Do I need to tax a car I have just bought?

Why you must tax it yourself

When a car is sold, DVLA cancels the seller's vehicle tax and refunds them any full months left. Nothing carries over to you. So the moment you own the car, it has no tax. You must tax it before you drive it on a public road, even to drive it home.

If you are not going to drive it yet, for example it needs repairs, you can make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) instead. A car with a SORN must be kept off the road.

What you need

• the green 'new keeper' slip from the log book (V5C), which has a 12 digit reference number
• a debit or credit card, or bank details for Direct Debit
• insurance in your name before you drive
• a current MOT if the car is 3 years old or more (4 years old or more in Northern Ireland)

If the car is already registered in your name, you can use the 11 digit reference on your V5C instead.

How to tax a car you have just bought

1. Get the green new keeper slip from the seller when you pay for the car.
2. Check the registration number and details on the slip match the car.
3. Go to the online vehicle tax service, phone 0300 123 4321, or go to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax.
4. Enter the 12 digit reference number from the slip.
5. Choose how to pay: one payment for 12 months, 6 months, or monthly Direct Debit.
6. Pay. You can then drive the car, as long as it is insured and has a valid MOT if it needs one.

At a Post Office, take the slip, your payment and evidence of a current MOT. A screenshot of the car's MOT history is fine. You can set up a Direct Debit there with your bank details and date of birth, but not by phone.

How much it costs

The amount depends on the car. Most cars registered since 1 April 2017 pay £200 a year after the first year. If the list price was over £40,000 (or over £50,000 for an electric car), you pay an extra £440 a year, so £640, for 5 years. Older cars pay by CO2 band or engine size. See the vehicle tax rate tables.

Paying monthly by Direct Debit costs a little more than one payment.

If you do not have the new keeper slip

You cannot tax online without a reference number. You will need to apply for a new log book (V5C) first, which costs £25. If the seller gave you no log book at all, you can register the car in your name using form V62, which also costs £25. DVLA advises that you should not buy a vehicle that has no log book.

After you have taxed it

• Send the rest of the paperwork to DVLA if the seller has not already told DVLA online. See our guide to changing the keeper on a V5C.
• Get MOT reminders so you do not miss the next test.

Northern Ireland

You tax a vehicle in Northern Ireland in the same way. If you tax at a Post Office there, you also need to show an insurance certificate and an MOT certificate.

Related guides

• How do I change the keeper on a V5C log book?
• How do I tax my car?
• What are the car tax rates for 2026/27?
• How do I check a vehicle's MOT?
• What is a V5C log book?

Where this comes from

• Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle
• Tax your vehicle without a vehicle tax reminder
• Tax your vehicle
• Check a used vehicle you're buying
• Vehicle registration: new and used vehicles
• How the MOT scheme works (nidirect)