Vehicle registration

3. New registrations

Your vehicle may not have been registered before with DVLA if it’s:

  • brand new
  • a kit car
  • imported
  • been rebuilt or radically altered
  • an old or classic vehicle

If you buy a brand new vehicle, the dealer will usually arrange for it to be registered. Otherwise, you need to follow the process below.

Making an application

Fill in form V55/4 or V55/5

For any type of newly registered vehicle, you must fill in either a:

  • V55/4 form to register a new vehicle, including new imported vehicles and newly-built (kit) cars
  • V55/5 form to register a used vehicle, including rebuilt vehicles, used imported vehicles and older vehicles that have never been registered

Get the forms from DVLA’s form ordering service.

Provide copies of identity documents

Send in a photocopy of your photocard driving licence with your application form to prove your identity.

If you can’t do this, you must send in photocopies of one document that proves your name and another document that proves your address.

Documents you can use to confirm your name include:

  • passport
  • marriage certificate
  • decree nisi or absolute
  • birth certificate
  • current UK paper driving licence (not a paper counterpart)

Documents you can use to confirm your address include:

  • recent utility bill (within the last 3 months) - eg gas, electricity, water, landline
  • recent bank or building society statement (within the last 3 months)
  • medical card
  • council tax bill for current year

You can fill in form V959 - ‘Notification of name and address check’ instead of these documents to prove your identity if you’re a current DVLA trade plate holder.

Supporting documents needed for all vehicles

As well as documents to prove your identity, you must also send:

  • payment for the vehicle tax
  • the new registration fee of £55, if you have to pay it
  • a current MOT certificate, if the vehicle is over 3 years old (over 4 years old in Northern Ireland)
  • a certificate of newness (or declaration of newness for imported vehicles), if the vehicle is new
  • any documents you have relating to the vehicle, eg build plans if it’s a kit car
  • an insurance certificate or cover note (if you’re registering the vehicle to an address in Northern Ireland)

Supporting documents needed for some vehicles

You may have to send extra forms and documents if your vehicle is:

After you’ve applied

DVLA might need to inspect your vehicle. If your application is approved, DVLA will send you a V5C registration certificate (sometimes called a log book).

This shows:

  • the vehicle’s registration number
  • the vehicle keeper’s name and address
  • other information about the vehicle (the make, vehicle identification number (VIN) and number of previous keepers)

DVLA will also return your identity documents.

You’ll need to provide a prepaid self-addressed, special delivery envelope if you want the documents returned by special delivery.

DVLA can’t guarantee the return of the documents by a specific date but you should get a new registration certificate within 6 weeks of getting your application.

If you don’t get a response

Contact DVLA if you’ve not had a response after 6 weeks. Don’t wait longer than 3 months or DVLA won’t be able to investigate properly.

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Last updated: 4 August 2016