The V5C when you buy a car in Northern Ireland: what to get from the seller, and what to do if it isn't there
Do you need the V5C, when should you get it, and what do you do if the dealer doesn't have it? This page answers those three questions. The V5C is the UK vehicle log book.
Last checked: .
About this guide. General guidance, not legal or tax advice. It reflects the official sources named here as of the date above, and anything it advises you to do next is based on the checks you've confirmed. SimplyEV can't see your car or documents and doesn't verify any check for you. Rules change, so use the official service for the final answer. No payment or commercial arrangement influences what this guide says.
The short answer
- Yes, you need it. Revenue says registration in Ireland is refused without the foreign registration document, and that the rest of the V5C is required to register the vehicle.
- Get it at handover, before you pay the balance.
- Photograph or scan every page before the NCTS (the National Car Testing Service, where the car is registered) keeps it.
- If it isn't there at handover: Don't buy or pay yet. Do not complete or pay the balance.
Where this page says SimplyEV advice, it is our practical advice, not a requirement from Revenue or anyone else.
Why you need it
Revenue says the foreign registration document must be presented at the NCTS, and that the NCTS keeps the evidence of previous registration. Revenue's page on buying from abroad says it is essential to get "the rest of the V5C" from the seller. The NCTS FAQ asks for original documents only, so SimplyEV advice is to hold the V5C in its original form, not a copy.
The V5C can also matter in Revenue's evidence for a car's Northern Ireland history. It never proves, on its own, that a car qualifies. That is covered in our guide to VAT and customs duty on a car bought in Northern Ireland.
The NCTS keeps it, so copy it first. Revenue says to copy the registration document. Copying every page of the V5C, and everything else you hand over, is SimplyEV advice: afterwards, your copy is your only record of the VIN and the dates.
Before you pay a deposit
Ask the dealer whether they hold the V5C and whether you can see it. Ask them to confirm the VIN and the date of first registration in writing. If you can't get that yet, it's a Check: keep going with the other checks, and keep asking. It isn't a stop at this stage.
Agree in writing what happens if the V5C isn't produced at handover. Our guide to importing an electric car from Northern Ireland covers deposit terms.
Before you pay the balance: the main decision point
This is where the V5C matters most. At handover:
- Ask to see the V5C itself, in person.
- Compare the VIN and the date of first registration on it with the car and the final invoice. Our guide to importing an electric car from Northern Ireland explains the full match. How to read the registration date is in our guide to checking a Northern Ireland electric car's history.
- Receive the V5C, or the rest of it if the seller has dealt with the export section (see "The export section" below). A slip is not enough.
- Photograph or scan every page before you leave.
If the V5C isn't there: Don't buy or pay yet. Do not complete or pay the balance.
If the dealer isn't named on the V5C
Not being named as the registered keeper is not, by itself, a reason to stop. What matters is whether the dealer can produce the V5C and explain the paperwork. Ask who the registered keeper is, and why the V5C is with the dealer. If the explanation doesn't hold together, treat it as a Check. If the V5C can't ultimately be produced at handover, it is Don't buy or pay yet.
If it's lost, "with DVLA", a slip only, or can't be produced
In every case, don't complete or pay the balance without the rest of the V5C.
| What you're told | What to do |
|---|---|
| "It's lost" | Check before sale. Ask who the registered keeper is and whether a replacement has been applied for. Agree in writing, before you pay a deposit, what happens if it isn't there at handover. |
| "It's with DVLA" | Check before sale. Ask what was sent, when and why. Don't guess which process applies. |
| You're handed only a new-keeper slip | A new-keeper slip alone is not the rest of the V5C. Check before sale; at handover, Don't buy or pay yet. This is SimplyEV practical advice, not an official statement about which DVLA process applies. |
| They can't produce it at handover | Don't buy or pay yet. |
| They can produce it but can't explain the situation | Check, at most. Ask again in writing and see the V5C in person. |
At handover, "lost", "with DVLA" and "a slip only" are the same as "can't produce it".
The export section
One part of the V5C is handled differently. GOV.UK tells sellers sending a vehicle abroad to send the "permanent export" section to DVLA and give the buyer the rest. Revenue says that when a vehicle is exported from the UK, only that section should go to DVLA, and that you need the rest of the V5C. SimplyEV has not verified how this applies to a sale from Northern Ireland to the Republic. Ask: "Will you handle the permanent-export section and give me the rest of the V5C at handover?" If the dealer isn't the registered keeper, ask who will handle that step. Leave with the rest of the V5C.
What next
The whole journey is in our guide to importing an electric car from Northern Ireland. For what happens next, our guide to VAT and customs duty on a car bought in Northern Ireland covers the customs proof and our guide to the VRT appointment covers the appointment.