Most UK car owners confuse a VIN with a number plate. Both identify your vehicle but they work in completely different ways. A Vehicle Identification Number stamps permanently into the chassis at manufacture and never changes. A number plate is a legal record that can be transferred, retained, or cancelled.
Changing the registered keeper on a V5C logbook ensures DVLA records remain accurate and prevents the previous keeper from being held responsible for vehicle tax, parking fines, speeding penalties, and official correspondence. Whether you are selling, buying, gifting, inheriting, or scrapping a vehicle, this guide explains the correct DVLA process,
What Does V5C Stand For V5C stands for Vehicle Registration Certificate. The C marks it as the current version, replacing the older V5 form. DVLA updated the form number when the document design changed. Drivers also call it the vehicle reg document or registration certificate. The V5C records the registered
To change your V5C address, use the DVLA online service or update the logbook by post. Online changes usually generate a replacement V5C within 5 working days, while postal changes can take 4–6 weeks. You can update your logbook address change online at gov.uk or by post to DVLA Swansea.
Scrapping a car in the UK has rules attached to it. You cannot just hand your vehicle to anyone. The law decides where your car goes and how it gets destroyed. The DVLA only accepts disposal records from certified ATFs. An Authorised Treatment Facility sits at the centre of this
