V5C logbook
Using the green new keeper slip
Checked on 7 September 2026.GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle (as of 7 September 2026)
Using the green new keeper slip
Use the 12 digit reference from the green slip online, by phone or at a participating Post Office. Tax from the previous keeper does not transfer, so do this before driving away.
What the buyer keeps
The seller gives the green new keeper slip to the buyer after notifying DVLA of the change. Keep it until the replacement V5C arrives because it is the buyer's immediate tax reference.
Tax before driving
Enter the slip's 12 digit reference in the GOV.UK vehicle tax service. Phone and Post Office routes also accept the slip. A valid MOT may be required, and a recent pass can take up to 2 days to appear in the tax record.
If the slip is missing
A new keeper cannot tax online without the slip. Apply for a V5C by post on form V62. The usual fee is £25 unless a valid new keeper slip is enclosed under the form's stated exception.
Common questions
- Where is the number on a new keeper slip?
- Use the 12 digit document reference printed on the green V5C/2 section, not the 11 digit reference used by the current keeper.
- Does the old keeper's tax carry over?
- No. The buyer must tax the vehicle before driving it or make a SORN if it will be kept off the public road.
- Can I tax without the green slip?
- Not as a new keeper through the immediate online route. Apply for a new V5C by post using form V62.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle without a vehicle tax reminder (as of 7 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Tell DVLA you have sold, transferred or bought a vehicle (as of 7 September 2026)
- DVLA, V62: application for a vehicle registration certificate (as of 7 September 2026)