UK Road Tax Explained 2026: VED Rates, Bands & How to Pay
Key takeaways
- UK road tax (VED) is calculated using three different systems depending on when your car was registered
- Cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay a standard rate of £200 a year from the second payment, after a CO2-linked first payment
- Electric cars now pay road tax: £10 for the first payment, then £200 a year
- An extra £440 a year applies for 5 years to cars with a list price over £40,000 (£50,000 for electric cars)
- Tax doesn't transfer when you buy a used car: you must tax it before you drive it
- An untaxed vehicle can lead to an £80 penalty, clamping, and a court penalty of at least £1,000
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), better known as road tax or car tax, is a mandatory cost of keeping a vehicle on UK roads. You must tax a vehicle even if it is exempt and you pay nothing, unless it is declared off the road with a SORN.
The system is more complicated than most drivers realise, because there are three different rate systems depending on when your car was registered. This guide explains all three, what has changed for electric cars, how to check and pay, and what happens if you don't.
The three VED systems in the UK
The rates below are the GOV.UK rates for 2026/27, compared on 15 October 2026.
System 1: Cars registered before 1 March 2001 (engine size)
Older cars pay by engine size, regardless of emissions.
| Engine size | 12 months | 6 months |
|---|---|---|
| 1549cc or less | £230 | £126.50 |
| Over 1549cc | £375 | £206.25 |
System 2: Cars registered 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 (CO2 bands)
Cars from this period are taxed on their official CO2 emissions, which you can find on the V5C logbook. The same table applies to petrol, diesel, alternative fuel and zero emission cars.
| Band | CO2 emissions | 12 months | 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to 100 g/km | £20 | N/A |
| B | 101–110 g/km | £20 | N/A |
| C | 111–120 g/km | £35 | N/A |
| D | 121–130 g/km | £170 | £93.50 |
| E | 131–140 g/km | £200 | £110 |
| F | 141–150 g/km | £225 | £123.75 |
| G | 151–165 g/km | £275 | £151.25 |
| H | 166–175 g/km | £325 | £178.75 |
| I | 176–185 g/km | £360 | £198 |
| J | 186–200 g/km | £410 | £225.50 |
| K* | 201–225 g/km | £445 | £244.75 |
| L | 226–255 g/km | £760 | £418 |
| M | Over 255 g/km | £790 | £434.50 |
*Band K also includes cars over 225 g/km registered before 23 March 2006. Zero emission cars in this period fall in Band A and pay £20.
System 3: Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 (first payment, then standard rate)
From April 2017 the system changed. The first payment depends on CO2 emissions, and from the second payment onwards petrol, diesel, electric and alternative fuel cars all pay the same standard rate.
First payment rates (registered April 2017 onwards)
The first payment is normally paid when the car is registered, and for a new car the dealer usually arranges it. Diesel cars that don't meet the RDE2 emissions standard pay the higher rates in the right-hand column.
| CO2 emissions | Petrol, alternative fuel, zero emission, RDE2 diesel | Other diesel |
|---|---|---|
| 0 g/km | £10 | £10 |
| 1–50 g/km | £115 | £135 |
| 51–75 g/km | £135 | £280 |
| 76–90 g/km | £280 | £365 |
| 91–100 g/km | £365 | £405 |
| 101–110 g/km | £405 | £455 |
| 111–130 g/km | £455 | £560 |
| 131–150 g/km | £560 | £1,410 |
| 151–170 g/km | £1,410 | £2,270 |
| 171–190 g/km | £2,270 | £3,420 |
| 191–225 g/km | £3,420 | £4,850 |
| 226–255 g/km | £4,850 | £5,690 |
| Over 255 g/km | £5,690 | £5,690 |
Electric cars and road tax
Zero emission cars used to be exempt from VED. That has changed, and electric cars now pay in the same way as other cars, with some differences depending on when they were registered.
| Electric car registered | What it pays |
|---|---|
| 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 | Band A: £20 a year |
| On or after 1 April 2017: first payment | £10 |
| On or after 1 April 2017: second payment onwards | £200 a year |
| List price over £50,000, with the supplement | £200 + £440 = £640 a year, for 5 years |
Zero emission cars registered between March 2001 and March 2017 are not exempt: GOV.UK's current table puts them in Band A at £20. Check your own car with the Road Tax Calculator or the GOV.UK vehicle checker.
The expensive car supplement
You pay an extra £440 a year if a car's list price was over £40,000 (petrol, diesel, hybrid and similar) or over £50,000 (electric). GOV.UK says you only pay it for 5 years, counted from the second time the vehicle is taxed. The list price is the published price before the car is first registered, before any discounts.
With the supplement the standard rate is £640 for a 12-month payment, £352 for a 6-month payment, or £672 across 12 monthly Direct Debit payments.
Electric cars have their own threshold and dates. Zero emission cars registered before 1 April 2025 don't pay the supplement. GOV.UK's rate page says it applies to electric vehicles registered between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, and it doesn't say anything about cars registered after that. If your electric car was registered after 31 March 2026, check the current GOV.UK rules before relying on this guide.
How to pay your road tax
You need a reference number to tax a vehicle. It can come from a recent DVLA reminder or "last chance" letter, from your V5C logbook (which must be in your name), or from the green "new keeper" slip if you've just bought the vehicle.
- Online: through the GOV.UK vehicle tax service at gov.uk/vehicle-tax. You can pay by Direct Debit, debit card or credit card.
- By phone: 0300 123 4321 (24 hours). You can't pay by Direct Debit over the phone.
- At a Post Office: at a branch that handles vehicle tax. You may need evidence of a valid MOT, and the MOT must be valid when the tax starts.
You can pay for 12 months in one go, pay for 6 months at a time, or pay by Direct Debit. For a car on the £200 standard rate, a single 12-month payment is £200, a single 6-month payment is £110 (£220 a year), and 12 monthly Direct Debit payments total £210. Paying in one go is the cheapest option.
How to check if a car is taxed
You can check a vehicle's tax and MOT status with the free GOV.UK service at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax, using the registration number.
Buying a used car? GOV.UK states that "the tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle". You must tax it, or declare it off the road with a SORN, before you drive it. The seller can get a refund for any full months left once DVLA has been told about the sale.
What happens if you don't pay road tax?
According to DVLA's published enforcement policy, these penalties can apply to an untaxed vehicle:
- Late licensing penalty: £80 for the registered keeper, reduced to £40 if paid within 33 days. Unpaid penalties can go to a debt collection agency.
- Out-of-court settlement: for using or keeping an untaxed vehicle, £30 plus 1.5 times the outstanding tax (£30 plus 2 times the tax if a SORN was in force).
- Court penalty if the settlement isn't paid: £1,000 or five times the tax chargeable, whichever is greater (up to £2,500 or five times the tax if a SORN was in force).
- Clamping: a £100 release fee within the first 24 hours.
- Impounding: a £200 release fee, plus £21 a day storage. A vehicle that isn't claimed within the storage period (7 to 14 days) can be sold, broken up or crushed.
Parked cars aren't exempt. A vehicle kept on a public road must be taxed even if you aren't driving it. If you aren't going to use a vehicle, you can declare it off the road with a SORN, as long as it is kept off public roads.
🏷️ Find your exact road tax rate
Enter your car's registration period, fuel type and CO2 figure to estimate your VED, including 6-month and monthly Direct Debit options.
Use the Road Tax Calculator →Frequently asked questions
How much is road tax in the UK in 2026?
For cars registered from 1 April 2017, the standard rate from the second payment is £200 a year. Cars registered between March 2001 and March 2017 pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790. Cars registered before March 2001 pay £230 (1549cc or less) or £375 (larger engines).
Do electric cars pay road tax in 2026?
Yes. Electric cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay a £10 first payment and then the £200 standard rate. Zero emission cars registered between March 2001 and March 2017 pay £20 (Band A). Electric cars with a list price over £50,000 can also pay the £440 expensive car supplement for 5 years, depending on when they were registered, so check the current GOV.UK rules.
What happens if I don't pay my road tax?
You can get an £80 late licensing penalty (£40 if paid within 33 days), an out-of-court settlement demand, and your vehicle can be clamped (£100 release fee) or impounded (£200 release fee plus £21 a day storage). If the case goes to court the penalty is £1,000 or five times the tax, whichever is greater.
Can I transfer road tax when buying a used car?
No. GOV.UK says the tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle. You must tax it, or declare it off the road, before you drive it. The seller can get a refund of any full months remaining once DVLA has been told about the sale.
Also useful
Sources
- GOV.UK — Vehicle tax rate tables
- GOV.UK — Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017
- GOV.UK — Cars and light goods vehicles registered before 1 March 2001
- GOV.UK — Tax your vehicle
- GOV.UK — Tell DVLA you've sold, transferred or bought a vehicle
- GOV.UK — Vehicle tax refund
- DVLA — Enforcement of vehicle tax, registration and insurance offences
Prakash
Prakash is the founder and editor of UK Driving Tools. He maintains the site's calculators and guides and checks the rates and rules they use against official UK sources, such as GOV.UK, the DVLA, HMRC and Transport for London, before publishing.
Pages are drafted with the help of AI tools and then checked by the editor. He isn't a lawyer, accountant or UK-qualified adviser, so every page lists its sources and states what its calculator can't tell you. Nothing on this site is legal or financial advice.
Pages on UK Driving Tools are drafted with the help of AI tools. Before publishing, the figures and rules on each page are checked against the official source named on the page, and calculator examples are tested against the working formula. Pages are updated when rates or rules change. Our Editorial Policy explains the full process, including how to report a mistake.
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