Selling A Deceased Person’s Car

How do I sell a deceased person’s car?

The death of a close relative or friend is a distressing time for anyone and deciding on what to do with their personal and much-loved items can add to this.

If you have unfortunately found yourself in the situation of having to sell the car of a deceased person then we want to make this process as simple as possible during this difficult time.

What documents are required to sell a deceased person’s car to GoodBye Car?

First and foremost, you will need to provide a copy of the vehicle owner's Death Certificate. If the official Death Certificate has not been issued, we can accept a copy of the Interim Death Certificate of Coroners Certificate.

You will need to provide us with a form of legal evidence that permits you to sell the vehicle on behalf of the deceased’s estate, for example, if you are named as an executor on the will. If there is more than one executor of the will, we would need all named executors with a copy of all personal proof of identification to witness the sale before any agreed payment is made.

What steps do I need to take to sell a deceased person’s car?

You will need to send the person’s driving license along with the vehicle registration certificate (V5C) to the DVLA. The letter will need to explain your relationship to the deceased, the date of their death, their name, address, and date of birth. If you don’t have the registration certificate you should still send the letter on its own. Please read over the required steps below.

If you have the V5C you need to:

• Complete new keeper details which can be found under section 6
• Ask the buyer to sign and date the new keeper declaration
• Provide the buyer with the green V5C/2 new keeper’s supplement
• Send the V5C registration certificate, along with a letter explaining your relationship to the deceased, to the DVLA Sensitive Casework Team.

If you need a quote GoodBye Car can help. Get an online valuation for your car within minutes. If it's your first time selling a car our guide to selling a car online should help.