How to tell DVLA you’ve sold your old car
Follow these steps when you sell your old car with us.
If your car is being recycled at one of our centres you will be issued with a Certificate of Destruction but you should still inform the DVLA.
Before you start
You must make sure that:
- Your name and address are up to date on your registration certificate (V5C) – that’s the log book.
- You’ve already transferred any personalised registration number you want to keep.
It’s worth noting that the online service is available Monday to Saturday from 7am – 7pm
1. Getting started
You’ll need the 11 digit document reference number from your registration certificate (V5C).
2. Tell DVLA you’ve sold your car to us
- Go to the Sold a vehicle to the motor trade page on the Gov.uk website and select ‘Start Now’.
- You’ll need to provide the trader’s name and postcode. You’ll find these on the emails we’ll send to you.
- Enter the trader’s name.
- Enter the trader’s postcode.
- Select ‘Find address’.
- Select the correct address from the drop down box, then select ‘Next’.
- Enter your car’s registration number.
- Enter the 11 digit document reference number from your registration certificate (V5C), then select ‘Next’.
- Tick to confirm that you understand you’ll lose the rights to your old registration number.
- Enter the date of sale.
- Finally, leave an email address if you’d like an email confirmation, and select ‘Confirm Sale’.
After that you should destroy the yellow section 9 of your registration certificate (V5C/3). And that’s it!
DVLA will send a letter to you at the address on your registration certificate (V5C) confirming that you are no longer responsible for the car. If you don’t receive a letter within four weeks, you should contact DVLA customer enquiries on 0300 790 6802, as you could still be liable for your old car.
If you haven’t sold your car yet, we can tell you instantly how much your car is worth.