Tell the DVLA on the day you sell. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and until it is done you stay responsible for the car — the tax, any fines, any speeding tickets.
Selling to a private buyer
Go to gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle and use the 11-digit document reference number from your V5C. Give the buyer the green “new keeper” slip (V5C/2) — they need it to tax the car and to prove they are the keeper until their own V5C arrives. If you notify online you do not post anything.
Selling to a motor trader or dealer
Fill in the “sell, transfer or part-exchange to the motor trade” section — the yellow V5C/3 slip — and hand the trader the rest of the V5C. The trader notifies the DVLA. Keep the V5C/3 slip: it is your proof of the date you sold and who to.
Your vehicle tax refund
Once the DVLA has the notification, any full months of remaining vehicle tax are refunded automatically. The cheque goes to the registered keeper at the address on record, and any direct debit is cancelled. You do not need to claim it.
The buyer’s side
Vehicle tax does not transfer with the car. The buyer must tax it in their own name before they drive it away — they cannot use yours.
If you have lost the V5C
You cannot use the online service without the reference number. Write to the DVLA at Swansea, SA99 1BA, with the registration number, make and model, the date of sale, and the buyer’s name and address. Then apply for a replacement V5C (£25).
Keep a record of the sale — a photo of the completed slip, the date, and the buyer’s name. If a “you are no longer the keeper” letter does not arrive within a few weeks, chase the DVLA.
When you sell to us, we notify the DVLA as the trade buyer. You keep the V5C/3 slip as your proof, and your tax refund comes through in the normal way.