Website of the UK government

Tax online or by phone

Use the reference number on your V11 reminder or Registration Certificate to renew your tax from the fifth day of the month in which the current tax disc expires. The tax disc can only be sent to the address shown on your V11 reminder or Registration Certificate. You could ask a friend or relative to post this to you at an address abroad.

• Tax your vehicle online or by phone

Tax in advance

You can renew your tax up to two calendar months in advance in person or by post at a Post Office® branch that deals with advance applications or a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) local office.

Take or send:

• Registration Certificate
• completed V10 ‘Vehicle licence application’
• insurance certificate or cover note – must be valid when the tax disc comes into force
• valid MOT certificate - if the car or motorcycle is over three years old - must be valid when the tax disc comes into force
• the payment for vehicle tax
• a letter to explain why you’re taxing in advance if you’re making a postal application

• Download the 'V10 Application for a tax disc' (PDF, 210K)

• Help with PDF files

• Insurance and MOT

• The cost of vehicle tax

• Taxing in the disabled tax class

Change of name and or address

Write the new details or correction in section six of your Registration Certificate.

If you don’t have a Registration Certificate

Provided you’re the registered keeper of the vehicle, fill in a V62 ‘Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C)’ which must be accompanied by £25 (fee for a duplicate Registration Certificate). Include this with your tax application. You can only apply at your nearest DVLA local office.

You can download the form, or collect the V62 from any Post Office® branch or DVLA local office.

• Download the 'V62 Application form for a Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C)' (PDF, 203K)

• Help with PDF files

Send a tax disc to an address abroad

Supply the foreign address in a covering letter and include this with your tax application. Your Great Britain (GB) address must be written on the V10 ‘Application for a tax disc’.

• Download ‘Find your nearest Post Office® branch that deals with advance applications’ (PDF, 243K)

• Help with PDF files

• Find your nearest DVLA local office

Get someone to tax your vehicle for you

Ask a friend or relative to tax your vehicle using the V11 reminder or V10 ‘Application for a tax disc’ with your Registration Certificate. They can put the tax disc on your vehicle if it is remaining in Great Britain or post it to you if the vehicle has been taken abroad.

• Tax your vehicle with V11 reminder

• Tax your vehicle with V10 'Application for a tax disc'

Using your vehicle when you return from abroad

If you take your vehicle abroad, it must be continuously taxed. When you return from abroad, you must have a valid tax disc to be able to drive your vehicle home or you’ll be committing an offence. There are no concessions.

Vehicle kept off the road in GB

If your vehicle is being kept off the road in GB while you’re abroad and you don’t renew your tax, you must tell DVLA by making a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). You can do this up to two months before the current tax disc or SORN expires.

• How to make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification)

More useful links

• Taking a vehicle out of the UK permanently or temporarily

• Travelling abroad (travel and transport section)