How long does it take to register a new car?
The Driver Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) is in charge of keeping a full database of every car on the road in the UK. Whenever a car is sold or starts being used on UK roads, it needs to be registered with the DVLA.
This blog details everything you need to know about registering a new or used car with the DVLA.
If you’re buying a car and want to check how new it is, you can check out our blog ‘How many owners has my car had?’
How to register a used car
Who registers a used car?
The seller should take care of registering the car to the buyer, either online or by post. Once they’ve gone through the process and sent off the V5C to the DVLA, you’ll need to tax and insure the car before you can use it on the road.
How to register a used car online
Registering online is the easiest way to register a used car to a new driver. To register online, the seller should:
- Fill out the online registration form
- Fill out the green ‘new keeper’ slip and give it to the buyer
- Destroy the V5C
How to register a used car by post
You can still register a used car by post, it’s just likely to take a little longer. To register by post, the seller should:
- Fill out section 2 (if they have a new style V5C) or section 6 (if they have the older style V5C)
- Sign the declaration in section 8, making sure that the buyer signs it as well (if they have the older style V5C)
- Fill out the green ‘new keeper’ slip and give it to the buyer
- Send the V5C to DVLA
For a more detailed guide on changing car ownership, you can check out our blog ‘DVLA change of ownership - How to let them know’
How to register a new car
Who registers a new car?
If you’re buying a new car from a dealership, then the seller should take care of making sure the car is registered with the DVLA. They’ll usually take care of all the paperwork and make sure the vehicle log book (V5C) is updated with all your information. You might need to register a car as new yourself if you:
- Imported a car yourself
- Built a kit car
- Rebuilt or radically altered a car you already had
- Restored an old or classic car
How to register a new car
If it looks like you’ll have to register a new car yourself, this is how you do it:
Fill out an application form - To register a new car, you need to complete a specific form depending on the type of car you’re registering:
- If you’re registering a completely new car, a newly imported car, or a kit car, you’ll need to complete a V55/4 form
- If you’re registering a rebuilt car, a used imported car, or a classic car that hasn’t been registered before, you’ll need to complete a V55/5 form
Provide copies of identity documents - You need to provide evidence of your identity when registering a new car. This can be a photocopy of your photocard driving licence. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to send a photocopy of something to prove your name, like a passport or marriage certificate. You’ll also need to send a photocopy of something that proves your address, like a recent utility bill or bank statement.
Provide supporting documents - You’re required to send in a range of supporting documents along with your application form. You’ll need to send in:
- A cheque with payment for the vehicle tax
- A cheque for the registration fee of £55
- A current MOT certificate, if the vehicle is over 3 years old
- A certificate of newness if the vehicle is new
- Proof of vehicle approval if the vehicle is under 10 years old
- Any documents you have for the vehicle, like build plans if it’s a kit car
Allow your vehicle to be inspected - If the car’s completely new, or you’ve done work on it yourself, there’s a good chance the DVLA will want to come and have a look at it. Once they receive all your documents, they’ll usually get in touch to schedule an inspection.
Once your car has been inspected and everything’s approved, you should receive a new V5C logbook in the post.
Vehicles exempt from the £55 registration fee
Some vehicles don’t have to pay the £55 registration fee for new vehicles. They are:
- Vehicles first registered and licensed in the exempt taxation class for disabled persons
- Most historic vehicles previously registered with the old local authorities
- Vehicles that were previously registered in Northern Ireland
- Imported vehicles previously registered under the personal export scheme and the new means of transport scheme
- Visiting military forces vehicles and some Crown-exempt vehicles
- Vehicles registered under the direct export scheme
- Vehicles registered for off-road use only, like quad-bikes
How long does it take to register a new/used car?
The time it takes to register a new car can vary, depending on how you are registering and the type of car. Here are the kind of timelines you could be looking at:
- Registering a used car online - If a seller is registering a change of ownership online, DVLA aims to send out new V5Cs within 3 to 5 working days.
- Registering a used car by post - Once DVLA receives all of your documents, they’ll send off a new V5C to you. This can take around 4 to 6 weeks.
- Registering a new car from a dealer - If the dealer takes care of a car registration for you, you should get your new V5C in 4 weeks.
- Registering a new car yourself - If you’re registering a new car yourself, the DVLA makes no guarantees about when they return your documents to you. It should take about 6 weeks though.
If you don’t hear anything back from the DVLA after 4 weeks, you should contact them for an update. If it gets to 6 weeks and you haven’t contacted the DVLA, you might have to pay £25 to get a replacement V5C.
If you’re sending any documents by post, you can provide a prepaid, self-addressed, special delivery envelope with your application. They’ll then use this to send back your documents, and it can help to speed up the process.
If you’re buying a new car from a dealer and you’re wondering about the best approach, you can check out our blog ‘Is it better to lease or finance a car UK?’
A few final tips…
Here are the last few things to remember when you’re getting registered with a new or used car:
- The seller should have a valid V5C when buying a car. If they don’t, it’s possible that the car isn’t registered to them and they don’t have the right to sell it.
- When a seller sends the new keeper slip to the DVLA, it needs to be from the most recent V5C, otherwise the new registered owner might not be approved.
Urban Jungle is not a financial advisor and information in this article should not be taken as advice or recommendation.
