Buyer Guides
How to Check if a Car is Taxed in the UK
Road tax — officially called Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) — is a legal requirement for any vehicle used on public roads in the UK. Checking tax status before buying a used car takes seconds and could save you from an immediate fine.
Olivia
Vehicle Enthusiast, BuyCarCheck · 12 January 2026 · 4 min read
How to check road tax status for free
The DVLA maintains a public register of all taxed (and untaxed) vehicles in the UK. You can check any vehicle's tax status instantly using its registration number — no account needed.
BuyCarCheck (recommended)
RecommendedEnter the registration to instantly see tax status and expiry date alongside MOT, vehicle details, and more — all in one place.
DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service (gov.uk)
The official government check at vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk. Shows tax status and expiry date. No MOT history or vehicle details.
What does the tax check tell you?
Tax does not transfer when you buy a car
Since 2014, road tax no longer transfers with the vehicle when it is sold. The seller receives a refund on any remaining tax, and you must tax the car in your name before driving it away. Driving an untaxed vehicle is illegal from the moment ownership changes.
What happens if you drive an untaxed car?
DVLA uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras across the UK road network to detect untaxed vehicles in real time. The penalties are significant:
- Fixed penalty of £80 (reduced to £40 if paid within 28 days)
- Fine of up to £1,000 if the case goes to court
- The vehicle can be clamped, impounded, and crushed
- Recovery and storage fees on top of the fine if clamped
How to tax a car you've just bought
You must tax the car before driving it. You'll need the 11-digit reference number from the V5C (logbook). If the V5C has not yet been transferred, you can use the green 'new keeper supplement' slip.
- 1Go to gov.uk/vehicle-tax and enter the V5C reference number
- 2Pay by debit card, credit card, or direct debit
- 3Tax starts immediately — you can drive away the same day
- 4The V5C should be transferred to your name within 2–4 weeks
How much does road tax cost?
For cars registered after April 2017, the standard rate is £195/year (2025/26). Cars originally over £40,000 pay an additional £620/year for years 2–6. Electric vehicles now pay road tax from April 2025 at the standard rate.
For cars registered before April 2017, the rate is still CO2-banded — lower-emission cars pay less, and zero-emission cars registered before 2017 remain exempt.
BuyCarCheck shows the exact road tax band and cost for any vehicle as part of the free check.
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