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The V5C logbook: what to check when buying and what to do when selling

What the logbook proves and what it does not, how to check it at a viewing, and how to hand it over when a car is sold.

Updated 14 October 2026 · 5 minute read

The V5C, usually called the logbook, is the vehicle registration certificate issued by the DVLA. It is one of the most important documents in a used car sale, and one of the most misunderstood. Keep it somewhere safe at home rather than in the car, because a stolen car with its logbook inside is easier to sell on.

What the V5C shows

  • The registration number and the date of first registration
  • The make, model, colour, body type, engine size and fuel type
  • The VIN, the car's 17-character identification number
  • The engine number
  • The name and address of the registered keeper
  • The number of previous registered keepers

Keeper is not the same as owner

The V5C shows the registered keeper, the person responsible for the car, not necessarily its legal owner. A car on finance is owned by the lender, but the driver is still the registered keeper. The logbook will not tell you about finance. A finance check will.

What the V5C does not prove

  • Ownership: it records the keeper, not the owner.
  • That the car is free of finance: finance never appears on the logbook.
  • That the car has not been written off, stolen or scrapped: those records sit with insurers, the police and the DVLA, and the full history check covers them.
  • That the mileage is genuine: the logbook does not record mileage. Use the free mileage check.

Checking the V5C when you buy

  1. 1Ask about it before you travelAsk the seller to confirm the V5C is in their name and registered at the address where you will view the car. If they will not, be wary.
  2. 2Check it is genuineThe DVLA advises checking for the 'DVL' watermark: hold the document up to the light. If the watermark is missing or the document looks altered, do not go ahead.
  3. 3Match the name and addressThe seller's name should be on the logbook, and you should be viewing the car at that address. A seller who meets you in a car park with someone else's logbook is a warning sign.
  4. 4Match the VINCompare the VIN on the logbook with the VIN on the car: at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar or under the bonnet. Never buy if they do not match. Our VIN guide explains where to look.
  5. 5Match the detailsCheck that the colour, engine size and registration on the logbook match the car and the advert.
  6. 6Check the date of issueOur free DVLA vehicle check shows the date the latest V5C was issued. If the seller says they have owned the car for years but the logbook was issued last month, ask why.

If the seller has lost the logbook, ask them to get a replacement from the DVLA before you buy. Buying without one makes it much harder to be sure the car is what it claims to be. A replacement comes by post from the DVLA, so if a seller says the logbook is on its way, wait until it arrives before you pay.

Buying: what happens on the day

When you buy from a private seller, the seller fills in the new keeper details and gives you the green new keeper slip (V5C/2). Then they tell the DVLA. Doing it online is fastest and can be done there and then. Check that your name and address are entered correctly, as mistakes can delay your new logbook.

  • Keep the green slip safe. You need its reference number to tax the car straight away.
  • Tax the car before you drive it. Tax never transfers from the seller, and our car tax guide explains the rates.
  • A new V5C in your name should arrive in the post. If it does not, contact the DVLA.

Buying from a dealer is simpler, as the dealer deals with the DVLA. You still need to tax and insure the car before you drive it away.

Selling: what you need to do

  1. 1Tell the DVLAAs the seller, it is your job to tell the DVLA. The quickest way is online on GOV.UK, using the document reference number on the V5C. Do it as soon as the car is sold.
  2. 2Give the buyer the green slipHand the buyer the new keeper slip (V5C/2), and follow the DVLA's instructions for the rest of the document.
  3. 3Get your tax refundYour tax is cancelled when the DVLA is told, and you get a refund for any full months left.
  4. 4Keep a recordNote the date and time of the sale and the buyer's details. Until the DVLA is told, fines and penalties linked to the car can still come to you.

Selling with a private plate?

If you want to keep a private registration, you need to take it off the car before you sell. The DVLA issues a new V5C when a plate changes, and GOV.UK explains how.

Changing details

You must update the V5C if you change your name or address, or if the car itself changes: a respray in a different colour, for example, or a private plate put on or taken off. The DVLA then issues a new logbook, which is why the date of issue can change even when the keeper has not. If you move house, update your address straight away: reminders, fines and recall letters all go to the address the DVLA holds.

That is also why the full history check lists plate changes and colour changes: each one leaves a trace. If the dates in the report line up with what the seller tells you, that is reassuring. If they do not, ask.

More guides

The used car buying checklist (before, during and after viewing)Everything to check before, during and after a used car viewing, in the order you need it.Insurance write-off categories A, B, S and N explained (plus old C and D)What each insurance write-off category means, how to check a car, and what to ask before you buy a repaired one.How to spot a clocked carThe paper trail and physical signs that give away a wound-back odometer, and what to do if the mileage does not add up.