If you’ve been looking into vehicle disposal and have decided that scrapping your car is the best option, it’s likely that your next step is to look for your vehicle’s V5C!

Maybe you’ve had the car for a long time, or maybe that ‘safe place’ you left your documents ended up being so safe that it’s beyond you to find them at this point. Either way, it’s not uncommon for people to misplace their V5Cs, so if you have, there’s no need to panic.

Why should I sell my vehicle as scrap?

Vehicle scrap is a great way to claw back some money if you have a car that has developed a major mechanical fault or is too old and damaged to repair. Vehicle recyclers can offer very good prices for scrap cars that have parts which could be recycled.

Is my V5C needed to salvage or scrap my car?

The short answer is no.

You can stop panicking about your long-lost logbook, and don’t worry about turning your house upside down to look for it too. While it's preferable that you have a V5C, it's not essential when it comes to car disposal.

How do I scrap my vehicle without a V5C?

If you sell your car for scrap, it is your responsibility to inform the DVLA at the earliest opportunity. Ordinarily, this is done by sending the applicable yellow section of the V5C to the DVLA or using the document reference number on the V5C to notify the DVLA through their website.

If you don't have the V5C, you can simply write a letter to the DVLA to inform them about it instead. The good news is that you don’t have to spend money purchasing a replacement V5C when you're about to scrap the car anyway.

Make sure you use a reliable vehicle scrap service

It's important that you make sure you dispose of your car correctly – you don’t want to face fines for the mistake of not scrapping your car through an ATF. If you want to make sure you are using a trustworthy car scrap service, it may put your mind to rest to use a more widely known scrap service like Motorwise rather than a local scrapyard.

Either way, don’t panic – a lost V5C doesn’t mean the end of the world! For more information, read our handy guide - What is a V5C Logbook?