If you’ve recently sold your car, one of the most important steps is making sure you tell the DVLA as soon as possible. Whether you’ve sold privately, through a dealership, or to an online car buyer, updating the DVLA is essential to make sure you’re no longer responsible for the vehicle. If you’re looking for more guidance on selling your car, our car selling guidance hub can help you understand everything you need to know before, during and after the selling process.
Once the DVLA has been informed, the registered keeper details will be updated, meaning you won’t be responsible for future tax, MOT or any penalties linked to the vehicle.
What do you need to do before telling the DVLA you’ve sold your car?
Before you notify the DVLA that you’ve sold your vehicle, there are a few important things you need to check:
- Give the green ‘new keeper’ slip from your V5C logbook to the buyer. This allows them to tax the vehicle and become responsible for it.
- Make sure the address on your V5C logbook is correct and up to date.
- If you have a private registration plate that you want to keep, make sure you transfer it before completing the sale.
Once these steps are complete, you can officially tell the DVLA that your car has been sold.
How to tell the DVLA online that you have sold your vehicle
The quickest and easiest way to tell the DVLA that you’ve sold your car is by using their online service.
The DVLA online service allows you to notify them when a vehicle has been bought, sold, transferred, or passed on to a trader. You can use this service whether you have sold your car privately, through a dealership, or to a motor trader.
To complete the process online, you’ll need:
- Your vehicle registration number
- The 11-digit reference number from your V5C logbook
- The details of the new keeper if selling privately
Once you’ve entered your details and followed the online instructions, you’ll receive confirmation that the DVLA has received your notification.
Your details will then be removed as the registered keeper, usually within a few weeks, although the process can sometimes be completed sooner.
If you’re selling your car online, it’s also worth knowing that many professional car buying services can help make the process simple by handling much of the paperwork for you.
How to tell the DVLA you have sold your car by post
If you prefer to complete the process offline, you can also notify the DVLA by post.
If you’re selling your car privately, you’ll need to complete the relevant sections of your V5C logbook with the new keeper’s details and send the information to the DVLA.
If you’re selling your car to a motor trader, dealership, insurer or scrapyard, you’ll need to complete the appropriate section of your V5C and send this information to the DVLA.
Once received, the DVLA will update their records and send confirmation once the change has been processed.
What happens to car tax when you sell your vehicle?
When you sell your car, the vehicle tax cannot be transferred to the new owner.
Instead, once the DVLA has been informed that you’ve sold your car, any remaining full months of vehicle tax will automatically be refunded to the person named as the registered keeper.
The new owner will then need to tax the vehicle themselves before driving it on public roads.
If you’re buying another vehicle after selling your current one, remember that you’ll need to arrange new tax and insurance before driving it.
What happens if you don’t tell the DVLA you have sold your car?
If you forget to tell the DVLA that you’ve sold your vehicle, you could still be held responsible for it.
Until the DVLA records the change of ownership, you will remain listed as the registered keeper. This means you could still be contacted about:
- Parking fines
- Speeding offences
- MOT issues
- Vehicle tax problems
Even though you no longer own or have the vehicle, the DVLA will still have you listed as responsible until the transfer is completed.
That’s why it’s always best to notify the DVLA immediately after selling your car. The process only takes a few minutes and can save you from potential issues later.
You may also find it helpful to see How You Can Sell Your Car Fast useful if you’re looking for a quick and hassle-free way to complete your sale.
Selling your car online?
If you’re ready to sell your vehicle, Jamjar.com can help you compare offers from trusted UK car buyers. Our simple online process allows you to find out how much your car could be worth without the stress of advertising, negotiating or dealing with timewasters.
For more information on ownership when it comes to selling, it might be worth knowing How to Change the Ownership of a Car, which explains the full transfer process from start to finish.
Jamjar.com makes selling your car quick, easy, and hassle-free. By comparing offers from a trusted network of UK car buyers, you get the best price without the stress of negotiating or haggling. There are no hidden fees, no obligation to sell, and the entire process is 100% online. Whether your car is nearly new or well-used, Jamjar helps you sell it fast and for a fair price—saving you time and effort.