Selling your car involves more than just finding a new ride; it also means transferring ownership to the buyer. This process includes paperwork, but it’s simpler than you might think. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to transfer car ownership smoothly.

Understanding Ownership 

Before diving into the transfer process, it’s crucial to understand the roles of the registered keeper and the owner of the vehicle.

Registered Keepers

• The registered keeper is the primary user and caretaker of the vehicle.
• They handle all aspects of vehicle maintenance, including paying road tax, undergoing MOT tests, and servicing.
• Identified in the V5C logbook and other legal documents, they are accountable for ensuring the vehicle is adequately insured, even when others are driving it.
• Additionally, any traffic violations or inquiries regarding the vehicle are directed to the registered keeper.
• When the vehicle changes hands through sale or gifting, it’s the registered keeper’s responsibility to initiate the ownership transfer process.

Legal Owner 

• The legal owner is the individual who purchased or received the vehicle as a gift.
• It is their responsibility to maintain accurate paperwork for the vehicle, including updating the V5C logbook with the registered keeper’s current details.
• Upon purchasing or receiving the vehicle, the owner should retain a receipt documenting the transaction to establish ownership.
• Additionally, the owner ensures that anyone permitted to drive the vehicle is adequately insured, such as a prospective buyer test driving the vehicle.

Is the owner the same as the registered keeper?

It’s common for one individual to be identified as both the owner and registered keeper of a vehicle, but there are exceptions:

• For employees who frequently use a company car, they’re typically listed as the registered keeper, with their employing company noted as the owner.
• In cases of leasing a car through a Personal Contract Hire (PCH) plan, you’ll be listed as the registered keeper, while the car leasing company will be listed as the owner.

V5C transfer process

When transferring a vehicle owner the process can be straight forward, how ever there a few options to choose from, i.e. if there vehicle being register to a new keeper green slip or  if the vehicle being transferred to a dealer yellow slip.  

Sold it privately to a person or Non car dealer business 

Your will need the 11 digit doc reference number, visit https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle  

1. Give the green ‘new keeper’ slip from the log book to the buyer. 

2. Tell DVLA you’ve sold the vehicle using online .gov service
   a) visit https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle 
   b) Click Start
   c) Click No to are your a motor trader 
   d) Select an selling option. i.e Sold it , transfer to family member.
   e) Sold it – Select Sold it privately 
   f) Follow online Instructions
   g) Give new keeper slip to owner

Sold It To Motor Trader 

When selling to trade the process is different, the car dealer / buyer shall receive the whole log book and the seller shall only keep the yellow slip filled in with the car dealer’s name and address and posted to DVLA  , or if done online the yellow slip shall then be destroyed. 

1. Tell DVLA you’ve sold the vehicle using online .gov service
   a) visit https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle 
   b) Click Start
   c) Click No to are your a motor trader 
   d) Select an selling option. i.e Sold it.
   e) Sold it – Select Sold to Motor Trader  
   f) Follow online Instructions
   g) Keep Yellow Slip and give rest of logbook to Dealer