What documents do you need to sell your car?

The checklist

Why do you need each one?

• Photo ID that matches the V5C, such as a driving licence or passport: so we can check the person selling is the registered keeper.
• Bank details in your own name: we pay by bank transfer before the car leaves you, into an account in your own name.
• The V5C logbook: it shows the registered keeper, and you need its 11-digit reference number to tell DVLA you’ve sold the car.
• All the keys: the form asks how many keys you have, and your price takes it into account.
• The service history: the service book, receipts and invoices back up what you told us on the form.
• The locking wheel nut key: without it, the wheels with locking nuts can’t be taken off.
• The charging cables: for an electric car or a plug-in hybrid.
• The settlement letter: if there’s finance on the car, so we can settle it directly with your lender.
• A VAT invoice: if you’re a VAT-registered business and VAT applies to the sale. See VAT when selling a business van or car.

Do I need the MOT certificate?

No. MOT results are held online, and you can see your car’s MOT history on gov.uk with the registration number. Our form usually looks up the car’s MOT record when you type your reg.

What if something’s missing?

• Lost the V5C, or it’s not in your name? See our guide to selling when the V5C is lost or not in your name.
• Only one key, or gaps in the service history? Tell us on the form, and your price takes it into account. If you find the spare key or the records before we collect, let us know.

How do I tell DVLA I’ve sold my car?

When you sell to a motor trader like us, gov.uk sets out these steps:

1. Note the 11-digit reference number from your latest V5C before you hand it over.
2. Give the trader the V5C, including the green “new keeper” slip.
3. Tell DVLA online that you’ve sold the vehicle to a motor trader, using that reference number.
4. Destroy the yellow section of the V5C (“sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade”).

If you’d rather use the post, gov.uk says the motor trader fills in the yellow section and you send its perforated part to DVLA.

What happens next, according to gov.uk: DVLA cancels your vehicle tax once you tell them you no longer own the car, and you may get a refund for any full months left, worked out from the date DVLA gets your information. A Direct Debit is cancelled automatically. You get an email confirmation (if you gave an email address) and a letter confirming you’re no longer the keeper.

Private number plate? gov.uk says that if you want to keep your registration number, you must take it off the vehicle before you tell DVLA you’ve sold it. Tell us about it in the “Anything else we should know?” box when you get your price.

Selling for someone who has died? The steps are different: see our V5C guide.

General information only, not advice about your own situation. gov.uk has DVLA’s full rules.