The essentials
- V5C registration certificate (logbook). Shows who the registered keeper is. If yours is lost, you can still sell, but tell the buyer upfront.
- Proof you can sell it. If the truck is in a company name, the person selling needs the authority to sell for the company.
- Finance settlement. If there’s finance on the truck, get a settlement letter from the lender. The finance must be cleared before ownership passes.
Documents that help the price
- Plating certificate. Issued by DVSA, it shows the truck’s legal weights. The plate itself is usually in the cab or on the chassis.
- Annual test certificate. A current test, often called the MOT, makes the truck easier to sell for UK work.
- Service history. Invoices, a stamped book or dealer printouts all count.
- Tachograph calibration. Tachographs must be calibrated at least every two years, and the calibration plaque shows the date.
- Lifting equipment certificates. LOLER thorough examination reports for cranes, grabs, tail lifts and skip arms.
- ADR certificates for tankers carrying dangerous goods.
- Keys and codes. All keys, fobs, and the radio and immobiliser codes.
Download the tachograph data first
As an operator, you have to download and keep the data from the vehicle unit. Do a final download before the truck leaves, so your records are complete.
Telling DVLA
When you sell to a motor trader, as you would when selling to us, you can tell DVLA online using the 11-digit reference from your V5C. Any vehicle tax is cancelled, and DVLA refunds full months remaining. If you want to keep a private registration, take it off the truck before you notify DVLA.
It’s the same in Northern Ireland, where DVLA handles vehicle registration too, although operator licences there are run by DVA. If your truck is registered in the Republic of Ireland, the paperwork is different: see selling a truck in Ireland.
Updating your operator licence
Remove the truck from your operator’s licence using the Vehicle Operator Licensing service, so it’s no longer listed against your authorisation.
Missing something? It’s rarely a deal-breaker. Tell us what you have and what you don’t when you send your details, and we’ll tell you what we need.