Vehicle Registration Document (V5C)
Don't pay £25 for something you don't need
If you're scrapping a car and you've lost the V5C log book, here's what some scrap dealers hope you don't know: you do not legally need it to scrap a vehicle. None of it. Not a penny.
Some dealers will tell you a replacement log book costs £25 from the DVLA, and knock that straight off your quote - as if scrapping your car without a V5C is somehow your problem to pay for. It isn't.
When you're scrapping a vehicle rather than selling it privately, you simply notify the DVLA that it's gone to the trade as scrap. There's no fee, no replacement document, nothing to buy.
Why do some dealers try it on?
Because most people only scrap a car once every several years, so they don't know the rules - and a dealer who quietly knocks £25 off your price banks on that. Now you know better.
What you actually need to do instead
All that's required is telling the DVLA the car's been sold to the trade as scrap - the registration number, make and model, the date of sale, and the buyer's details.
The DVLA updates its records and you stop being the registered keeper. That's genuinely the whole process, and it costs nothing.
Once that's done, your responsibility for the vehicle ends there - no further road tax liability, no risk of being chased for something that happens to the car after it's gone.
For the fuller picture of what happens next and what protects you legally once your car is actually processed, see our guide to the Certificate of Destruction - the document the scrapyard itself issues once your car has been recycled.
If a dealer refuses to buy your car without a log book
It still happens. Some dealers hold onto old habits from a time when local authorities leaned on them to keep paperwork on file for every sale. Fair enough, at the time - but the rules have moved on.
Since the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, every dealer is legally required to take photo ID and proof of address from you before they can buy your car at all. That's a far more rigorous check than a log book ever was - so refusing a sale over a missing V5C isn't really about traceability anymore. It's just habit.
When you sell to Remove My Car, this is very rarely an issue - the large majority of our network accepts vehicles without a log book. On the rare occasion a specific member does ask for one and you don't have it, tell us - we'll either find a way to make it work with that member or arrange an alternative, so you're not left stuck.
Quick way to spot the £25 trick
If a dealer tells you a missing V5C means a £25 deduction, ask them directly what the £25 is actually for. There's no honest answer - replacing a V5C is only relevant if you're keeping the car, and scrapping it requires no replacement document at all. If they can't explain it, walk away.
Common questions about the V5C when scrapping a car
Do I need the V5C to scrap my car?
No. It makes the process a little quicker if you have it, but it's not a legal requirement. What is required by law is photo ID and proof of address, under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.
What if I've lost my V5C completely?
You don't need to replace it before scrapping the car. Simply notify the DVLA that the vehicle has been sold to the trade as scrap, using the vehicle's registration number and the buyer's details - no fee, no replacement document required.
Will I still get a road tax refund without a V5C?
Yes. Your refund is triggered by notifying the DVLA of the sale, not by the V5C document itself. As long as the DVLA is correctly told the car has gone for scrap, any unused full months of tax are refunded automatically.
Is a missing V5C the same as not having proof of ownership?
No — they're different things. Ownership isn't proven by the V5C alone; it's why dealers are required to take your photo ID and proof of address instead. The V5C is a DVLA record-keeping document, not a title deed.
What happens after the DVLA is notified?
The DVLA updates its records to remove you as the registered keeper. Separately, once the vehicle is actually processed by the scrapyard, they issue a Certificate of Destruction confirming it's been permanently recycled - worth reading if you want the full picture of what protects you legally at each stage.
Get your free quote today
Missing log book or not, you can still get a genuine, guaranteed quote for your car in seconds. Enter your registration and postcode above - free collection, same-day payment, no £25 deduction, no excuses.