Used car buying can be somewhat trickier than buying new from a dealer. Indeed, there’s a lot of paperwork you’ll need, and plenty of crucial checks you should make. Given this thought, it’s easy to end up feeling muddled. Fortunately, we’ve outlined everything you’ll need to know about paperwork when buying second-hand; this should help make the process a little smoother.

The Paperwork You Need When Buying Second-Hand Cars

When purchasing used vehicles, keeping several bits of paperwork around to hand over to the seller can be helpful. However, the actual paperwork needed legally is relatively minimal (that makes a nice change these days). In turn, this should make the buying process a little simpler.

First of all, it’s worth asking the seller what paperwork they might want to see. In particular, if you’re buying from a car dealer, you may need to show things such as your driving licence. Of course, this should really be a given, since you won’t be able to drive the car home without your licence.

Along a similar line of thought, we should stress here that you’ll also need your insurance paperwork when picking up a car. Before you can drive the vehicle home, you will need to get insurance on the vehicle, so this is an important early consideration when buying. If you’re buying from a dealer, you may be able to get driveaway insurance to cover you temporarily; however, it’s best to check this well in advance.

Another important document you’ll need to sort before driving home is tax. Indeed, since the seller can’t transfer their vehicle tax to you, you will need to tax your purchase first. For this, you’ll need to use the 12-digit reference from the vehicle’s new keeper form (V5C/2).

Ask the Seller for Paperwork Too!

While you’ll need to bring several important documents yourself, the seller should also provide a few documents. These include the V5C logbook for the car, which should show the DVL watermark. Be careful to check that the logbook is legitimate to avoid purchasing a fraudulent vehicle! Verify that the VIN in the logbook also corresponds with the car’s VIN.

You should also make sure the VIN number on the vehicle matches the one shown on the V5C and the official DVLA records. This can be checked by running a car history check. We recommend Full Car Checks, as their report displays the last four digits of the VIN and allows you to enter the full VIN to confirm whether it matches the DVLA records.

You should also verify the seller’s address to ensure it matches the details in the logbook and their payment information. Moreover, asking for any copies of the car’s service history can also be a good step to check the seller’s claims. And, finally, always ask to see proof of the vehicle’s recent MOT; while you can check this yourself, it’s good to give the seller a chance to prove it themselves.

Don’t Rely on Paperwork Alone!

Thus far, we’ve seen the different types of paperwork you’ll need to purchase a second-hand vehicle. However, it’s critical to consider that papers alone don’t make a purchase safe. Given this thought, making sure you know the history of a vehicle is paramount.

Fortunately, car history checks make this simple, allowing you to understand what a car’s been through during its life. In turn, this should make it easier to buy used without worrying about whether there’s any unknown history.