How to transfer car ownership

3 April 2025

Discover how you can transfer ownership of a car, including the V5 process and verifying your registered keeper status in our comprehensive guide.

EASY AS HACK

If you want to change car ownership, check whether you are the owner or registered keeper. They may not be the same.

At a glance

Make sure you’re the registered keeper and owner
Fill out the V5C form on the DVLA website or relevant sections of the document by post
Give the ‘new keeper’ details to the new owner

How to check if you are the owner or registered keeper

Before starting the transfer of ownership process, you must determine whether you can make this legal change. The registered keeper and the owner are usually the same person, but not always.

The legal owner is the person who bought the car or received it as a gift and can prove they own it. They must be insured and ensure the car’s other drivers, such as family members, are too. The only exception to this, is if the vehicle is kept off the road and has been declared SORN. They must also update the car’s paperwork with the registered keeper’s information.

In contrast, the registered keeper uses the car the most and is responsible for keeping the car on the road, for example, by paying vehicle tax and fines, ensuring a valid MOT and transferring ownership. The car’s V5C registration document, also known as logbook, V5 or V5C, will list the keeper’s name.

A classic example of where the registered keeper and owner differ is if you drive a company car. The company owns it, but you’re the registered keeper because you use it ^[1]. The V5C clearly states that the document is not proof of ownership.

You can find more information about vehicle registration on the gov.uk website.

You can also ask for the name and address of a registered keeper by filling out form V888 on the DVLA website (for companies, it’s form V888/2A).

Transferring ownership of a car

Under UK law, you must tell the DVLA when selling, transferring, or buying a vehicle.

Registered keepers cannot sell or give the car to someone unless they are also its legal owner. In other words, you must own it to sell it or allow another person to sell it.

So, to transfer legal ownership to a new owner or transfer ownership of a car to a family member as a gift, the registered owner must change the V5C. Here’s how the V5C transfer process works.

Transferring ownership online

If you want to sell a car or give one away (such as a gift to a family member), you can transfer car ownership online by filling out a vehicle registration form on the DVLA website. ^[2]

The form allows the registered keeper (the seller) to transfer ownership to an individual or business privately. You’ll need the 11-digit vehicle registration number, the V5C reference number, and the new owner’s name, address and email address (if they have one).

Once you have filled out the form, the DVLA will confirm the ownership change by email. It will also send a letter confirming that you’re no longer the car’s keeper and give you a refund of any owed vehicle tax. Note that road tax will not transfer, but the new owner can use V5C, section 10, to get tax for their vehicle.

DVLA will issue a new V5C to the new keeper within five days and email them confirmation ^[3].

To put the car into someone else’s name, you give the green ‘New keeper’s details’ section in the V5C to the new keeper, who must fill it in. They can use the slip to tax the car in their name. Then, use the form to tell DVLA that the vehicle is now in someone else’s name.

Transferring by post

Another way to transfer a car’s ownership is by post. The process is similar to doing it online but slower.

You should fill out the V5C section 6 called ‘New keeper or new name/new address details’ by entering the new owner’s details. Next, you and the new owner must sign the declaration (section 8). Then, you tear out the new keeper details (section 10) and hand it to the buyer. The buyer must keep it until they receive their Registration Certificate.

Finally, you post the rest of the V5C (sections 1-8) to the DVLA at Swansea, SA99 1BN.

Transferring to a scrapyard or dealer

When selling your vehicle to a dealership or scrapyard, you must ensure that you legally transfer the car ownership from yourself to the buyer.

You can do this by:

Finding out if you are the owner or keeper of the vehicle
Filling out the yellow V5C V5C, section 9
Sending section 9 of the V5C to the DVLA
Giving the rest of the V5C to the scrapyard or dealer

v5c transfer process

A V5C is a document the DVLA issues when you register a car with them.

When a car’s owner changes, the registered keeper must complete the V5C and return it to the DVLA.

The DVLA will update its vehicle record with the new keeper’s details and issue a new V5C in their name.

What happens if you fail to notify the DVLA?

You should notify the DVLA promptly if you have transferred the car because failure to tell them may result in a fine or prosecution.

If you fail to notify the DVLA when transferring the ownership, the vehicle will remain in your name.

Under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act, you could receive an out-of-court (OCS) letter and a fine if you fail to pay before the deadline. The OCS is £55 or £35, depending on how fast you pay it. If you don’t pay it, the maximum penalty is £1,000 ^[4].

Find out more about Ageas car insurance.

FAQs

What is the difference between an owner and a registered keeper?

A registered keeper is responsible for the everyday use of the car, whereas the owner is the person who purchased or received the vehicle. The owner is responsible for the car’s paperwork and the V5C VSC.

What is a V5C?

A V5C (vehicle registration document or V5C) is issued by the DVLA when someone registers a car with it.

can i transfer ownership of my car without a V5C?

You can transfer ownership to the new keeper without a V5C. You should write to the DVLA, sending information about the car’s registration number, make and model and the date you sold the vehicle, along with the registered keeper’s name and address and the new keeper’s name and address.