Will I Get Fined If I Forgot To Tax My Car?

Car owners receive a reminder from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency around three weeks before their vehicle tax is about to expire. Through this blog post, we will explore the consequences of not paying a car tax and if there is a potential fine for drivers. Additionally, we will also discuss in detail the importance of maintaining documents related to your vehicle, how to manage them as well as the support and guidance car owners can expect from the DVLA.

Will I Get Fined If I Forgot To Tax My Car?

Yes, you will be fined by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if you forgot to tax your car.

If your car is not taxed and is found on the road by the authorities, you will be fined £80 for driving an untaxed vehicle. If you pay the fine within 28 days, the amount will be halved and you will only have to pay £40. However, if you do not pay the fine within the stipulated time, the amount can increase to £1,000 and you can be taken to court or your vehicle can be clamped so that it cannot be driven until the fine is paid.

If you do not intend to run your car on public roads, you are not required to pay your car tax. Instead, you should apply for Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) through your local post office dealing with car tax.

However, the DVLA has stated that the below-listed vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax:

Electric vehicles
Historic vehicles
Mowing machines
Steam vehicles
Vehicles used for horticulture, forestry or agriculture
Vehicles used by a disabled person
Disabled passenger vehicles
Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs

Can I Appeal If I Have Been Fined In Error?

Yes, you can appeal a DVLA fine that was issued for any of the following reasons:

Not paying car tax or insurance
Not informing the DVLA of the change of ownership of your vehicle

However, in order to make an appeal, your should be able to prove the following with appropriate documentation:

Your vehicle is taxed
Your vehicle is insured
You have informed the DVLA of the change in ownership of your car

One of the most common errors in such cases is when drivers make payments for car tax using the direct debit facility from their bank accounts and end up missing out on a payment due to a shortage of funds at the given time. While they believe that the payment must have been made, it is not so in reality.

What Is A V11 Reminder For Car Tax?

If you have purchased or registered a car to your name, you will be required to apply for a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Otherwise, the DVLA will send you a V11 reminder to do so. The purpose of this reminder is to set up your vehicle tax. You will receive an annual reminder to renew your car tax.

This letter can be taken to the nearest local post office which has car tax facilities and used as a reference to pay your car tax. If a vehicle owner loses their V11 letter, they can use their 11 digit reference number from their logbook known as V5C.

The V11 reminder is divided into three sections. Section 1 shows the name of the person in whose name the vehicle is registered, their address, the registration number of the vehicle as well as the date when the current tax is due to expire. Section 2 states the option for paying the tax, registering the car as SORN (if it is not going to be used) or stating that you are no longer in possession (or ownership) of the car. Section 3 indicates the modes of payment for your car tax. You can choose to make the payment online, by phone or at a local post office that is registered to deal with car tax.

How Should I Tax My Car?

If you have purchased a brand new car and you are the first owner, dealers usually arrange for payment for your car tax. Most of the time your car tax is included along with the price of your car and any registration fee that is to be levied.

In the case of a second-hand car, if the dealer does not arrange a logbook transfer to your name, you can do the same by contacting the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on their website. However, it is advisable to purchase a vehicle with an updated logbook to avoid the impression of fraud or the purchase of a stolen car; as well as to maintain regular payments of car tax.

To pay your car tax online from the post office, you will need the following documents;

Your V11 letter
An MOT test certificate
The amount of payment mentioned in the V11 letter

If you have misplaced your V11 letter or your V5C, your car tax can still be renewed through the local post office. At this time, you should also apply for a new Registration Certificate using a V62 application form A for £25.

Can I Tax My Car Without Logbook?

Yes, you may be able to pay your car tax without a V5; your car logbook if the vehicle is registered in your name. If you have received a V11 reminder notice which states the vehicle owner’s name and the amount of car tax due for the next tax term, you can use it as proof of identification. If it is a new vehicle you will need a V5C/2 Green slip that is issued to new car owners while the ownership of their vehicle is transferred from the previous owner. However, if the car is not registered in your name, neither can you pay car tax, nor drive it on public roads.

Payments can be made through local post offices registered for car tax. You may use a debit card, credit card or direct debit facility to make your car tax payment(s).

However, in the absence of a V5, your car will be declared as SORN; Statuary Off-Road Notification until the new logbook arrives which can take up to a few weeks’ time. You must apply for a V5 immediately for a fee of £25, in case you have not done so. Not carrying your logbook can lead to a penalty being charged by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

How Can I Apply For A Log Book?

You can apply for your car’s logbook or V5 online through the DVLA website or through the post. It usually takes 6 weeks for your new logbook to be delivered.

Payments can be made through local post offices registered for car tax. You may use a debit card, credit card or direct debit facility to make your car tax payment(s).

You must apply for a V5 immediately for a fee of £25, in case you have not done so. Not carrying your logbook can lead to a penalty being charged by the DVLA.

Informing the DVLA of the need for a new logbook is essential for all new car owners or those who have been transferred ownership of the car.

Can I Take V62 To The Post Office?

Yes, you can take V62 to the post office to apply for a V5, that is your vehicle logbook. However, you will need to carry any of the following documents to serve as proof of vehicle ownership:

Your vehicle registration certificate; V5
Your V11 reminder from the DVLA
A valid Ministry Of Transport (MOT) certificate

Car owners in the UK require a V62 form to make an application for their duplicate vehicle logbook; also termed V5C. It may also be required when the vehicle logbook, called V5 does not arrive within six weeks of registering the vehicle with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

A V62 form can easily be obtained from your local post office that is responsible for car tax collections or you may download and print a V62 from the DVLA website. You must provide all the required information in a V62 form, especially the questions regarding vehicle details.

In case you are applying for a V62 form due to your V5 being damaged or lost, you will also be required to make a payment of £25 along with the submission of your V62 form. These payments can be made in any of the following ways:

Debit/credit card
Direct Debit
Cash
Cheque
Postal Order

However, if you have purchased a new vehicle and have not received your V5, after a lapse of four weeks you can apply with a V62 without having to pay a fee.

Conclusion:

While a car owner may be fined for driving a car without paying car tax, paying the fine within 28 days reduces the amount by half. On the other hand, not paying the fine can increase the amount from £80 to £1,000. Car owners need to make sure that they carry their V11 reminder for car tax payment or their V5 (car logbook) when paying their car tax. If their vehicle is declared SORN or is exempt from vehicle tax, owners must keep proof of document available in case of a random check by authorities.

FAQs: Will I Get Fined If I Forgot To Tax My Car?

What happens if you forgot to tax your car UK?

If your car is not taxed and is found on the road by the authorities, you will be fined £80 for driving an untaxed vehicle. However, if you do not pay the fine within the stipulated time, the amount can increase to £1,000 and you can be taken to court or your vehicle can be clamped so that it cannot be driven until the fine is paid.

How many days of grace do you get to tax your car?

There are no grace days anymore to tax your car. Once your car is fined you will have 28 days to pay the amount; which will be halved if you pay before the due date.

Do you have to backdate car tax?

Car tax cannot be backdated. If your car is not taxed and is found on the road by the authorities, you will be fined £80 for driving an untaxed vehicle. If you have purchased a brand new car and you are the first owner, dealers usually arrange for payment for your car tax.

Can I drive my car back from MOT without tax?

Yes, you can drive your car to and from MOT without tax but you must assure that your tax is paid at the earliest and your car is not on a public road until then.

Is insurance valid without tax?

No, your insurance is considered invalid if your car tax or MOT are expired. It will also be considered invalid if your vehicle is not road worthy and requires repair work.