Paperwork when you sell a car
Until DVLA knows the car is no longer yours, you can be held responsible for it, fines and tickets included. The paperwork takes a few minutes, so do it on the day you sell.
The short answer
- Tell DVLA online with the 11-digit reference on your V5C log book. The service is open 7am to 9pm on weekdays and 7am to 8pm at weekends.
- In a private sale, hand the buyer the green new keeper slip. Selling to a trader uses the motor trader option instead.
- Your vehicle tax stops when DVLA is told. You get a refund for any full months left; the buyer must tax the car before driving it.
- Write a simple receipt for both of you.
Key facts
- DVLA online service hours
- 7am to 9pm Mon to Fri, 7am to 8pm Sat and SunGOV.UK, tell DVLA you've sold a vehicle
- What you need to use it
- The 11-digit reference on the V5CGOV.UK, tell DVLA you've sold a vehicle
- Does tax pass to the buyer?
- No. The buyer must tax it before drivingGOV.UK, tell DVLA you've sold a vehicle
- Tax refund
- Any full months left, by chequeGOV.UK, cancel your vehicle tax and get a refund
- Refund has not arrived
- Contact DVLA after 8 weeksGOV.UK, cancel your vehicle tax and get a refund
Which route applies to you
Are you selling to a motor trader, such as a dealer or car buying service?
YesUse the motor trader option in the DVLA online service.NoGo to the next questionHave you already posted the log book to DVLA?
YesYou cannot use the online service. Wait for DVLA's confirmation that you are no longer the keeper.NoGo to the next questionDo you have the V5C log book?
YesTell DVLA online with the 11-digit reference, and give the buyer the green new keeper slip.NoWrite to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA with your name and address, the registration, make and model, the exact date of sale, and the new keeper's name and address.
Telling DVLA online
Find the 11-digit reference
It is printed on the front of your V5C log book.
Use the DVLA service
Go to tell DVLA you've sold a vehicle on GOV.UK and enter the buyer's details, or choose the motor trader option.
Hand over the new keeper slip
In a private sale, the buyer keeps the green slip until their own log book arrives.
Watch for confirmation
DVLA confirms you are no longer the keeper. Keep it with your receipt.
What happens to your vehicle tax
Vehicle tax never transfers with the car. Once DVLA knows you have sold it, your tax is cancelled, any Direct Debit stops by itself, and a refund cheque for each full month left is sent to the name and address on the log book. The refund is worked out from the date DVLA gets your information. See vehicle tax refunds on GOV.UK.
The buyer has to tax the car, or declare it off the road, before it goes on the road.
What to hand over
To the buyer
- The green new keeper slip (private sale)
- Both keys
- The service book and receipts
- The locking wheel nut key, and anything else that came with the car
For you to keep
- A copy of the receipt
- DVLA's confirmation that you are no longer the keeper
- A note of the date and time of sale
A simple receipt
Write two copies and both sign them. It is your record of exactly what was agreed.
- The car
- Registration, make, model and mileageSo there is no doubt which car was sold
- The sale
- Date, time and price paidYour proof of when it stopped being yours
- The people
- Both names and addressesThe same details DVLA asks for
- Its condition
- Any faults you told the buyer aboutShows the car was sold as described
Your duties as a private seller
A private seller does not owe the buyer the rights a dealer does. You must still have the legal right to sell the car, so no finance owed on it, and it must be as you described it and roadworthy, unless you clearly sell it for repair or spares.
Questions people ask
How do I tell DVLA I have sold my car?
Use the DVLA online service on GOV.UK with the 11-digit reference on your V5C log book. It is open 7am to 9pm on weekdays and 7am to 8pm at weekends. In a private sale, give the buyer the green new keeper slip.
What if I do not have the log book?
Write to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA with your name and address, the vehicle registration, make and model, the exact date of sale, and the new keeper's name and address.
Does the car tax transfer to the new owner?
No. Your tax is cancelled when DVLA is told, and the buyer must tax the car before driving it.
How much car tax do I get back?
A refund for each full month left, worked out from the date DVLA gets your information. It is sent as a cheque to the name and address on the log book. Contact DVLA if it has not arrived after 8 weeks.
Do I need to write a receipt when I sell a car privately?
It is not a legal form, but it protects you both. Note the date, time and price, the registration, make, model and mileage, both names and addresses, and any faults you told the buyer about.
What happens if I forget to tell DVLA?
You stay the registered keeper, so you can be held responsible for the car, including fines and tickets, until DVLA is told.
Sources
Checked against these on 31 October 2026. If the rules change, the source is the final word.
- Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle GOV.UK, DVLA
- Cancel your vehicle tax and get a refund GOV.UK, DVLA