Can you be exempt from Road Tax?
Nowadays, running a car can feel like a heavy financial burden. It’s understandable that many people want to know if they’re exempt from paying road tax – officially called vehicle excise duty (VED) – also known as vehicle tax.
The short answer is that while some vehicles are exempt from road tax, they need to meet specific criteria to qualify. Here are the exemptions.
Must know
Although your vehicle may be exempt from road tax, it’s important to still complete the annual tax process. At the end of the process, you’ll pay £0.1 That’s what GOV.UK means when it says: ‘You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay.’
In short
Vehicles that are exempt from road tax (VED) include:
- Certain old cars (more than 40 years old)
- Disabled passenger vehicles
- Mobility vehicles
- Powered wheelchairs
- Electric mowing machines
- Steam engines
- Agriculture, horticulture and forestry vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) and VED
New EVs are now, on average, more affordable to buy than petrol cars,2 but you still need to consider other factors, such as insurance, servicing, depreciation, and, of course, road tax.
The government introduced road tax for EVs in April 2025. Since then, electric cars, vans, motorbikes and tricycles have had to pay the vehicle tax.3 Only heavy goods vehicles over 3,500g remain exempt.
For 2026-27, you pay the standard rate of £200 for electric and zero- or low-emission cars, with new zero-emission cars paying £10 in the first year before moving to that standard rate.4 Hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) also pay £200 if registered on or after 1 April 2017.
If your EV costs more than £50,000, and was registered on or after that date, there’s an extra £440-per-year Expensive Car Supplement, in addition to the £200 standard annual rate.4
If you own an electric motorcycle or tricycle, you’ll pay the annual rate for the smallest engine size. Zero-emission motorbikes and tricycles that weigh up to 450kg unladen cost just £27 for a single 12-month payment.5
From April 2028, the government plans to introduce a pay-per-mile eVED system alongside VED, charging 3p per mile for EVs and 1.5p per mile for plug-in hybrid cars.6
Road tax exemptions for ‘historic’ cars
Vehicles built or registered more than 40 years ago are classed as ‘historic’ by the DVLA and are exempt from road tax. You can check GOV.UK to see whether your vehicle qualifies.
To avoid confusion with imported or stored vehicles, eligibility is based on the build date rather than the registration date. If the build date is unknown, you can still apply if the vehicle was first registered before 8 January 1986.7
If needed, you can request a letter from the manufacturer to confirm the build date. Some manufacturers, such as Ford, provide this free of charge, while others may charge a fee.8
It’s worth noting that ‘historic’ and ‘classic’ are different. Not all classic cars are exempt from road tax.
Why isn’t every classic car exempt from road tax?
For tax purposes, the term ‘classic’ isn’t officially defined – only the 40-year age threshold matters. So, while a much-loved modern classic like the 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth may feel like a true classic to you (and your insurer), the DVLA still considers it fully taxable.
You’ll need to tax your car in the ‘historic vehicle’ tax class if it was first registered over 40 years ago (check your V5C registration certificate or logbook) and qualifies.1
A vehicle registered and solely used by a named disabled person
If a vehicle is used exclusively to support a disabled person and driven only by them or their nominated driver, it will likely qualify for road tax exemption. The vehicle must be registered to the disabled person or their nominated driver, but the nominated driver may only use it for the disabled person’s personal needs, not their own.9
You can apply for an exemption if you’re in receipt of the following:
- War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at the higher rate
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) under the enhanced rate mobility component
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP) at the enhanced mobility rate
- Scottish Adult DLA
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- Child Disability Payment at the higher rate mobility component.10
Certificates of entitlement are required for a disabled person to register for a car tax exemption. You can use the exemption on only one vehicle at a time; if there’s more than one, you have to choose which one is exempt.11
It’s also helpful to know that if you’re eligible for the standard rate mobility component of PIP or ADP, you can receive a 50% discount on vehicle tax. You can apply through GOV.UK.
Vehicles used for transporting disabled people
Across the UK, many organisations offer transport services for disabled people, and their vehicles are usually eligible for exemption from vehicle excise duty if the organisation qualifies.12
Other road tax-free vehicles
The following vehicles are also exempt from paying vehicle tax, according to GOV.UK:
- Mowers used solely for cutting grass
- Mobility vehicles, such as mobility scooters, as long as their top speed is 8mph or less and they can’t go faster than 4mph on footways
- Powered wheelchairs with a top speed of 8mph or less, fitted with a device limiting them to 4mph on footways
- Vehicles powered by steam
- Vehicles used for agricultural, forestry and horticultural use on off-road terrain, including tractors.
You don’t pay road tax on vehicles registered as off the road with Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). This also means that you won’t be able to use your vehicle on any public road. It triggers a refund of any remaining vehicle tax.
An important note
If your vehicle qualifies for road tax-exemption, you must apply through the usual process and provide any requested documents.
Whether you need to pay road tax on your vehicle or not, UK law requires you to have car insurance in place unless you’ve applied for a SORN with the DVLA. Find out more information about Rias car insurance.
Sources
[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f4fe26e3c60873d6c90ce0/inf34-taxing-historic-vehicles.pdf
[2] https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/news-views/press-releases/new-electric-cars-now-cheaper-than-petrol-on-average-for-the-first-time-says-autotrader/
[3] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vehicle-tax-for-electric-and-low-emissions-vehicles
[4] https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/tips-advice/363493/what-luxury-car-tax-expensive-car-supplement-explained
[5] https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables/other-vehicle-tax-rates
[6] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10607/
[7] https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles/vehicles-exempt-from-vehicle-tax
[8] https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/mot-exemption-information
[9] https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport
[10] https://www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-exemption
[11] https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-tax-exemption-disability
[12] https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax