Registered keeper of a lease car: who has the V5C?

When you lease a car, the funder you lease the car from is the registered keeper of the leased car. This means while you get to keep the car for the duration of the leasing contract, the leasing company still has the legal right over the car.
In this guide, we explain who a ‘registered keeper’ is and what this means for you when you lease a car.

A registered keeper of a car is one whose name appears on the registration certificate.
All vehicles have a registration certificate, also known as a V5C or logbook, which provides details such as the make and model of the car, when the was car sold, and the registered keeper’s name and address. The registered keeper may be different to the person who drives the car. This is the case with leased cars. It could apply in different situations too, like when you drive your parents’ car but they’re still the registered keeper of the car. The registered keeper of the car is legally responsible for the car. This includes being registered with the DVLA, holding the necessary vehicle documents and keeping any personal details updated with the DVLA. So if you lease a car, while you get to keep and drive the car for the length of the leasing contract, the lease provider is still the registered keeper of the car. At the same time, while the lease provider is the registered keeper of the car, as part of your leasing contract you still need to get the leased car insured and make sure it has a valid MOT while you are in possession and still responsible for the vehicle.

As the leasing company is the registered keeper of the car, the V5C document (logbook) is sent to the company, and they keep the V5C with them so that they can tax the car.
You may need the V5C document for a couple of reasons such as insuring the car or for a parking permit, so it’s important to know how to get hold of this document when it’s needed.

When buying insurance for your leased car, the insurance company may ask you for details about the car such as the make, model, year of registration, mileage etc.
A lot of this information is available on the car’s V5C so you should contact the lease provider if you need more information about the car for insurance. Related: Do I need to insure a leased car?

To apply for a parking permit, your local council may ask you for a copy of your V5C logbook. With a leased car, the council may also ask you for extra information such as a letter from the lease provider stating your name, address, vehicle registration number, make and model etc.
Once you know what details and documents are required, you can ask the lease provider to send you a copy of your V5C logbook along with a letter with the requested details to apply for a parking permit.

You can be issued a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) if you breach parking or traffic rules. If you’re stopped by a civil enforcement officer, you can be issued a ticket there and then. If you’re caught on camera, the parking ticket will be sent by post.
Since the lease provider is the registered keeper of a leased car, a ticket will be posted to the lease provider instead of you. In such a case, the leasing company will either pay the PCN and send you the bill for it, or they will send you the PCN and ask you to pay for the ticket. The leasing company may also charge you an admin fee for the additional work for dealing with the ticket.

If you want to put private number plates on a leased car, you should contact the lease provider to find out their company policy. If they’re happy with you having private number plates on the leased car, then the company will have to apply for the private number plates on your behalf as they’re the registered owner of the car and hold the V5C logbook.
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