How to find the registered keeper of a car
When you’re buying a new car or selling your existing vehicle, paperwork is probably not the first thing you think about. But sorting the documentation to change a vehicle’s registered keeper is an important part of the process. Luckily, it’s usually pretty straightforward to get sorted.
When might you need to find the registered keeper of a car?
There are a few reasons why people might need to find out who is the registered keeper of a car.
The police or parking enforcement officers might look for this after an accident, if a vehicle has been abandoned or parked on private land, or if someone has driven off without paying for something.
You might also wish to look for this if you have suspicions about a used car that you’re considering buying or it’s missing its V5 logbook. In this case, if the logbook can’t be produced then you should walk away from the purchase and if you do suspect the car is being sold illegally, contact the police as soon as possible.
Can a private car parking company find out a car’s registered keeper?
A private car parking company can only find out the registered keeper of a car if they are a member of the British Parking Association (BPA) or the International Parking Community.
This means that any parking company that requests this info to issue a parking ticket or trespass charge but isn’t a member of these organisations is breaking the law.
How to find the registered keeper of a car
If you would like to find the registered keeper of a car, you’ll need to request one of four forms from the DVLA:
- V888 – if you’re making the request as an individual
- V888/3 – if you’re a company that issues parking or trespass charge notices
If you’re another type of company:
- V888/2A - to request the name and address of the vehicle keeper
- V888/2B - to request information about the vehicle itself, such as insurance details.
Can you change the registered keeper of a car?
Yes, you can. If you’re selling a car, you’ll need to transfer your V5C certificate or logbook over to the new keeper as this’ll be their proof of ownership. You should also tell the DVLA.
If you are transferring the ownership through a car dealer, then they will be responsible for letting the DVLA know that the vehicle has a new owner. You should receive a confirmation of this within four weeks.
What about transferring car tax?
Unfortunately, road tax can’t be transferred to the new car owner. Instead, they must start paying road tax from the date the purchase is made.