Understanding the different documents that come with your car is hugely important, and just one such example is your V5c logbook. However, this is something that many people don’t wholly understand – and so, in line with this, our experts have outlined some of the key things you need to know about V5c logbooks as follows to help.
What is a V5c Logbook?
The V5c logbook is a document provided to registered keepers of a vehicle in order to verify their possession of the car; as such, it is a registration certificate highlighting the vehicle’s registered keeper. As a result, the car’s seller should be the same person as is listed in the logbook. Moreover, the V5c also clarifies the car’s make, model, and VIN, as well as other important information such as the date of registration, engine size and code, the VRM, and so on.
The V5c logbook is either blue or red (depending on the age of the logbook, with pre-2014 copies potentially being blue). The logbook should correlate directly with the vehicle’s features and details.
What’s the Purpose of a V5c Logbook?
Unfortunately, fraudulent sellers will often create fake V5c documents in an effort to falsely verify a car sale that’s dishonest. Knowing whether the document is authentic is vital – and a car history check can help with this.
By getting a vehicle history check, you can verify some of the key information outlined in the car’s V5c logbook, such as whether the logbook has been part of a stolen batch. As such, this is important to remember before committing to a purchase.
In addition, you can check your V5c document by holding it to the light. This should help you see the watermark for the V5c; if you cannot see this, you should be careful about purchasing the vehicle. In addition, if the serial mark falls between BI2305501 and BI2800000 or BG8229501 to BG9999030, it may be stolen, and this is important to keep in mind.
Final Thoughts
If you have been looking to purchase a new car, making sure you know about the different types of documents that come attached is hugely important. The V5c is one of the most important, as this document directly relates to the possession of the vehicle.
So, don’t leave this to chance; make sure you’ve considered the key features of the V5c so you know what it is, its purpose, and how to check that the V5c is genuine.