How To Tax Your Car With A Reminder

Is your car tax due for renewal?

If it is, you should have received a ‘Vehicle Licence Application/Statutory Off Road Notification’ (V11 reminder) from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).  You normally get this around three weeks before your tax disc expires.

You can use your V11 reminder to renew your tax online, by phone, by post or in person.  Keep reading to find out how.

Don’t apply for your car tax too early

You can use your V11 reminder to renew your tax disc or make a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN).

However, you can only use your V11 renewal form after the fifth day of the month that your current tax disc/SORN is due to expire.  For example, if your tax disc will run out at the end of May, you can use your V11 form to renew your tax disc after 5^th May.

Taxing your car online or by telephone

When taxing your car online or by telephone, you’ll need the reference number on your V11 reminder form.  Our guide here explains how you go about applying for a tax disc online.

Taxing your car by post or at a Post Office® branch

You can use your V11 reminder form to renew your tax disc by post or at any Post Office branch that issues tax discs.  When you renew your tax disc by post or in person you’ll need to take/send:

• An insurance certificate or cover note for your car which must be valid when the tax disc starts (not just valid the day you buy your tax disc)
• Your completed V11 reminder form
• A MOT certificate that must be valid when the tax disc starts (if your car is over three years old)
• The correct payment for your tax disc.  This will be shown on your V11 reminder form.  If your vehicle is exempt from paying vehicle tax then you won’t need to pay to renew your car tax

Once your tax disc is renewed you will be given your V11 reminder form back.  If you apply by post it will be sent back to you.

Taxing your car if you’ve changed your name and/or address

If you have changed your name or address, you should write your new details in section six of your registration certificate (V5C).  Sign this certificate and include it with your tax application at a Post Office® or DVLA local office.

Taxing your car if you’re due to be abroad when your tax expires

You have several options if you are going to be abroad when you car tax expires:

• Tax your car online from anywhere in the world using the DVLA website
• Tax your car in advance (you can tax from the 5^th day of the month in which your tax disc expires using the V11 reminder form)
• Ask someone to tax your car for you in your absence by taking all the appropriate documents into a Post Office