Vehicle and Excise Duty: Taxing a Vehicle

1. DVLA Guide
2. DVLA and Vehicles
3. Car Tax
4. Vehicle and Excise Duty: Taxing a Vehicle

Learn how to tax your vehicle with or without a reminder. Find out when, where and how you can tax your vehicle, and what documents you will need to do so.

On this page:
Taxing your Vehicle with a Reminder
Taxing your Vehicle without a Reminder

Taxing your Vehicle with a Reminder

Registered keepers of eligible vehicles receive a reminder in the post from the DVLA about three weeks before their current tax is about to run out. This form has two purposes, and as such is called the V11 'Vehicle Licence Application/Statutory Off Road Notification'.

The V11 can be used to either renew the vehicle's tax disc, or declare that it will be off road (see Statutory Off Road Notification).

With the V11, tax can be renewed in one of the following ways:

• Online
• By phone
• By post
• In person

A tax disc can be renewed (or a SORN made) from the fifth day of the month of expiry. So if your tax disc expires at the end of March, you can apply for your new tax disc from 5th March onwards.

If you use your registration certificate (V5C), you can apply for a tax disc or make a SORN from the first day of the month.

Taxing Online or by Phone

Registered keepers can tax their vehicles online or by phone provided they have a V11 Reminder or Registration Certificate (V5C).

You must have valid insurance for your vehicle covering the day that the tax will come into force. This will be checked automatically during the renewal process.

If needed, you must have a valid MOT, Goods Vehicle, or Passenger Service Vehicle test certificate which covers the day the tax starts, as with insurance.

If you're entitled to exemption from vehicle tax due to disability, you must have a valid DLA404.

Payment is by debit or credit card and you will be charged £2.50 for the service if using a credit card only.

Taxing by Post or in Person

Vehicles can be taxed by post, or with a V11 Reminder at a supporting Post Office branch.

To tax by post use the address show on the V11 Reminder form.

Not all Post Office branches offer this service, so it's worth checking the Post Office car tax page for availability.

In either case, you will need the following details:

• Completed V11 reminder
• Valid insurance certificate or cover note. The insurance must cover the day the tax disc starts
• Valid MOT certificate (if needed) - this too should be valid when the tax disc starts (the DVLA use an electronic check to ensure your MOT is valid)
• Means for payment of the amount shown on the reminder (of course this is not needed if your vehicle is exempt from paying vehicle tax)

Once you have been issued with your new tax disc, the V11 Reminder will be returned to you.

Taxing your Vehicle without a Reminder

For various reasons, you may not be in possession of a V11 Reminder. In this case you would need to use a V10 'Vehicle licence application'.

If your tax is due for renewal, this form can be used to renew tax discs from the fifth day of the month of expiry.

If you've just bought a vehicle without any tax, or the tax disc has run out, or the vehicle is registered SORN, it is possible to tax from the first day of the current month.

Keepers requiring a tax disc that will start on the 1st of the month cannot tax more than two days in advance.

Tax can be renewed in one of the following ways:

• Online
• By phone
• By post
• In person

Taxing Online or by Phone

Registered keepers can buy car tax using the reference number shown on their Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C).

Taxing by Post or in Person

To tax by post or in person without a V11, you will need your Registration Certificate or New Keeper Supplement (from the V5C).

Tax in person any supporting Post Office branch.

You can also tax at a local DVLA office or by post to some Post Office branches.

In both cases you will need:

• Vehicle Registration Certificate or New Keeper Supplement (only if within two months from the date you bought your vehicle if taxing at a Post Office or within 13 months if taxing at a local DVLA Office)
• Valid insurance certificate or cover note. The insurance must cover the day the tax disc starts
• Valid MOT certificate (if needed) - this too should be valid when the tax disc starts. The DVLA use an electronic check to ensure your MOT is valid
• Means for payment of the amount shown on the reminder (of course this is not needed if your vehicle is exempt from paying vehicle tax)

Last updated: Monday 25th July 2011