onto your car, Regtransfers needs the original of the vehicle's most recent V5C, along with details of its current MOT (if applicable) and road tax. If you're not ready to fit the plate yet, no documents are needed until you do transfer it. If you're selling a plate, we'll ask for the documents we need once we find a buyer.
Give the buyer the green new keeper slip from the log book, and tell DVLA you've sold the car, including the buyer's full name and address. You can do this online. If you want to keep your private number plate, you must apply to remove it from the car before you sell.
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