When Was the Last V5C (Logbook) Issued? What the Date Means

Date of last V5C (logbook) issued is the date the DVLA printed the current log book for a vehicle. Enter the registration in the search box above and the free check shows it for any UK vehicle, straight from the DVLA record, alongside the make, model, colour, engine size, tax and MOT status and the MOT history. The full report adds every V5C issue date on record, the number of previous keepers and the date of the last keeper change, plus plate and colour changes and the finance, write-off and stolen checks.

How to check when the last V5 was issued

1. Enter the registration in the search box above.
2. Open the free report: the "date of last V5C issued" line sits with the vehicle details. There is nothing to pay and nothing to sign up for.
3. Compare it with the issue date printed on the log book you are shown (on the front, with the document reference number) and with the seller's story.

The same date is also shown by GOV.UK's vehicle enquiry service. The free check adds the MOT history and mileage, and the full report adds the earlier V5C dates that put the latest one in context.

What "date of last V5C (logbook) issued" means

The DVLA issues a new V5C whenever it updates a vehicle's record in a way that changes what's printed on the log book. The date you see is the most recent of those events. A new log book is issued when:

• The keeper changes: the car is sold, given away, inherited or taken into a dealer's stock and registered to them.
• The keeper's address or name changes.
• The registration changes: a private plate is assigned or removed.
• The vehicle's details change: colour, engine, fuel type, body type, seats or weight.
• A replacement is ordered because the log book was lost, stolen, damaged or never received, including when a new keeper never got one from the seller.
• A vehicle is registered for the first time or comes back onto the register, such as an import or a restored vehicle.

So the date on its own does not tell you which event it was. On most private cars it is the last change of keeper, which is why it is a useful proxy for "when did the current owner get the car". The full report's keeper history tells you whether that is what happened.

What a recent V5C issue date can mean

A log book issued recently is normal in many cases and a warning sign in some. Read it with the rest of the record:

A replacement V5C deserves a question of its own. Blank V5Cs were stolen from the DVLA some years ago and used to give stolen cars a paper identity; the logbook check explains the serial number ranges to avoid and the other checks on the document itself.

Has my new log book been issued? (log book tracking)

The DVLA doesn't offer a tracking service, but the issue date is the next best thing. If you've bought a car, moved house, changed the plate or applied for a replacement, check the registration above: when the "date of last V5C issued" is on or after the date of your change, the new log book has been printed and is on its way. If it's still the old date, the DVLA hasn't processed the change yet. GOV.UK publishes current processing times, and says to contact the DVLA if the log book hasn't arrived after six weeks. If you sold the car and the date hasn't moved, the buyer may not have registered it; make sure you told the DVLA yourself so that fines and tax don't come to you.

Full V5C history: every log book on record

The free check shows the latest date. The full report lists every V5C issue date the record holds, next to the keeper changes, plate changes and colour changes, which turns one date into a timeline: when the car changed hands, how long each keeper kept it, and whether any log book was issued without a change of keeper. See it on the sample car history report, and the keeper detail on the previous owners check.

V5C issue date FAQs