How to Check if a Car Is Taxed in the UK (2026 Guide)

Use the GOV.UK vehicle tax checker, enter the registration number and check the current tax status. You only need the number plate to run the check. 

Check Vehicle Tax on GOV.UK →

At CarForms, around 250 free plate checks are run each week, and roughly 30% show an untaxed vehicle. That makes a tax check a sensible step before driving or buying a car rather than relying on paperwork or what a seller tells you.

Table of Contents

• Why Check if a Car Is Taxed?
• How to Check a Car's Tax Status
• What Do the Tax Check Results Mean?
• What Do You Need to Tax a Car?
• What If You're Buying an Untaxed Car?
• Do Electric Cars Need to Be Taxed?
• What if the Car is Untaxed and You Don't Have the V5C Logbook?

Why Check if a Car Is Taxed?

There are three common reasons to check:

• You own the car: You may want to check when the tax expires or confirm that a recent payment has gone through.
• You're buying the car: Vehicle tax does not transfer to the new keeper. You will need to tax the car yourself after buying it.
• You're about to drive it: An untaxed or SORN vehicle cannot normally be driven or parked on a public road.

How to Check a Car's Tax Status

The official GOV.UK check is free and takes a couple of minutes:

1. Go to the GOV.UK vehicle tax checker.
2. Select Start now.
3. Enter the vehicle registration number.
4. Check that the vehicle details shown match the car you're checking.
5. Read the tax status and, where applicable, the expiry date.

You don't need the owner's name, address or V5C reference number to run the check.

The DVLA vehicle enquiry service also shows information including the vehicle's make, colour, fuel type and MOT expiry date.

If you've recently taxed the vehicle or made a SORN, don't assume something has gone wrong if the old status is still showing. GOV.UK says it can take up to two working days for the record to update once an application has been approved.

What Do the Tax Check Results Mean?

The result of your check tells you what to do next:

A SORN vehicle must normally stay off public roads. However, GOV.UK allows you to drive a SORN vehicle to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment.

If the result says 'untaxed', don't drive the vehicle while you sort it out. You will either need to tax it or, if it is being kept off the road, make a SORN.

For a more detailed explanation of how to tax a vehicle, see the CarForms vehicle tax guide. Remember that a taxed result isn't proof of insurance. Check insurance separately before driving.

What Do You Need to Tax a Car?

Checking and taxing are two different processes.

You only need the registration number to check whether a car is taxed. To tax it, you'll normally need a reference number from one of the following:

• A recent DVLA V11 tax reminder or last-chance warning.
• The 11-digit reference number from the V5C if you're the current keeper.
• The 12-digit reference number from the green new keeper slip if you've just bought the vehicle.

You can use the GOV.UK vehicle tax service to pay by Direct Debit, debit card or credit card.

You can also tax a vehicle:

• By phone using the DVLA vehicle tax service.
• At a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax.

The vehicle must also have a valid MOT if one is required. If it has only just passed, GOV.UK says the MOT record can take up to two days to update, so you may not be able to tax it immediately.

What If You're Buying an Untaxed Car?

If you're checking a car before buying it and it shows as untaxed, ask the seller why before going any further.

An untaxed result does not necessarily mean there is a problem with the vehicle, but you need to make sure you will have the paperwork required to tax it.

Ask to see the V5C and check that its details match the vehicle. If you buy the car, the seller should give you the green new keeper slip from the most recent V5C.

You can then use the 12-digit reference number from that slip to tax the vehicle.

Even if the tax checker shows that the car is currently taxed, the seller's tax does not transfer to you. You need to tax the vehicle yourself before driving it after the sale.

If the seller does not have the V5C, the situation is different. GOV.UK advises buyers not to buy a vehicle without one. If you've already bought the car, see What If the Car is Untaxed and You Don't Have the V5C? below.

Do Electric Cars Need to Be Taxed?

Yes. The vehicle tax exemption for electric vehicles ended on 1 April 2025. 

Electric, zero- and low-emission cars, vans and motorcycles are now subject to vehicle tax. The amount payable depends on the vehicle and when it was first registered.

You can check the current rules and rates in the GOV.UK guidance for electric, zero- and low-emission vehicles.

You must still tax a vehicle even if its tax rate is £0.

What if the Car is Untaxed and You Don't have the V5C?

What you need to do depends on whether you're already the registered keeper or have just bought the vehicle.

If you're the current keeper:

If your V5C has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, you may be able to apply for a replacement V5C online. If you're eligible to use the online service, you can tax the vehicle at the same time.

If you cannot use the online service, you can complete a V62 application for a V5C.

You've just bought the vehicle and have the green slip:

Use the 12-digit reference number on the green new keeper slip to tax the vehicle. Make sure the slip is from the most recent V5C.

You've just bought the vehicle and have no V5C or green slip:

You cannot tax the vehicle as a new keeper without the green new keeper slip.

You will need to apply for a new V5C by post using form V62. A new V5C costs £25 where the fee applies.

Our guide to buying a car without a V5C explains this process in more detail.

Skip the paperwork — CarForms.co.uk lets you apply for a replacement V5C online in under five minutes. No trips to the post office, no queues, no paper forms to fill in. Start your application today.

CarForms is an independent third-party service and is not part of DVLA or the UK Government.

I need a new logbook so I can sell my car I need a new logbook so I can sell my car. This saved me a lot of pain because I don't have a cheque book and my nearest post office is closed by the time I get home from work. L Leeroy Hodge · 22 Aug 2026 · Verified

Frequently Asked Questions

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