How to Renew Your Vehicle Tax Online

With modern technology, renewing your vehicle tax has never been easier thanks to the ability to do it all online. Rather than having to queue up at the Post Office or vehicle licensing office, you can quickly and conveniently renew your vehicle tax from the comfort of your own home or on the go.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the full step-by-step process for renewing your vehicle tax online so you can get it done efficiently without any hassle. But first, let’s cover a few key points about online vehicle tax renewal.

When to Renew

You can renew your vehicle tax online up to 6 months before the expiry date on your current tax disc/receipt. However, if doing it this early, the new tax won’t become valid until the current one expires.

If your vehicle tax has already expired, you have a 5 day grace period after the expiry date to renew online and avoid penalties. After 5 days, you may be fined up to £1,000 for driving an untaxed vehicle.

What You Need

To renew online, you’ll need:

• The reference number from your current vehicle tax disc/receipt or V5C vehicle registration certificate
• Details about the vehicle including make, model and colour
• A debit or credit card for payment

Now, let’s get into the full online renewal process:

Step 1: Visit Vehicle Tax Online Service
Head over to https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax and click the green Start Now button under Tax your vehicle.

Step 2: Enter Vehicle Registration
On the next page, you’ll need to enter your vehicle’s registration number and click Continue.

Step 3: Confirm Vehicle Details
Ensure all the vehicle details loaded on the next page are correct, making any amendments if needed, and click Confirm these are correct.

Step 4: Enter Tax Disc/V5C Reference
Now enter the 16 digit reference number from either your current:

• Vehicle tax disc
• V5C vehicle registration certificate

If you don’t have this number, there’s an option to have a reminder sent to you.

Step 5: Choose Payment Period
Next, choose how many months you’d like to pay vehicle tax for. The costs will be displayed, and you’ll see any potential discounts/exemptions based on the vehicle.

Step 6: Confirm Keeper Details
Confirm or update the current keeper name and address listed for your vehicle.

Step 7: Make Payment
On the final screen, review all the details are correct, then enter your debit or credit card information to make payment.

Step 8: Print Or Store Confirmation
Once payment is processed, you should receive confirmation of your new vehicle tax details. Be sure to print this or save it for your records.

Additional Tips

• You can set up automatic annual renewal so you don’t need to renew each year
• If incorrect vehicle details are loaded, don’t attempt payment – speak to DVLA first
• Higher vehicle tax rates apply for vehicles with higher CO2 emissions
• Be wary of third party websites that may charge additional fees for “vehicle tax” services

And that’s it! By following these 8 simple steps, you can quickly and easily renew your vehicle tax online from any computer or mobile device. This cuts out needless waiting and potential issues that can arise from the old paper tax disc process.

Just be sure to have your documents and payment method ready. The entire online renewal should only take 5-10 minutes from start to finish. Once complete, you’ll be legally allowed to keep driving your vehicle on public roads for the newly taxed period.

While renewing online is undoubtedly the most convenient method these days, you do still have the option of using the automated phone service or visiting the Post Office in person if you prefer. Whichever route you choose, don’t let your vehicle tax lapse to avoid potential penalties and fines.