Why the V5C needs to be right
The V5C, or logbook, records who the DVLA lists as the registered keeper of a vehicle. That doesn't mean you own it. A car on finance is registered to the driver while the finance company owns it. A company car is registered to the employee who uses it.
The distinction matters because the registered keeper is the person the DVLA and the police write to. Tax reminders, MOT correspondence and fixed penalty notices all follow that name and address. Nobody checks who actually owns the car before sending them.
So an out-of-date V5C sends someone else's problems to your door, or yours to theirs. A seller who never told the DVLA may be getting speeding notices for a car they sold last spring. A buyer who never registered can miss the tax reminder entirely, then get caught untaxed.
You can avoid both. Updating the record costs nothing.
When you sell the car
Tell the DVLA as soon as the car is gone. You can change the registered keeper online, which is the quickest route, or post the logbook. Do it on the day, not at the weekend when you finally get round to it.
The buyer keeps the green slip. That's the New Keeper Supplement, the V5C/2, and it tears off the back of your old logbook. You hand that part over and send the rest of the V5C to the DVLA. The buyer needs it to tax the car before driving it away.
Keep a receipt too. The V5C tells the DVLA who the keeper is and says nothing about what was paid or agreed between you. Those are different questions, and the paperwork that answers them is different too.
Our guide to selling paperwork covers the rest of what changes hands.
When you buy
Check the V5C against the car before money moves. The registration, the VIN and the keeper details should all line up with the vehicle in front of you and the person selling it. A seller who can't produce a logbook at all is a reason to stop.
After the sale, the seller notifies the DVLA and you keep the green V5C/2 slip. Use it to tax the car straight away. Your own full V5C arrives in the post later, in your name.
If the paperwork looks edited or the details don't match, our guide to checking a logbook is genuine goes through the security features in detail.
When you move house
Moving house is the one people forget because nothing about the car changes. The address on the V5C still has to be updated, and you can do it online without changing the registered keeper. It's usually free.
A new logbook should reach you within four weeks. If it hasn't, contact the DVLA before six weeks pass — after that, a replacement costs £25.
What actually goes wrong
Most V5C trouble is a delay rather than a disaster, and most of it lands on the seller. The notices keep arriving at the old address. The old keeper then has to prove the car was sold using a receipt they may not have kept.
The second is a buyer who taxes late. Tax doesn't carry over, so a car driven off the forecourt on the seller's old tax is untaxed from that moment. The green slip exists precisely so this can be done on the spot.
The third is the missing logbook. A replacement V5C costs £25 and takes five to seven working days. That's fine if you're keeping the car, and awkward if you're trying to sell it. Order it before you advertise, not after a buyer has asked.
Is the registered keeper the same as the owner?
No, they aren't the same thing. The keeper is whoever the DVLA writes to about the car. The owner is whoever legally owns it. On a financed car, those are two different people.
Does the seller keep any part of the V5C?
The buyer keeps the green New Keeper Supplement (V5C/2). The rest of the logbook goes to the DVLA. The seller's proof is the confirmation the DVLA sends once the change of keeper is recorded, which you should keep.
How long does a new V5C take?
Allow four weeks after an address change. If nothing has arrived, contact the DVLA before the six-week mark, because after that you pay £25 for a replacement.
Can I tax a car without the logbook?
Yes, if you have the green V5C/2 slip from the seller. That's exactly what it's there for. Without either document you'll need a replacement V5C before you can tax the car.
What does it cost to update the V5C?
Nothing, for a change of address or a change of keeper. The £25 fee is only for replacing a logbook that has been lost, stolen or damaged.