What Is a V5C Logbook?
The Full Guide, Plus How to Get a New One
The V5C is DVLA's vehicle registration certificate, better known as the logbook. This guide covers what's actually printed on it, why colours changed over the years, and the most common reasons people end up needing a replacement. Already know all that and just need a new one? Jump straight to our 5-minute online form below.
Lost or Never Had One?
Request a Replacement V5C
What's Actually Printed on a V5C?
The V5C is a multi-page certificate, not just a single sheet. Section 1, the part you keep, lists the registered keeper's name and address plus the vehicle's make, model, colour, fuel type, engine size, VIN and first registration date.
The rest of the booklet is used for specific events: a tear-off slip for notifying a change of keeper, a section for recording mileage at sale, and the "new keeper supplement" (V5C/2) that goes to whoever buys the car next. None of that information is proof you own the car outright, it only confirms who DVLA has on file as keeper.
- Registered keeper name and address
- Vehicle make, model, colour and body type
- Engine size, fuel type and CO2 figures
- VIN/chassis number and date of first registration
- A unique 11-digit document reference number
Why Is My Logbook a Different Colour?
Older logbooks were red and offered fewer anti-fraud features. If you still hold one, it's worth checking the details are current, DVLA will reissue in the current blue format when you next update anything.
Introduced to cut down on logbook fraud and vehicle cloning, with tighter security printing. This is the format DVLA issues for every new registration and every replacement today.
Whichever colour you hold, DVLA treats both as valid until a replacement is requested, at which point you'll receive the current blue version.
Logbook Problems People Actually Run Into
Bought a car and the seller never handed one over? It happens more than you'd think, especially with private sales. You can still apply for a V5C in your name, DVLA just asks you to wait four weeks from the purchase date first in case the previous logbook is already in the post.
Moved house and forgot to update it? Your V5C should match your current address. An out-of-date logbook can cause problems with insurance claims or if DVLA needs to contact you, and it's a separate, free update to applying for a full replacement.
Inherited a vehicle? You'll usually need the V5C (or a replacement if one can't be found) before you can register the change of keeper or sell the car on.
Watch out for "logbook loans". Some lenders use your V5C as informal security for a loan against the car's value. These loans sit outside normal consumer credit protections in important ways, read the terms carefully, and never send your original V5C to a company you haven't verified independently.
Can You Sell or Tax a Car Without the Logbook?
You can still sell a car without the V5C in hand, but most buyers and dealers will be wary, and you'll need to complete a "notification of sale" with DVLA separately so you're not left liable for the vehicle. It's far simpler to request a replacement first.
Taxing a vehicle normally needs either the V5C's 11-digit reference number or the green new keeper slip's 12-digit reference. Without either, you'll need a replacement V5C before you can tax the car online or by phone.
Driving itself is legal without the physical document on you, insurance, MOT and tax are what's actually checked at the roadside, not the logbook. But going too long without a valid V5C on file makes every one of those admin tasks harder, so it's worth sorting a replacement as soon as you notice it's missing.
Store your current V5C somewhere secure and dry, not in the glovebox. A logbook left in the car is one of the easiest documents for a thief to use when trying to sell or re-register a stolen vehicle.
Getting a New Logbook in 3 Steps
DVLA's own replacement route is form V62, submitted by post. CarForms handles the paperwork side so you only need to fill in your details once.
Enter Your Reg Online
Tell us your registration and a few vehicle details through our online form, no DVLA paperwork to find or download.
We Prepare Form V62
Our team transfers your details onto the official DVLA V62 form and checks it over before printing.
Posted to DVLA Swansea
We post the completed form by Royal Mail, including the £25 DVLA fee, and DVLA processes it from there.
£49.95 all-in, including the £25 DVLA fee. Full pricing breakdown on our V62 form page.
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