Car dealers can continue to use the old style V5 vehicle registration document after its validity expires today, according to the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI).

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has recognised that in certain situations a new-style V5C Harmonised Registration Certificate will not have been issued by now, and has ensured that the old V5 will continue to be accepted for licensing purposes at post offices and at the DVLA local offices until further notice.

The V5 has been progressively replaced over the last 12 months by the new V5C. Around 90% of V5 documents have already been replaced by the new document.

Dealers had been concerned they would be responsible for replacing V5 documents for vehicles in their stocks.

Alistair Manson, head of the RMI's National Franchised Dealers Association, says: “The concession has been granted because some vehicles in dealer stocks will still have the old V5s. The DVLA does not want to disadvantage motor traders, and is therefore allowing dealers to continue to use the technically invalid document until a V5C can be issued.

“However businesses are advised to exercise caution in accepting the old V5 document for vehicles taken after June 30 2005.”

  • For more information on the date of issue of the latest registration documents for a vehicle by the DVLA go to: www.dvla.gov.uk/vehiclelicence