I've agreed to buy a second-hand car for the first time from a family member at the end of this month and I have a few questions regarding the admin work that has to go into it.
1) I have been told that when transferring it, I will have a green piece of paper that I can use to have the car taxed. Does this mean I will only be able to buy the tax in person at the post office (because the ownership transfer will be done offline)? Or will I be able to use this 'green piece of paper' to buy the tax online?
2) I am not currently insured on the car. Will I have to buy insurance in my name before I have the car taxed? Somebody else is currently insured on the car and will still be insured on the day, though.
3) With regards to the above, if I am buying the insurance before the car is taxed (which is the day the ownership transfer will occur), should I just tell the insurer I am not the registered keeper and then change it later on? Or is there no harm in saying I am already the registered keeper given there'll only be a margin of a few days or so?
4) If I don't buy the insurance beforehand and I buy it on the day of the ownership transfer, is there likely to be any issues/delays in being able to get the car taxed?
Apologies if the questions sound elementary but I am clueless.
1) I have been told that when transferring it, I will have a green piece of paper that I can use to have the car taxed. Does this mean I will only be able to buy the tax in person at the post office (because the ownership transfer will be done offline)? Or will I be able to use this 'green piece of paper' to buy the tax online?
2) I am not currently insured on the car. Will I have to buy insurance in my name before I have the car taxed? Somebody else is currently insured on the car and will still be insured on the day, though.
3) With regards to the above, if I am buying the insurance before the car is taxed (which is the day the ownership transfer will occur), should I just tell the insurer I am not the registered keeper and then change it later on? Or is there no harm in saying I am already the registered keeper given there'll only be a margin of a few days or so?
4) If I don't buy the insurance beforehand and I buy it on the day of the ownership transfer, is there likely to be any issues/delays in being able to get the car taxed?
Apologies if the questions sound elementary but I am clueless.
So just as I asked above (and why I was thinking of buying insurance in advance, let alone getting it arranged), is there any risk of the DVLA saying it can't be taxed because there's been a delay between me insuring the car and the DVLA acknowledging this? Or is this just some bizarre scenario I've concocted that doesn't exist in reality? 
