What to Check on a V5C Logbook
Quick answer
Check the document is genuine, that it describes the car in front of you, and that the person selling it is the registered keeper at the address you are standing at. The V5C identifies the keeper — it is not proof of ownership, and it says nothing about outstanding finance.
Check the actual vehicle
Checking a vehicle?
Enter its registration to check the official tax, MOT and mileage record free. If you need provenance for a purchase or ownership decision, add finance, stolen and write-off checks.
Free: vehicle identity, tax/SORN, MOT history, mileage and buyer red flags.
Full history: adds outstanding finance, stolen, insurance write-off and other paid provenance checks.
The full report is optional. Review the free official record first if you are unsure. Payment is completed securely on the next screen.
GOV.UK publishes the checks for the document itself, and they take seconds once you know them.
- It should carry a “DVL” watermark, visible against the light
- Its serial number must not fall between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or between BI2305501 and BI2800000 — those are known stolen documents, and GOV.UK says to call the police
- Walk away from a logbook with no serial number, signs of alteration, or only part of the certificate present
- A photocopy is not a V5C. Neither is a photo on a phone
Every field should match the vehicle and the advert. A car whose paperwork does not match itself is the one situation where walking away costs you nothing.
- VIN on the document against the VIN on the car — windscreen base, door pillar, under the bonnet
- Engine number, where the model makes it visible
- Registration, make, model, colour and body type
- Date of first registration, and the number of former keepers
- Fuel type and engine size, which also drive the tax band
This is the check that catches the most trouble, and the one people skip because it feels rude. It is not rude; it is the transaction.
- The name and address on the V5C should be the seller's, at the address you are viewing
- Be wary of “selling it for a friend”, or a viewing at a car park or a third address
- A logbook issued very recently deserves a question about why
- Ask for photo ID matching the V5C name on a private sale
It records the registered keeper — the person responsible for taxing the vehicle and receiving DVLA correspondence. It is not proof that they own the car, and a vehicle on outstanding finance has a perfectly ordinary V5C in the keeper's name right up until the lender comes looking for it.
It also says nothing about the car's history: write-off markers, stolen records, mileage anomalies and finance all sit outside the document.
The seller keeps the V5C and notifies DVLA of the sale; you take the green new keeper slip, which is what lets you tax the vehicle immediately. Your own V5C should arrive within a few weeks — chase it if it does not, because you cannot prove you are the keeper without it.
- What should I check on a V5C before buying?
- The DVL watermark and serial number, that the VIN and engine number match the car, and that the keeper name and address match the seller and the viewing address.
- How do I know if a V5C is stolen?
- Check the serial number is not between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or between BI2305501 and BI2800000. GOV.UK says to contact the police if it is.
- Does the V5C prove the seller owns the car?
- No. It identifies the registered keeper, which is not the same as legal ownership — and it does not show outstanding finance.
- Can I buy a car without a V5C?
- It is a serious risk: you cannot verify the keeper, and you would have to apply to register the vehicle yourself with no documentary history.
- What is the green slip for?
- The new keeper slip (V5C/2) is your proof of purchase until your logbook arrives, and it is what you use to tax the car straight away.
- How long does a new V5C take to arrive?
- Usually a few weeks. Chase DVLA if it has not arrived, rather than leaving it.
Check the actual vehicle
Turn the guide into a check on the car
Advice is useful, but the decision is about one registration. Check its official record free, then add the paid provenance report before money changes hands.
Free: vehicle identity, tax/SORN, MOT history, mileage and buyer red flags.
Full history: adds outstanding finance, stolen, insurance write-off and other paid provenance checks.
The full report is optional. Review the free official record first if you are unsure. Payment is completed securely on the next screen.