Completing the Paperwork Holmrook
Completing the Paperwork
Completing the Paperwork
Whether you sell your car through a dealer or privately, it is essential that you let the DVLA (Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency) know about the sale as soon as it has been completed. Until the DVLA are notified of the new owner details, you will remain responsible for the vehicle tax as well as any motoring offences committed in the car.
Registration Certificate
You can inform the DVLA of a sale or vehicle transfer by completing the appropriate section of the registration certificate (V5C) . This document (also known as the logbook) shows the basic details of a car and its history, including colour, engine size, number of previous owners and the current registered owner. The buyer will almost certainly want to inspect the certificate to check the vehicle details before committing to a sale. If you have lost this document, you can contact the DVLA to obtain a replacement. It is illegal to sell a vehicle without a valid registration certificate.
You and the buyer must both follow the correct procedures to notify DVLA of a change of ownership, stating with the exact date of sale or transfer. You will remain liable for the car until DVLA records have been updated. Once DVLA have received notification that the vehicle has been sold, they will write to you to confirm that you are no longer responsible for it. This acknowledgement letter should arrive within about four weeks; contact the DVLA if has not arrived after this time.
Trade Sales
If you sell your car to a dealer or transfer it to a motor vehicle insurer with whom you have settled a claim for total loss, you should complete the yellow V5C/3 section by obtaining the details and signature of the motor trader. Send this section to DVLA and then pass the rest of the certificate (uncompleted V5C and V5C/2 (blue and green) sections) to the motor trader.
Private Sales
You must complete section 6 (new keeper or new name/new address details) of the registration certificate, and then both you and your buyer must sign section 8. Give the buyer the properly completed V5C/2 green section and then send the rest of the certificate immediately to DVLA. Full instructions and the address you need to write to are given in the guidance notes (IND 160) that accompany the certificate. It is always a good idea to keep a separate note of the buyer's name and address details.
Personalised Plates
If you have a personalised plate that you want to keep, you must apply to transfer or retain it before you sell or scrap your vehicle, otherwise you will lose your entitlement to that number. You should contact the DVLA for the correct procedure to enable you to do this.