Selling a car and notifying DVLA

What you need to tell DVLA when you sell a vehicle online or in person prior to selling your car.

You must update your V5C vehicle registration document (logbook) if you have 

If you don’t tell DVLA about changes after a sale or transfer of a car, you may miss out on road tax refunds.

You’ll need the V5C log book to help sell your car. It is good to let the buyer have a look at it so they can ensure it is genuine and matches your vehicle.

But, do not give them the logbook document reference number or provide them with an image of your vehicle logbook. If a third party has this much information they can easily defraud you and get a fake logbook. This often contributes to cloned or stolen cars.

If you have a vanity plate (private numbe plate) that you plan to keep and transfer to a new vehicle, apply to DVLA for removal, before you sell: https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registration-numbers/take-private-number-off

If the buyer is keeping your old car in the UK, give them the green ‘new keepers supplement’ slip from the V5 logbook.

You have to notify DVLA of a sale or transfer and provide the new keeprs full name and address.

Should the car be exported abroad, complete the ‘permenent export’ section of your V5 logbook. 

Send this slip to DVLA, Swansea, SA991BD. Do not send the logbook to DVLA as the new owner needs it for importing into a new country. 

However, do include a letter with your slip that states the new owners name and address.

Remember to pick up any road tax refund after a permanent exportation of a car.

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