What are the legal things you have to do to buy a 2ndhand car off a mate?
May 12, 2011 1:16 AM Subscribe
We're about to buy a car and we're clueless. Insurance, tax, transfer of ownership, DVLA, WTF? What do we have to do to make it legal for my husband to drive this car away from a friends house on Sunday? In particular - how do we insure a car we don't officially own yet?
We don't currently own a car. I've never owned one, my husband hasn't owned one for decades. And yes, this is related to my last question.
We don't currently own a car. I've never owned one, my husband hasn't owned one for decades. And yes, this is related to my last question.
Best answer: Vehicle Registration - The seller and your husband fill in the vehicle registration document. Your husband should make sure he has the signed new owner section of the form. You send this to the DVLA and they send you your vehicle registration document.
Tax - Unless the seller retains the tax disc to send it back to the DVLA to get a refund you don't have to do anything. Suggest you negotiate with the seller and make sure you keep the tax disc.
Insurance - you call up the insurance with the vehicle registration and tell them that you are buying a car, when you want cover to start, i.e. the day you pick up the car. That's it. The car is insured as long as you pay the insurance.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:29 AM on May 12, 2011
Tax - Unless the seller retains the tax disc to send it back to the DVLA to get a refund you don't have to do anything. Suggest you negotiate with the seller and make sure you keep the tax disc.
Insurance - you call up the insurance with the vehicle registration and tell them that you are buying a car, when you want cover to start, i.e. the day you pick up the car. That's it. The car is insured as long as you pay the insurance.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:29 AM on May 12, 2011
Do some more research on the DVLA website as to your husband's licence. Apparently it is still valid if all the details are the same. If his present address is different or any other details have changed he will have to renew for a new photocard licence. I have no idea if this will affect the legality of this Sunday's drive.
Bon voyage.
posted by Dr.Pill at 4:47 AM on May 12, 2011
Bon voyage.
posted by Dr.Pill at 4:47 AM on May 12, 2011
how do we insure a car we don't officially own yet?
Insurance companies will give you what they call "a binder" and will fax it to you if needed.
posted by yerfatma at 5:57 AM on May 12, 2011
Insurance companies will give you what they call "a binder" and will fax it to you if needed.
posted by yerfatma at 5:57 AM on May 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Car needs a valid MOT
Car needs up to date VED (aka road tax disc)
Driver needs, at a minimum, third-party insurance on the car. Insurance can either be directly on that car (just third-party, or third-party, fire & theft, or fully comprehensive), or often if you have fully comprehensive insurance on another car your insurance covers you for third-party on other cars as well.
Transfer of ownership is not required immediately (I mean, you can send off the car registration docs to get it transferred to you the same day, but you can drive someone else's car without any problems). Transfer of ownership is obviously important though, as if you e.g. get speeding tickets, parking tickets, etc (basically anything where your licence plate is taken down and something sent to the owner's address) the tickets go to the registered owner's address. If that address isn't you're address, you'll miss important stuff being sent to you, for example the VED renewal reminder.
How do you insure a car you don't own? Same way you insure a car you do own. Go to a comparison website, put in the licence plate, find a quote, and pay. If you don't know the licence plate yet, you can still get a quote* but you can't pay until you have the licence plate - so get the quote, then when you do know it, phone up the insurance company (or go through their website) and pay for the policy. You should then be immediately insured and can drive it away.
*You get a quote ahead of time to save time entering your details when you're ready to actually buy the insurance policy.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:26 AM on May 12, 2011