How can I unsorn my car with a lost registration document?

lost registration document

A Statutory Off Road Notification or SORN is when you tell the DVLA that you will not be driving your car. It is a way of not paying car tax on a vehicle that isn’t driven for a long period. Usually you unSORN a car (ie put it back on the road) just by taxing it.

Without a registration document, that can be a bit tricky. But don’t worry, we can all lose things. Or if you’ve bought a new car, not get them in the first place. Here’s how you replace a V5C

How to replace a lost registration document

The DVLA calls the registration document the V5C or vehicle logbook. If you lose it, you can get a replacement. You need to fill in a V62 ‘Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate’ form. You can download it from the link or get one from a Post Office. It’s easiest if none of your personal details have changed since you registered the car.

You should receive the replacement V5C within two weeks of applying. That said, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) says leave it for six weeks before chasing them – just in case. It will cost you £25.

Where to get it done

You can apply to the DVLA by phone (0300 790 6802) to replace a lost registration document for your vehicle. It will still cost £25 and should be with you within five working days.

You may be able to tax your vehicle and order a new logbook at the same time by going to a Post Office. You need to find a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax (they don’t all) and you still must pay the £25 fee. The V62 form also has to be filled in.

If the Post Office can’t do it, you may have to apply for the form and tax your vehicle separately.

Why is there a fee?

It’s probably an incompetence charge for losing an important piece of paperwork: doing the checks, generating a new V5C and dispatching it in the post isn’t difficult. All the information required will be on the DVLA’s computer system.

However, if you’ve bought a new car and the previous owner hasn’t passed on the relevant section of the V5C, you don’t have to pay the £25. Neither do you if the vehicle has been categorised C or S for salvage by an insurance company and the V5C has been destroyed.

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