What is a V5C or logbook?
One of the most essential documents relating to your vehicle is the logbook or V5C. Here's everything you need to know.
- What is a V5C and why is it important
- What does registered keeper really mean?
- How to change details on a V5C
What is a V5C or logbook?
- The V5C or logbook states the registered keeper of the car
- The registered keeper is legally responsible for the car’s use
- They are not, necessarily, the legal owner of the car
Originally issued by a local office, with a ‘registration number’ assigned to a region, the current record of car ownership is the V5C, which is an evolution of the V5.
The V5 marked the point of the DVLA’s centralisation of vehicle records and computerised filing, a huge and largely successful Government IT project.
The V5C has itself evolved. Showing useful information such as emissions level, the type of fuel and how many registered keepers the car has had. It has also changed to suit modern data protection and no longer lists the name and address of the previous keeper.
It's come a long way from the VE60/RF60 logbook, though the name 'logbook' is still used.
That was a strong paper card a little like a passport, with handwritten logs of ownership changes and stamped marks of authority. Some countries, such as Russia, still use a format like this today.
But for UK drivers, the log part of the logbook exists only in virtual form and the V5C is proof of vehicle and keeper identity and current status.
What information is available on the V5C?
On the V5C you will see the current registered keeper’s name and address plus the number of former keepers.
Inside there's the chassis number of the vehicle (and engine number), the make and model, details for type approval and emissions along with whether the car was declared new at the date of registration or when it was first used in the UK, in the case of an import.
Important information is grouped by section. For security there is a validation character and a reference number to prevent forgery. If you have any doubt about the document you're seeing you can check that it is the latest one by using the reference number to view the car's MoT history online.
Sections of the V5C
On the first page of the most recent V5C you will find a guide to using the V5C, the car's registration number and current keeper details including the date they acquired the vehicle.
This section has the reference number you will use for accessing online services. The previous revision of V5C numbered the areas as 10 sections, but the information and purpose is much the same.
Below the current keeper details you will find the special notes, which include the number of former keepers and date of first registration. Here is where you will see details such as recorded damage, import or change of vehicle use.
On the next page you will find the details the DVLA holds for the vehicle such as make, model, VIN/chassis number, type approval details and colour. Below that are sections 1 through 6, as detailed on the first page.
- Change my vehicle details – for alterations to the details the DVLA holds about the vehicle, such as the colour, or engine capacity.
- Selling or transferring my vehicle to a new keeper – fill this out when the car's registered keeper changes. This can also be done online at gov.co.uk/sold-bought-vehicle
- Change my name or address – to avoid confusion with a keeper change, a change of existing keeper details is done using section 3 of the V5C. It may be quicker to do this online at gov.co.uk/change-address-v5c
- Selling, transferring, or part exchanging the vehicle with a Motor Trader – the yellow section, which is no longer a tear-off sheet, is used to notify the DVLA of a transfer into the trade. You can do this online under the same link as section 2
- Permanently exporting this vehicle for more than 12 months – if you are leaving the country with the car, or have sold it overseas, this section is used to inform the DVLA of the change. For sales to overseas owners, there is more guidance on the DVLA website.
- The New Keeper Supplement, or V5C/2 – the green slip you should be given when a vehicle has been transferred into your name. It is needed to tax the car before you have your new V5C.
The V5C should also confirm the colour, transmission, fuel type and engine capacity. When buying a modified car check that these have been updated or you could be driving without insurance.
Imports in particular may be missing information that can cause problems later on such as emissions level, towing capacity, Euro status or engine number.
Check other available paperwork if in doubt and see if you can obtain a certificate of conformity direct from the manufacturer or via an owners' club if you need to use the vehicle in emissions-controlled zones.
You will also find information such as if the number plate can be retained or transferred (as a rule, age-related plates issued if the original number is lost will not be transferrable, but you can still apply a personalised registration and remove it), if the car has structural damage recorded against it and if the tax class has been changed.
On commercial vehicles you’ll find definitions of weight and body style that may mean they are subject to lower speed limits on A-roads and dual carriageways.
What happens when you change a V5C registered keeper?
When the DVLA is informed of a keeper change, the vehicle is immediately untaxed and the new keeper must tax it or make a SORN.
For cars that have been taxed on six monthly or annual basis, the remaining full months of tax paid will be refunded to the now former keeper either by direct debit or a cheque.
You cannot transfer road tax with car ownership. However, if the vehicle has an unusual or private plate, the right to use or retain that plate will pass to the new keeper. You should always retain your private plate and wait for the new V5C to arrive before sale or trade-in.
The number of previous keepers is increased by one - remember that the number of previous keepers does not include the current owner, so if you see three former keepers on the V5, it's actually four keepers when you get the car from the current one. If provided, the DVLA stores the mileage and driver's licence number for anti-fraud checks.
Databases for road charging and enforcement are updated almost immediately while a slip is sent out to the former keeper's address informing them of the change of keeper.
The new V5C will usually arrive in less than a week, with a reminder to tax the vehicle. If a vehicle is untaxed for more than 30 days after a change of keeper, a reminder letter is sent and then a penalty for outstanding tax plus a fine, in essence.
The vehicle may also be flagged up for ANPR operations in the area. This is why it is important to tax or make a SORN immediately.
What does registered keeper really mean?
You might assume that the registered keeper and the legal owner of the vehicle would be one and the same.
That's frequently only the case once a car is old enough to be purchased for cash and well out of warranty, as many vehicles under three or four years old are legally the property of a finance company either through contract hire and leasing agreements, PCP finance, or hire purchase.
So in legal terms the registered keeper is the one responsible for the car's suitability and legal requirements for use on the road.
They're where the buck stops if an offence is committed and the legal entity the registration number is tied to.
However, that does not mean your company fleet or leasing firm is responsible for your parking tickets or speeding fines. When you signed the agreement for the vehicle you also agreed to accept liability for such things and usually, to pay an admin fee on top.
Despite all these legal responsibilities, the registered keeper does not automatically have the right to sell the vehicle. As well as the finance agreements noted above there's a risk it could be subject to a property dispute, ongoing insurance claim, company ownership, probate or a divorce settlement.
Not all of these risks are documented, but finance agreements secured on a vehicle can usually be found with an hpi check or similar service.
For private sellers with finance secured on a car, it is legal to offer it for sale and disclose this but the finance must be paid off in full at the time of sale. Many buyers will not want to take that risk, and rightly so.
Car buying services such as Motorway will usually pay the finance company directly and then give the seller any remaining balance.
What if the seller's details don't match the V5C?
In most cases, when buying a used vehicle the person selling it should be the registered keeper, in terms of the name and address they're using and you can see. Traders do not have to put the car in their name if it is bought to resell quickly and not being used on the road except for test drives or repairs.
This is achieved with the yellow portion of the V5C, or when transferring ownership online to a trader.
Note that a car that has been held by a trader for a long time will be recorded as having a period untaxed which can cause issues with other online services, such as cherished number transfers. If the trader claims to have been using it, it should be registered to them.
A trader should have the rest of the V5C including the green V5C/2 new keeper slip to give you when you purchase the car. They may want to do the transfer of keeper online, or post the V5C later after you have filled it in and signed it.
Don't take the car away without the green slip (V5C/2), ideally after taxing it online using the V5C/2 reference number, which will confirm the document is the latest version and ensure you're legal for the trip home.
If you do not receive a V5C in your name after a couple of weeks, contact the trader first and then the DVLA. You may be able to check if the old V5C is still current by using the V5C/2 reference number without the first digit. That will tell you if the change of keeper has been overlooked, or if your new V5C is lost in the post.
Can other details be changed on the V5C?
The V5 logbook does provide a record of the car's history, which allows for things being modified and altered.
Ultimately the link is to the car's chassis identified by the VIN or 'vehicle identification number' which has adopted a global standardised form progressively since the 1970s. Before that most firms simply referred to a chassis number.
One change you're likely to come across will be taxation class such as 'private light goods' or PLG, to Historic or Disabled for VED exemptions, but also potentially for commercial and public service vehicles becoming motorhomes.
You may also find colour changes recorded – these can be overlooked in the case of a vehicle wrap, but should reflect the most basic interpretation of the current body colour of the vehicle. The police may be more interested if your reflective gold wrap car is still registered as dark blue.
Cars that have had replacement engines may have a new engine capacity, or a changed engine number.
It is important, when buying a repaired or modified car, to check that the V5C details match what is currently presented as any discrepancy may invalidate your insurance. Or worse, hint at a hidden history for the car. It is not unknown for police to recover stolen components from modified cars.
Errors, such as date of manufacture or make and model, particularly on imported cars, can be corrected by writing to the DVLA with suitable evidence from recognised owner's clubs or manufacturers.
My new car didn't come with a V5C...
If it's a new, registered vehicle sold via a leasing broker or dealer, you are unlikely to be given a V5C in your name.
The car is registered to the fleet operator as the first (or, sometimes, second if the dealer has pre-registered the vehicle) and they hold the V5C. They are also responsible for taxing the vehicle and holding road-risks insurance.
This does not mean you don't need to insure the car – you will need a suitable comprehensive policy. If you pay the final payment or buy the vehicle from the leasing company, you will get a V5C with your details from the date of sale even if you have been the only keeper/user since it was first registered.
An imported or unregistered car will also not have a V5C until it is registered. Registering an imported car requires paperwork to prove all relevant taxes and duties have been paid (NOVA) as well as a current MoT and type approval/conformity details.
A new unregistered car, such as an old museum piece, will need proof of identity and history to be given a suitable age-related registration.
If your secondhand, registered car did not come with a V5 or V5C then you will need to apply for a replacement using a V62 form. You really should not buy a car that appears to be registered in the UK without a V5C. With ‘barn finds’ or classic cars, you may be offered them with the original 'buff logbook'.
Although long obsolete, if there's no other paperwork they can be used as proof of identity to obtain a V5C you can change keeper or retain the registration number using a V765 if all other records are lost.
However, most of these logbooks are just a piece of provenance and any classics that are still in use will have had them replaced with a computerised record held by the DVLA since the 1970s.
The last issued V5 and reference number can still be used to change details or transfer ownership online, in the same manner as the latest V5C – but don't forget that a car that's been untaxed since pre-SORN requirements will need a SORN declaring, or taxing, to avoid penalties when a new V5C is issued.
When do I need a V5C?
Most of the time you only need the V5C when changing details. So that would be selling, exporting or scrapping the car. You should not keep your V5C in the car since if the car is stolen, it would make it very easy for the thieves to change the keeper or attempt to sell it on.
Likewise, when advertising a private plate currently assigned to a car, or just showing your paperwork, be sure to obscure the postcode/address and reference numbers as they could be used maliciously.
For most people, the V5C is only relevant when buying or selling the car so can be safely filed away.
You may need to show your V5C when purchasing replacement number plates, when requesting service records or replacement keys from a main dealer.
It can also be requested by a police officer – though they will usually offer you the option of a producer if there's any discrepancy between your details and the car details held on file. For number plates and dealer services, a photocopy, scan or high resolution photograph will usually be sufficient for their identity checks.
In the event of certain insurance claims you may be required to send the current V5C or provide a copy, though as a rule that only applies for a total loss or write-off to verify the identity of a payee for a settlement. Or for a change of keeper and vehicle records if it has been written off or stolen and not recovered.
When travelling abroad with your vehicle such as driving in Europe, you should take your V5C with you – though as with the UK, don't leave it in the car unattended. If the car is leased or financed, or a company car, you will need a VE103 certificate that proves you have the right to use that vehicle abroad.
What paperwork do I need with the V5C?
There are four bits of car paperwork that matter when it comes to using a car legally in the UK, in addition to your driving licence that proves you have the right to drive that vehicle in the first place.
- The registered keeper recorded on the V5C
- The insurer and who is insured to drive
- A valid MoT test certificate where applicable, usually after a vehicle is three years old
- The tax status – to use a car on the road, it must show as taxed
How many of these you are legally required to carry in the car?
The answer is… none for private vehicles registered and in use in the UK. Most of these records are online and technically there is no paperwork for VED or 'road tax' now as the tax disc ceased to be issued in 2014.
Keeping your car paperwork in the car can present a security risk, allowing criminals to get your personal information for identity theft, or potentially transfer ownership of your car and access dealer services through fraud.
You are legally required to show your driving licence, certificate of insurance and an MoT certificate when requested by a police officer. If you don't have them with you, they will issue an HO/RT1 or ‘Producer’ with seven days to attend a police station and present documents that were valid at the time of the request.
For this reason it's worth carrying your driving licence with you, as verifying who you are will help them tie up online records for ownership, insurance, MoT and tax, generally avoiding the need to see evidence.
If you don’t show valid documents, then court proceedings may follow and chances are if you've been stopped, there was already a discrepancy that caught their attention.
In most cases, online records will update immediately. The one time it is worth carrying all your paperwork is if you have just bought and are collecting a car. If nothing else, you want the insurance certificate to hand, either printed or as a downloaded PDF on your smartphone.
What’s the official advice? West Yorkshire Police, for example, suggest not keeping documents in your car because of the crime risk and accepting the producer since it's essentially cancelled the moment you show your documents.
