DVLA V5 logbook not updated - help please?

oasissea · 2026-01-07T20:29:59+00:00

I can’t phone the DVLA until the morning. Does anyone know why this has happened? I sold my old car October last year to a car dealer. It was a part exchange. He notified the DVLA that they owned the car and I received a slip in the post a few weeks later to say that I was no longer the registered keeper. I thought that was it, but after having a look online it seems that the V5 hasn’t been updated since November 2024 (by me). The car had a new MOT at the end of November and is currently taxed, so I’m presuming it was sold. I’ve tried to notify the DVLA online but I have to provide the V5 number which obviously I don’t have. I’m just worried that any speedings tickets etc would be sent to me?

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 20:31

I believe the green slip is for tax, so the V5 must be separate?

OP posts:

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 20:43

When you sell a car, it’s your responsibility to inform the DVLA and you do that by you sending them the V5.
You keep the V5, not the garage you sold the car to.
You should fill in a section about who you have sold the car to, that section is green and that’s the bit you should have passed to the garage. The rest of the V5 is sent back to the DVLA by you and there is a section to fill in to tell them that the car has gone to the motor trade. Never trust anyone else to do this on your behalf.
As you have not informed the DVLA that you’ve sold the car, then the car is still registered to you.
It is certainly not the first time this has happened, DVLA have come across it before and you should be able to sort it out. But make sure you do asap.

Nearly50omg · 07/01/2026 20:47

When you sell a car to the garage they fill in different paperwork than if it was sold to a private individual. Their name won’t be on the v5 as they aren’t the new owners - whoever buys the car from the garage will be. So don’t go interfering it’s nothing to do with you anymore you don’t own the car and clearly the garage hasn’t sold your car yet

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 20:53

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 20:43

When you sell a car, it’s your responsibility to inform the DVLA and you do that by you sending them the V5.
You keep the V5, not the garage you sold the car to.
You should fill in a section about who you have sold the car to, that section is green and that’s the bit you should have passed to the garage. The rest of the V5 is sent back to the DVLA by you and there is a section to fill in to tell them that the car has gone to the motor trade. Never trust anyone else to do this on your behalf.
As you have not informed the DVLA that you’ve sold the car, then the car is still registered to you.
It is certainly not the first time this has happened, DVLA have come across it before and you should be able to sort it out. But make sure you do asap.

Thank you very much. I didn’t know. The garage asked me to give them the V5 and said they would sort it all out. I’ll know next time not to rely on someone else to do it. I’ll ring the DVLA in the morning.

OP posts:

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 20:55

Nearly50omg · 07/01/2026 20:47

When you sell a car to the garage they fill in different paperwork than if it was sold to a private individual. Their name won’t be on the v5 as they aren’t the new owners - whoever buys the car from the garage will be. So don’t go interfering it’s nothing to do with you anymore you don’t own the car and clearly the garage hasn’t sold your car yet

But why would they tax it and put a new MOT on if it hasn’t been sold? They cancelled the tax when I sold it to them. Sorry, I’m not being defensive, just genuinely confused!

OP posts:

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 20:59

The garage do not cancel the tax. The DVLA refund your tax when you are no longer the owner as it does not transfer to the new keeper.
Why exactly do you think it’s still registered to you?
Having a tax refund and a letter from the DVLA to acknowledge you are no longer the keeper suggests that it has been all sorted.

sharkyroy · 07/01/2026 20:59

Why were you looking it up? Was something suspicious? I can’t think what could have given you cause to try and find out when a v5 was issued in a car you sold months ago.

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 21:10

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 20:59

The garage do not cancel the tax. The DVLA refund your tax when you are no longer the owner as it does not transfer to the new keeper.
Why exactly do you think it’s still registered to you?
Having a tax refund and a letter from the DVLA to acknowledge you are no longer the keeper suggests that it has been all sorted.

I believe it’s still registered to me because the V5 hasn’t been updated since I owned it.

OP posts:

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 21:15

sharkyroy · 07/01/2026 20:59

Why were you looking it up? Was something suspicious? I can’t think what could have given you cause to try and find out when a v5 was issued in a car you sold months ago.

No not at all I was just having a nosy. I was quite fond of the car and wondered if it had been sold yet. I wasn’t actually looking for the V5 details, when you search for the vehicles MOT / tax status it tells you when the V5 was last updated

OP posts:

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 21:16

But have you had a tax refund and letter from the DVLA? This suggests you are no longer listed as the current keeper.
It could be a case of you being listed as a ‘previous keeper details only’ if the new owner has not informed the DVLA. Then there is always a possibility that you could be contacted by officials to ask whether you know who owns the car now.

Original poster

oasissea · 07/01/2026 21:23

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 21:16

But have you had a tax refund and letter from the DVLA? This suggests you are no longer listed as the current keeper.
It could be a case of you being listed as a ‘previous keeper details only’ if the new owner has not informed the DVLA. Then there is always a possibility that you could be contacted by officials to ask whether you know who owns the car now.

I didn’t receive a tax refund, but they sent me a green slip to say I was no longer the registered keeper. I will ring them in the morning and hopefully they can tell me if I need to do anything else.

OP posts:

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 21:28

If you have a slip to say you’re no longer the keeper then there’s nothing to be done on your part so no reason to phone them.

RedRiverShore6 · 07/01/2026 21:31

I think DH did similar to you, were you due a tax refund, DH got his back quite quickly, about 2 weeks, it was a cheque and he got something back that said he didn't own the car. If you sold your car in the 12th month of tax, none would be due back though

RedRiverShore6 · 07/01/2026 21:38

How long ago was it, if a few weeks and you are due a tax refund I would ring up about that anyway.

Shade17 · 07/01/2026 21:51

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 20:43

When you sell a car, it’s your responsibility to inform the DVLA and you do that by you sending them the V5.
You keep the V5, not the garage you sold the car to.
You should fill in a section about who you have sold the car to, that section is green and that’s the bit you should have passed to the garage. The rest of the V5 is sent back to the DVLA by you and there is a section to fill in to tell them that the car has gone to the motor trade. Never trust anyone else to do this on your behalf.
As you have not informed the DVLA that you’ve sold the car, then the car is still registered to you.
It is certainly not the first time this has happened, DVLA have come across it before and you should be able to sort it out. But make sure you do asap.

Absolute rubbish. When you sell to the trade you fill in a small section with the trader’s details which goes to the DVLA and the bulk of the V5C goes with the car/trader.

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 07/01/2026 22:05

@Shade17 just been to check and you are correct. I’ve been spouting off for private sale and I apologise for that. I only ever try to be helpful 🤷‍♀️