How Much Is Road Tax (VED) for a Used Car in the UK?

There is no single road tax rate for every used car in the UK. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), commonly called road tax, depends on the car’s date of first registration, fuel type, CO2 emissions and original list price. For most used petrol and diesel cars registered on or after 1 April 2017, the annual rate is £195 in the 2025/26 tax year. Older cars can fall anywhere from £0 to more than £700 a year, so you should always check the exact figure for the specific car before buying.

What exactly is road tax (VED)?

Road tax is a vehicle duty collected by the DVLA in Swansea on behalf of HM Treasury. Despite the name, it is not a charge for using roads. It is a tax on keeping a vehicle registered and used on public roads, and its rate is mainly based on emissions and fuel type.

VED is separate from your MOT and insurance. It is also separate from local clean air charges such as London’s ULEZ or Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. A car can be ULEZ compliant but still have a high VED rate, or the other way around.

If a used car is kept off the road, you can declare a Statutory Off Road Notification, usually called a SORN. You do not pay VED while the car is SORN, but you cannot drive it on any public road.

How much is VED for a used car registered after 1 April 2017?

Most used cars you see for sale will fall into this group. After the first year’s CO2-based rate has been paid by the first owner, the annual VED rate is based on fuel type.

For the 2025/26 tax year, the standard annual VED rates are:

New electric cars registered after 1 April 2025 pay a lower £10 first-year rate, then move into the standard £195 annual rate. If you are buying a nearly new electric car, check whether it has already moved into the standard rate.

The expensive car supplement for cars over £40,000

Some used cars cost more to tax because of their original list price. If the car had a list price over £40,000 when it was new, including factory options and before its first registration, an extra supplement is added on top of the standard rate.

For the 2025/26 tax year, this expensive car supplement is around £410 a year for most fuel types, though it can be slightly less for alternative fuel vehicles. It applies for five years from the second time the car is taxed.

The important point for used car buyers is that the £40,000 threshold is based on the original list price, not the price you pay for the used car. A used executive saloon or SUV that you buy for £25,000 can still carry the supplement if it cost more than £40,000 when new.

How much is road tax for a used car registered before 1 April 2017?

Older cars use different VED systems, so you cannot assume the £195 standard rate applies.

Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017

These cars are taxed by CO2 bands, usually shown as bands A to M on the DVLA record. Band A, which generally covers cars with very low CO2 emissions, can be free. The highest bands cost several hundred pounds a year.

As a rough guide, a small city car in a low CO2 band might be free or around £20 to £35 a year. A mid-size family hatchback could be in the region of £180 to £250. A high-CO2 performance car or large 4×4 can fall into the highest bands and cost well over £600 a year.

You cannot reliably work this out from engine size alone. The DVLA vehicle enquiry service and the V5C logbook will show the exact CO2 figure and VED band.

Cars registered before 1 March 2001

These older vehicles are taxed by engine size rather than CO2. The two groups are engines up to 1549cc and engines over 1549cc.

The smaller engine group is cheaper, typically around £210 a year, while the larger engine group is around £345 a year. These figures rise with annual VED changes, so check the current rate before buying. These cars are now over 25 years old, so condition and MOT history matter as much as the tax cost.

How do I check the exact road tax for a specific used car?

The quickest and most reliable way is the DVLA vehicle enquiry service at gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax.

You enter the car’s number plate and the service shows:

• current tax status, whether taxed, SORN or expired
• date of first registration
• CO2 emissions
• current annual VED rate
• whether the car is subject to the expensive car supplement

This is useful when you are standing next to a used car. It confirms the number plate matches the DVLA record and shows you exactly what the annual tax will be. You do not need the V5C logbook to do this check.

Before you hand over any money, it is also worth checking the V5C logbook against the car’s VIN and number plate, and running an HPI check for outstanding finance or a recorded write-off. VED is only one part of the running-cost picture.

Does road tax transfer when you buy a used car?

No. Road tax does not transfer when a used car is sold.

Since the paper tax disc was abolished in 2014, VED is held electronically. When the seller tells the DVLA the car has been sold or transferred, the tax is cancelled. The seller automatically receives a refund for any full months remaining.

The buyer must tax the car before driving it on a public road, even if the online record still shows the car as taxed earlier that day. You can tax the car online using the 12-digit reference from the green new keeper supplement, often called the V5C/2, or the 11-digit reference number from the V5C logbook.

If you buy from a dealer, they may tax the car for you as part of the handover. If you buy privately, the responsibility is yours. You cannot assume the seller’s tax covers your journey home.

Electric, hybrid and alternative fuel used cars: what do they pay?

Electric cars used to be free to tax, but that changed in April 2025.

Electric cars registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025 now fall into the standard £195 VED rate. Electric cars registered after 1 April 2025 pay a £10 first-year rate, then the standard rate. If an electric car originally cost more than £40,000, it may also carry the expensive car supplement.

Most hybrid cars, including plug-in hybrids, are taxed at the same standard rate as petrol or diesel cars after the first year. Even if a hybrid has low CO2 for its first-year rate, that discount usually disappears once it becomes a used car paying the standard annual rate.

Alternative fuel cars, such as LPG or bi-fuel models, pay slightly less at £185 in 2025/26. This can make a small difference when comparing two otherwise similar used cars.

VED for vans, motorbikes, trucks and buses is calculated differently, so this guide applies to cars only.

How to pay VED and avoid fines

You can pay VED annually, six-monthly, or monthly by Direct Debit.

Annual payment is the cheapest. Monthly and six-monthly payments cost slightly more overall. If you set up a Direct Debit, the VED renews automatically as long as the car remains taxed and insured. When you sell the car, the DVLA cancels the Direct Debit and issues any refund due.

If you keep a car but do not tax it, you risk a DVLA penalty, clamping or impounding. You also cannot leave an untaxed car on a public road, even in a quiet residential street. If the car is going to stay off-road, declare a SORN instead.

Summary

Road tax for a used car is not one fixed price. For most modern used petrol, diesel and electric cars, the annual VED is £195 in the 2025/26 tax year. Alternative fuel cars cost £185, while some older or high-CO2 cars can cost much more.

Before you commit to a used car, check the exact VED using the DVLA’s number plate checker. Remember that road tax does not transfer when you buy, so budget for taxing the car before you drive it. If you are comparing used cars for sale, the registration date, fuel type and original list price are often the three details that decide the annual road tax bill.