What documents do you need after accepting a car offer?

You do not need to include identity documents, bank details or a picture of your V5C in the initial Gladius Motors enquiry. First, tell us about the car and upload the requested vehicle photos. Our team reviews that information and sends your personal offer by text and email.

If you accept the offer within its four-day validity period, our team calls within 24 hours to arrange free nationwide collection at an agreed time or a forecourt appointment. Your booking confirmation then includes a private link for the documents needed to complete the sale.

What the private document link asks for

• V5C logbook: clear images showing the vehicle and registered keeper details.
• Driving licence: one clear image of the front only. The back is not required.
• Payment details: the account holder name, sort code and account number.
• Finance settlement letter: a current copy if you told us the car has outstanding finance.

The link is intended for this post-acceptance stage. Do not add these documents to the vehicle-photo spaces in the initial enquiry, and do not send them as ordinary email attachments.

How the secure upload works

The link in your booking message is valid for two days. If it expires before you finish, contact our team so a fresh link can be sent; the older link is then retired.

You can upload JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF files. Each file can be up to 5 MB, with a 20 MB total limit. The driving-licence section accepts one file, while the other document sections accept up to two files each.

Your documents and bank details are kept within the private Gladius portal for authorised staff to review. They are not placed in the public seller enquiry or sent to the team as email attachments.

How do you know the documents have arrived?

Selecting files is not the final step. Complete the account-holder name, six-digit sort code and eight-digit account number, check the accuracy confirmation and choose Submit documents. Wait while the page says Uploading securely….

The heading Your documents are received. confirms that the documents and bank details have been saved for our team to review. It does not mean the sale checks are complete or payment has been made. Keep your originals and keys ready for the appointment.

If you notice a mistake after that confirmation, reply to your appointment email to explain what needs correcting. Do not attach replacement identity documents or bank details to the email; ask the team for the appropriate private next step.

If an upload or private link does not work

• The page asks for the complete link: reopen the full link in your latest booking email or text, rather than typing the document-page address. Keep that private link to yourself.
• The appointment has changed or the link has expired: use your latest appointment confirmation. If that still does not open, contact our team for help; do not start a second valuation enquiry.
• A file is rejected: check its actual format and size. Renaming a file does not convert it to JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF. A readable multi-page PDF can keep the V5C or settlement letter within the two-file limit, but it must still fit the size limits above.
• The page says an upload is being processed: wait a few minutes, then refresh to check the result. Do not repeatedly press Submit or send another set by email.
• The connection drops and the result is unclear: reopen the same current link and look for the received confirmation. If the upload form returns, check any error message and reselect files if necessary. Contact the team if you still cannot confirm the outcome.

The document form does not ask for a card number, PIN or online-banking password. If you are unsure about a request, stop and contact Gladius Motors through a known contact route before sharing anything. The four-day offer link and this two-day document link are separate stages of your sale.

How to make each document readable

• Photograph or scan the whole document, including every corner.
• Use bright, even light and avoid glare across names, numbers or dates.
• Check the image at full size before uploading it.
• Use a current settlement letter rather than an older estimated balance.
• Double-check the account-holder name, sort code and account number before submitting.

Keep the original documents ready for the appointment. The upload helps our team prepare, but the originals still need to be checked during the agreed handover.

What if your V5C is missing, damaged or incorrect?

Tell the Gladius Motors team before the agreed appointment if you cannot provide a current, readable V5C. Do not upload an altered document, guess at missing information or start a second valuation enquiry. Reply through your existing appointment conversation so the team can explain the appropriate next step for your accepted offer.

• Lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed: if the registered keeper and vehicle details have not changed, use the official GOV.UK replacement V5C service. DVLA provides online, phone and postal routes for different circumstances.
• Your name or address is wrong: follow the relevant DVLA update process. The selling guidance says the V5C should be updated before the vehicle is sold.
• The vehicle details are wrong: use the DVLA vehicle-details process. Some changes need evidence and cannot be completed through the standard online replacement service.
• The vehicle has already been transferred without a V5C: the online sold-vehicle service cannot be used. DVLA says the former keeper must notify it by post with the sale and keeper details listed in its sold or transferred vehicle guidance.

A DVLA application or notification is separate from the Gladius document check. Keep the team informed rather than assuming a replacement request means the appointment can proceed unchanged.

Protect the V5C before the sale

The V5C document reference number can be used fraudulently. GOV.UK advises sellers not to share that number, or pictures and copies of the V5C, with prospective buyers before a sale. With Gladius Motors, the requested V5C copy belongs only in the private post-acceptance upload, not in your public or initial vehicle photos.

See the current GOV.UK guidance on selling a vehicle for the official steps and the information you must give DVLA.

If the car has outstanding finance

Tell us about HP, PCP or another secured agreement in the initial enquiry. After you accept the offer, obtain a current settlement letter from the lender and upload it through the private link. The letter should identify the agreement, show the settlement figure and state how long that figure is valid.

We will confirm the settlement and any balance payable to you before payment. For more detail, read our guide to selling a car with outstanding finance.

Private registration numbers need action first

If you want to keep a personalised registration, apply to remove it before handing over the car. GOV.UK says you should have the retention document and replacement V5C before selling, or you may lose the right to use the number.

Follow the current GOV.UK private-number guidance and tell our team when the replacement registration has been issued.

What happens at handover

Have the car, every key and the original documents available for the agreed checks. We will confirm that the vehicle matches the description in your initial enquiry and complete the sale paperwork with you. The guaranteed offered price applies provided the car matches that description.

The sale must then be reported to DVLA using the motor-trader process. A trader can complete the online notification with the seller's consent, but the registered keeper remains responsible until DVLA has been told. Keep the confirmation for your records. You can read more in the DVLA guide to what happens after a vehicle is sold.

Once the sale is agreed, Gladius Motors pays instantly. There are no admin or transaction fees. For the rest of the appointment checklist, see how to prepare your car for collection day.

Post-acceptance document checklist

• Use only the private link in your booking confirmation.
• Upload the V5C, driving-licence front and checked payment details.
• Add a current settlement letter if finance is outstanding.
• Make every image complete, readable and free from glare.
• Ask for a fresh link if the two-day upload window has expired.
• Keep the originals, every key and the DVLA confirmation for handover.

Still deciding? Read how your Gladius car offer works, including the four-day acceptance period.

Request your valuation →