New DVLA alert says 'remember' or face £1,000 fine

New DVLA alert says 'remember' or face £1,000 fine Newspoint | 03/04/2025 22:39:16

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has sent out a warning to motorists, making it crystal clear that they need to tax their vehicles or face hefty fines. Owners of cars, motorcycles and other types of vehicle must have Vehicle Excise Duty by law, even if the cost is zero.

The Thursday morning post on X reminded drivers: "Remember to pay your vehicle tax before it runs out. Do it online at: "

To tax a vehicle online, owners require a reference number, which is available from various documents such as a recent tax reminder or a 'last chance' warning letter from the DVLA. Additionally, the vehicle log book, or V5C, and for new owners, the green 'new keeper' slip, contain this essential number.

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The DVLA advises those missing these documents to apply for a fresh log book, noting that vehicle taxation can be carried out concurrently.

The DVLA clarifies the payment procedure: "You can pay by debit or credit card, or Direct Debit. You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay anything, for example if you're exempt because you're disabled. You'll need to meet all the legal obligations for drivers before you can drive."

Fines for driving an untaxed vehicle on public roads

When an untaxed vehicle is used on the road, the consequences involve stiff monetary penalties. Initially, offending motorists will receive an out-of-court settlement (OCS) letter with the chance to settle by paying a fee of £30 in addition to one-and-a-half times the amount of vehicle tax due.

If the payment isn't made, the case could potentially be taken to court as a criminal offence. This could result in a fine of £1,000 or five times the vehicle tax owed, whichever is higher.

For drivers of high-polluting vehicles, this could amount to thousands of pounds. If your vehicle is clamped for not being taxed, there will likely be additional charges.

There are other ways to tax your car, van or motorcycle if you don't want to do it online. You can use the DVLA's phone service, which is available 24/7 on 0300 123 4321. However, bear in mind that there's no direct debit option with this method.

Other ways to tax your car, van or motorcycle

You can also head to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax. You'll need to bring either:

the

your bank or building society account details to set up a Direct Debit

If your vehicle is exempt from tax, you won't need these payment details. You'll also need to bring one of the following:

your vehicle log book (V5C) (it must be in your name)

the green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book if you’ve just bought it

You may also need to provide proof of an MOT (it must be valid when the tax starts). This could be a screenshot of your vehicle's MOT history or your MOT certificate, if you have one.

It can take up to two days for MOT information to be updated, so you might not be able to tax your vehicle immediately after it passes its test.

For those living in Northern Ireland

To tax your vehicle at a Post Office in Northern Ireland, you'll also need both:

a paper copy of an insurance certificate or cover note

an original MOT test certificate or evidence of a (TEC)

You can provide evidence of your TEC with a screenshot of your vehicle's MOT history. If you can't do this, you can show an expired MOT certificate. There's no need to apply for a new MOT certificate.

If the vehicle is off the road

If your vehicle is off the road and stored in a garage, for instance, you can register it as such and you won't need to tax it.

Change your car's tax class to or from 'disabled'

You might also need to change your car's tax class to or from 'disabled'. This may be necessary if certain conditions apply. However, remember that you can only make these applications at a Post Office.