Do I need the VIN to replace a lost V5C?

The DVLA’s replacement logbook application asks for the vehicle’s VIN or chassis number alongside its registration number, so it helps to have it before you start.

Can I get the VIN from just the registration number?

Yes. Enter the reg and we return the VIN recorded for that vehicle. It costs £2.50, and you are not charged if we cannot find it.

Where else is the VIN written if I have no logbook?

On the vehicle itself, usually at the bottom of the windscreen and on a door pillar, and often on insurance documents, the service book and main-dealer invoices.

I have just bought a car and the seller had no logbook. What should I check?

Compare the VIN recorded for the registration with the VIN on the car itself, in more than one place. They should match exactly. If they do not, do not go any further with the purchase.

Find a VIN without the V5C

The logbook is where most people look for the VIN. Here is what to do when the logbook is the thing you have lost.

The catch with a lost logbook

The V5C is the document most people would read the VIN from, and applying for a replacement asks for the VIN or chassis number. If the logbook has gone and the car is not somewhere you can easily get to it, you are stuck on the first box of the form.

Places to look first

The car. Bottom corner of the windscreen, the door pillar, and under the bonnet. Where to find a VIN lists them all.
Your insurance paperwork. Many policy schedules print the VIN.
Service and repair invoices. Main dealers put it on every invoice.
Finance or lease documents. The agreement identifies the vehicle by VIN.

When none of those is to hand

If the car is in storage, at a garage, or you are sorting out the paperwork for a relative, the quickest route is the number plate. Enter the reg in the box above and you get the full 17-character VIN on screen and by email, ready to copy into the form.

Bought a car with no logbook?

A missing V5C is not unusual and is not proof of anything, but it does take away the easiest check a buyer has. Before you apply for a logbook in your name, read the VIN from the car in at least two places and compare it with the VIN recorded for the registration. The numbers must be identical. A plate on a car whose VIN does not match is a different car wearing that plate.

Replacing the logbook

Replacement logbooks are issued by the DVLA, through GOV.UK or by post on form V62. We are not part of that process and cannot issue or speed up a V5C. What we can give you is the number the application asks for.

FAQ

Lost logbook questions

Do I need the VIN to replace a lost V5C?: The DVLA’s replacement logbook application asks for the vehicle’s VIN or chassis number alongside its registration number, so it helps to have it before you start.
Can I get the VIN from just the registration number?: Yes. Enter the reg and we return the VIN recorded for that vehicle. It costs £2.50, and you are not charged if we cannot find it.
Where else is the VIN written if I have no logbook?: On the vehicle itself, usually at the bottom of the windscreen and on a door pillar, and often on insurance documents, the service book and main-dealer invoices.
I have just bought a car and the seller had no logbook. What should I check?: Compare the VIN recorded for the registration with the VIN on the car itself, in more than one place. They should match exactly. If they do not, do not go any further with the purchase.

More guides

No logbook, but you know the reg?

£2.50 for one lookup, no account, and nothing to pay if we cannot find the VIN.

Find a VIN from a reg

Get the VIN from the reg