What to do after buying a used car
Some of this has to happen before you drive away, the rest in the first week. Get it done in this order and you will be legal, covered and ready for the first reminder.
Updated 14 October 2026
Before you drive away
Insure it. You must be insured to drive it, including the drive home, and some policies need to be set up on the specific registration.
Tax it. Vehicle tax does not transfer with the car, so tax it online with the 12-digit reference on the V5C/2 new keeper slip. It takes minutes.
Check the MOT is valid on the public record, rather than relying on a paper certificate.
In the first few days
Make sure the seller has told the DVLA about the sale. Your new V5C should arrive within a few weeks; if it does not arrive within four weeks, contact the DVLA.
Put the paperwork somewhere safe: the V5C/2, the receipt, the service history and any warranty documents.
In the first week
Check the tyre pressures, oil and coolant levels, and the date of the last service. If the service history is uncertain, an oil and filter change is a cheap fresh start.
Note the mileage on the day you collected it. If you will use the car for work, that is the starting point for your mileage claim.
Set up the reminders
Add the car to Odomint. It reads the MOT and tax dates straight from the DVLA and DVSA, loads the full MOT history, keeps your documents with the car, and reminds you before anything runs out, so the first year of ownership has no surprises.
If something turns out to be wrong
If you bought from a dealer and a fault appears within 30 days, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you a short-term right to reject the car for a refund. Within six months, the dealer is generally expected to repair or replace, and the fault is presumed to have been present at sale unless they prove otherwise.
Private sales carry far fewer rights: the car must be as described and the seller must have the right to sell it, but there is no requirement for satisfactory quality. That is why the checks before buying matter so much more privately, and why it is worth keeping the advert and messages, which show how the car was described.
Common questions
Do I need to tax a used car straight away?
Yes. Tax does not transfer from the previous owner, so you must tax it before driving it, using the V5C/2 reference number.
How long does a new V5C take to arrive?
Usually a few weeks. If it has not arrived within four weeks of the sale, contact the DVLA.
Can I drive a used car home without insurance?
No. You must be insured before driving it, including on the journey home.
Check any car before you buy it
MOT history, every advisory and the full mileage record are free for any UK registration. An Odomint Check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, stolen markers and salvage history, with a £10,000 data guarantee.