These two DVLA terms get mixed up constantly. Here's exactly what each one is, and how they relate to replacing your logbook.
Continue to CarForms.co.uk to Apply →The V5C is the actual vehicle registration certificate, the document DVLA issues that names the registered keeper and lists the vehicle's technical details: engine size, colour, first registration date, VIN and more. When people say "logbook", this is the document they mean.
The V62 is not a logbook at all, it's the paper form you complete and post to DVLA Swansea to request a replacement V5C. You need a V62 whenever your original V5C is lost, stolen, damaged, or was never handed over correctly after buying a used car.
Searches for "V62 logbook" are common, but there's no such thing as a V62 logbook, the V62 is purely a means to an end. Fill it in correctly with your registration, vehicle details and current keeper information, post it with the £25 DVLA fee, and a fresh V5C is issued and posted back to the address on file.
Whether you complete a V62 yourself and post it directly to DVLA, or use a checked online form-filling service, the outcome is the same: DVLA reviews the application and issues a new V5C, averaging around 19 days (DVLA's own guidance quotes up to 4-6 weeks). The most common cause of delay is a mismatch between the details on the V62 and what DVLA already holds on file, so double-check names, addresses and the registration number before you submit.
| V5C | V62 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The logbook itself – the DVLA document | The application form used to request a V5C |
| Also called | Vehicle registration certificate, "logbook" | "Application for a vehicle registration certificate" |
| When you need it | Selling, taxing, financing or proving keeper details | V5C lost, damaged, stolen, or never received |
| Cost | Free when issued correctly first time | £25 DVLA fee to process a replacement |
No. If your V5C is in date, correct and in your possession, there's nothing to do, the V62 only comes into play once a V5C needs to be reissued. The exception is if your keeper details have changed (new address, name change, or you've just bought the car and the previous keeper's slip wasn't handed over correctly), in which case a V62 gets a corrected V5C issued in your name.
A paper V62 is posted to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DD, along with the £25 fee. DVLA doesn't publish a live tracker for postal V62 applications, so the first confirmation most people get is the new V5C landing on their doormat. Services that post your form by tracked mail at least confirm DVLA has received it, which removes some of the uncertainty.
No. The V5C is the logbook itself. The V62 is the application form you fill in and post to request that a V5C is issued or reissued – you use a V62 to get a V5C, they're not interchangeable terms.
No, if your V5C is valid, correct and in your possession, you don't need a V62 for anything. It's only needed when a V5C is missing, damaged, never received, or needs reissuing with updated keeper details.
A paper V62 is posted to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DD, along with the £25 fee (cheque or postal order if applying directly). Our partner CarForms.co.uk checks the form for errors, then prints and posts it to the same DVLA address on your behalf.
DVLA doesn't offer a public online tracker for V62 postal applications, you simply wait for the new V5C to arrive, typically around 19 days, though DVLA quotes up to 4-6 weeks during busier periods. A service that posts your form by tracked mail at least confirms DVLA received it.
Apply online in minutes via our partner CarForms.co.uk, they'll check, print and post your V62 form for you.
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