Paperwork
Scrap a car without the V5C logbook
The logbook is useful, not essential. If you are the registered keeper and can prove who you are and where you live, we can scrap the car and notify the DVLA ourselves. Here is what we need, and the situations where it is better to get a replacement V5C first.
- Photo ID
- Driving licence or passport, in the name on the DVLA record.
- Proof of address
- Utility bill, bank statement or council tax letter from the last three months, at the address the car is registered to.
- We notify the DVLA
- The Certificate of Destruction updates the record whether or not a V5C was handed over.
- Small deduction
- A car without its V5C is priced slightly lower to cover the extra checks. It is shown on your quote.
Why the V5C is not the important document
People assume the logbook is like a deed. It is not — it is a record of who is responsible for the car, and it says so on the front. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 a dealer must verify the identity and address of the person they are buying from, and that is done with photo ID and proof of address, never with the V5C alone. So a missing logbook does not stop the sale; it just means we rely entirely on your ID.
What we do differently when there is no V5C
The driver photographs your ID and proof of address for our records (we are required to keep them for three years), checks the car’s VIN against the DVLA lookup so we know we have the right vehicle, and confirms the name on the bank account matches the ID. Payment goes to the registered keeper only. The Certificate of Destruction is then issued in the normal way and the DVLA record updated.
Write to the DVLA as well
Belt and braces: when you have no V5C, send a short letter to the DVLA (Swansea, SA99 1BD) saying the vehicle has been scrapped, with the registration, the date, and our name and address as the ATF. It is not required — our notification does the job — but it puts your own record of the event on file in case anything is queried later.
When you should sort the logbook first
If the car is registered to someone else, or the DVLA thinks you live somewhere you do not, stop and fix that before scrapping. Otherwise the DVLA’s confirmation and any tax refund go to the wrong person, and you have no easy way to prove the car was yours to scrap. Apply with form V62 (£25) and allow a few weeks. Then book the collection — the price will be the same when you are ready.
Common questions
Is it legal to scrap a car without a V5C?
Yes, provided the person selling it is the registered keeper or can show they are entitled to dispose of it. The V5C is not proof of ownership — it says who is responsible for the car — which is why the law requires scrap dealers to check ID rather than logbooks.
Should I apply for a replacement V5C first?
Only if the car is not registered at your current address, or is registered to someone else — a relative who has died, an ex-partner, a previous owner who never sent off the paperwork. In those cases, sort the record out first (form V62, £25) or the DVLA may keep chasing the wrong person. If the car is registered to you at your address, you do not need to wait.
The car was my late parent’s — can I scrap it?
Yes. We need your ID, something linking you to the estate (a copy of the death certificate and either the will, grant of probate or a letter from the solicitor), and ideally the V5C. Tell us when you book and we will handle it sensitively; the DVLA has a specific process for vehicles of people who have died and we follow it.
What if the V5C is in my name but the address is old?
Bring proof of your current address plus something showing the old one if you can. We can still proceed. Do also update the DVLA — it avoids letters going astray later.