V5C logbook
Replacing a lost V5C logbook
Checked on 7 September 2026.GOV.UK, Get a vehicle log book (V5C) (as of 7 September 2026)
Replacing a lost V5C logbook
A replacement usually costs £25. An online or phone application normally arrives within 5 to 7 working days. Use the postal V62 route if keeper or vehicle details need changing. Contact DVLA after 2 weeks if it has not arrived; after 6 weeks without telling them you pay another £25.
Can I replace a lost V5C online?
GOV.UK says you need a replacement V5C if the original has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, or you need to update certain details. You can apply online or by phone if the details in the V5C can stay the same. The replacement is posted to the address DVLA already holds. You can tax the vehicle online at the same time.
You must be the registered keeper, have the vehicle, and keep the recorded name, address and vehicle details unchanged. You will need the registration number, the vehicle identification number or chassis number, and the name and postcode registered on the V5C.
You cannot use the online service if you need to change any of your details, you do not have the vehicle, you have already sent the V5C to DVLA, the vehicle is on the DVLA fleet scheme, or the vehicle is registered abroad, including the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland. You cannot get a refund once you have used the service, including if you later find the original.
How do I apply by phone or by post?
The phone route is for the registered keeper when the missing or damaged V5C's details have not changed. You need the same three identifiers: registration, VIN or chassis number, and the name and postcode on record. Contact DVLA by phone to apply. Delivery is the same 5 to 7 working days as online.
Apply by post if you need to change the vehicle details, you did not get a V5C for a new vehicle, or you do not have a V5C and you took the vehicle out of the UK. Download form V62, fill it in, and send it to DVLA Swansea SA99 1DD with a cheque or postal order for £25 made payable to 'DVLA, Swansea' when a fee is due.
A postal application usually arrives after 4 weeks. Contact DVLA if it has not arrived after 4 weeks. If you have not received it after 6 weeks and you have not notified DVLA, you will have to pay £25 to get a replacement.
- Confirm you are the registered keeper and that the name, address and vehicle details on record are still right.
- Apply online or by phone with the registration, VIN and keeper postcode, and pay the usual £25 by card.
- Tax the vehicle in the same application if you are the current keeper and it needs taxing.
- Wait 5 to 7 working days. If nothing has arrived after 2 weeks, contact DVLA.
- Use form V62 by post instead if any recorded detail has to change, or if you never received a V5C for a newly bought vehicle.
How long does a replacement V5C take?
Online or phone: usually 5 to 7 working days. Contact DVLA if 2 weeks have passed. After 6 weeks without telling them, another £25 is due.
Post: usually 4 weeks. Contact DVLA after 4 weeks. The same 6 week, £25 warning applies.
The online service is available Monday to Friday, 7am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 7am to 8pm. Those hours are the application window, not a promise that the letter lands the next morning.
| Route | Usual fee | Usual wait | Chase DVLA after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online or phone, details unchanged | £25 | 5 to 7 working days | 2 weeks |
| Post on form V62 | £25 unless an exception on the form applies | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
GOV.UK Get a vehicle log book (V5C) and If you cannot get a log book online, checked 7 September 2026.
Can I tax the car while the logbook is missing?
A current keeper can tax the vehicle while applying for the replacement. GOV.UK also lets you tax without a V11 reminder using the V5C, a V62 if you are the current keeper, or the green new keeper slip if you have just bought the car.
At a participating Post Office you can complete a V62, take £25, and tax at the same time. Take MOT evidence if the vehicle needs an MOT. In Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says you also need an MOT certificate valid when the tax starts, and an insurance certificate or cover note.
A new keeper without the green slip cannot tax online. That is a different problem, covered on the buying-without-a-V5C page. Do not drive on the previous keeper's tax.
Example
A keeper who lost the V5C on a Tuesday and needs to tax on Friday
- Status
- Current registered keeper, details unchanged
- Document
- V5C lost
- Tax
- Due this week
- MOT
- Valid
- Apply online for the replacement with the registration, VIN and postcode, and pay £25.
- Tax in the same application. You do not wait for the new V5C to land first.
- If the MOT has only just passed, allow up to 2 days for the record to update before the tax service will accept it.
- If the online service refuses you because an address has changed, stop and use the change-of-address route instead of a replacement.
The keeper taxes the vehicle this week and waits 5 to 7 working days for the replacement V5C. Finding the old one later does not get the £25 back.
What if I have moved, changed name, or sold the car?
The replacement service is not the change-of-address service. Changing the address on a V5C is usually free, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when you move. If the vehicle needs taxing in the next 4 weeks, tax it on the current V5C before you change the address.
If you have sold the vehicle, you cannot use the replacement service to tidy up a missing logbook after the fact. Tell DVLA in writing that you sold it, with your name and address, the registration, make and model, the exact date of sale, and the new keeper's name and address. Send that to DVLA Swansea SA99 1BA.
If you took the vehicle out of the UK without a V5C, contact the driving authority of that country about registering it, and write to DVLA Swansea SA99 1DD with your name and address, the date you took it out, and where to send any tax refund.
What goes wrong with a lost logbook?
People apply online after moving house. The service posts to the old address. Use the change-of-address route, which is usually free, or V62 by post.
People wait 6 weeks, say nothing, then pay £25 again. Contact DVLA at 2 weeks (online) or 4 weeks (post).
A buyer is told to 'just get a V62' while the seller still holds the logbook. The seller should notify the sale and hand over the green slip.
The vehicle is on a SORN in a garage and the keeper thinks they do not need a V5C. You still need the document to tax it or to notify a sale.
Which lost V5C myths should I ignore?
Myth: the V5C is proof you own the car, so a replacement proves title. It records the registered keeper. Ownership still needs separate evidence such as a receipt.
Myth: you cannot tax without the paper logbook in your hand. A current keeper can tax during the replacement application, and can tax at a Post Office with a V62.
Myth: a photocopy of the old V5C is enough to tax as a new keeper. It is not. A new keeper needs the green slip or a postal V62.
Common questions
- How much does a replacement V5C cost?
- The GOV.UK replacement service says it usually costs £25, paid by credit or debit card online. The same usual fee applies to a postal V62 unless the form's stated exception applies, for example a new keeper who encloses the green slip from the most recent V5C. There is no refund if you later find the original.
- Can I replace a V5C if my address changed?
- Not through the unchanged-details replacement service. Change the address on the V5C instead, which is usually free, or apply by post as GOV.UK directs. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when you move. Tax first if the vehicle needs taxing in the next 4 weeks.
- Can I tax the vehicle at the same time?
- Yes, if you are the current keeper. GOV.UK offers the tax step with the replacement application. At a participating Post Office you can take a completed V62, £25, payment for the tax and MOT evidence. A new keeper without the green slip cannot use that immediate tax route.
- How long should I wait before contacting DVLA?
- After an online or phone application, contact DVLA if 2 weeks have passed. After a postal application, contact them if 4 weeks have passed. If 6 weeks have passed and you have not notified them, you pay another £25 for a replacement.
- What do I need to apply online?
- The registration number, the VIN or chassis number, and the name and postcode registered on the V5C. You must be the registered keeper, have the vehicle, and leave the recorded details unchanged. The service runs from 7am to 9pm on weekdays and 7am to 8pm at weekends.
- Can I replace a V5C for a car I have already sold?
- Do not use the replacement service for a vehicle that is no longer yours. Write to DVLA Swansea SA99 1BA with the sale date and the new keeper's details. If you still have the vehicle and only the paper is missing, you are still the keeper and the replacement route applies.
- What if the vehicle is in Northern Ireland?
- DVLA in Swansea still issues the V5C. Taxing at a Post Office in Northern Ireland also needs an MOT certificate valid when the tax starts, and an insurance certificate or cover note, according to GOV.UK. The replacement fee and the 5 to 7 working day online wait are the same published figures.
- Is a damaged V5C replaced the same way as a lost one?
- Yes, if the details on it are still correct. GOV.UK groups lost, stolen, damaged and destroyed together for the replacement service. If you also need to change the vehicle details, that is a postal V62 job, not the unchanged-details online service.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Get a vehicle log book (V5C) (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle without a vehicle tax reminder (as of 7 September 2026)
- DVLA, V62: application for a vehicle registration certificate (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, If you cannot get a log book (V5C) online (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Change your address on your vehicle log book (V5C) (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle (as of 7 September 2026)