Lost Your V5C? How to Get a Replacement Log Book

Can You Find Your V5C Online? (Short Answer: No)

The V5C registration certificate is a physical paper document and the DVLA does not offer an online copy, a PDF download, or a way to retrieve the 11-digit document reference number over the internet. What you can do online is check the vehicle's recorded details — make, colour, engine size, tax and MOT status — using the DVLA's free vehicle enquiry service or a vehicle details check. But if the physical logbook is lost, stolen or damaged, the only fix is a replacement.

Three Ways to Order a Replacement V5C

1. Online — the fastest option

If you are the registered keeper and your name, address and the vehicle's details haven't changed, use the "Get a vehicle log book (V5C)" service on GOV.UK. You'll need the registration number plus the VIN or the existing document reference number if you have a record of it, and pay the £25 fee by card. The replacement usually arrives within around five working days.

2. By phone

You can call DVLA customer enquiries and order a replacement over the phone — again only if none of your details have changed. The fee and delivery time are broadly the same as the online route.

3. By post with form V62

If your details have changed — a new address or name, for instance — or you never received a logbook in the first place, fill in form V62 ("Application for a vehicle registration certificate") and post it to the DVLA with the £25 fee where it applies. Postal applications are the slowest route: allow up to six weeks for the new document to arrive.

When a Replacement Is Free

The £25 fee applies in most cases, but there are exceptions. The most common: you recently bought the vehicle, the seller notified the DVLA of the sale (or you sent off the green V5C/2 new keeper slip), and the new logbook simply never turned up. In that situation you can apply with the V62 form together with your new keeper slip without paying the fee. If you're unsure whether your case qualifies, check the current guidance on GOV.UK before paying.

What You Can Still Do Without the Logbook

• Drive the car. The V5C is not a document you need to carry or even hold to drive legally — tax, insurance and MOT are what matter.
• Tax the vehicle. New keepers can tax using the green slip; existing keepers can apply via V62 at a Post Office. See our full guide to taxing a car without the V5.
• Check the car's recorded details. Tax status, MOT history and specification are all available online without the document.

What you generally can't do easily without the V5C is sell the car or notify the DVLA of changes, so it's worth ordering the replacement as soon as you notice it's missing.

Buying a Car That Has No V5C? Be Careful

A missing logbook at the point of sale is a classic warning sign. Because any genuine keeper can replace a lost V5C for £25, there are very few honest reasons for a seller not to have one. Cars sold without a logbook are disproportionately likely to be stolen, cloned or carrying hidden history. At minimum, verify the VIN against the car, run a full history check, and read up on how to spot a cloned or stolen car before handing over money. Our guide to what a logbook looks like also explains how to check the document is genuine when one is present.