Car Tax Checker
Free UK road tax and MOT lookup by registration — part of the FuelNearby driver toolkit. See tax status, tax due date, MOT summary, and DVLA-held vehicle details from the official DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. When CO₂ or engine data allows, we show an illustrative annual VED aligned with GOV.UK tables.
Also on FuelNearby: Journey CO2 calculator, Fuel Trip Calculator, Fuel Fill Calculator.
Car Tax Checker FAQ (UK)
Common questions about DVLA lookups, MOT, and Vehicle Excise Duty on FuelNearby.
- How do I check UK car tax and MOT status by number plate?
- Type your vehicle registration (VRN) into the FuelNearby Car Tax Checker and submit. We call the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service and display tax status, tax due date, MOT summary, make, colour, CO₂ and other fields where DVLA holds them. You also get an illustrative annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) figure when we have enough data, based on the same banding as GOV.UK’s published car tax tables.
- Where does FuelNearby get DVLA tax and vehicle data?
- Tax status, MOT summary, and vehicle attributes come straight from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Vehicle Enquiry Service (VES). FuelNearby does not maintain a copy of the national vehicle register. Your number plate is sent from our site to our server, then to DVLA, and the JSON response is returned to your browser for this session.
- How accurate is the estimated road tax (VED) on this page?
- The VED estimate is for planning only. We apply GOV.UK’s rules for private cars (M1): flat standard renewal rates for cars first registered from April 2017, CO₂ bands for March 2001–March 2017, and engine size bands before March 2001. We cannot know your car’s original list price, Direct Debit payment method, or every edge case HMRC applies at payment time — always confirm the amount on GOV.UK when you tax your vehicle.
- Can I tax my car or book an MOT through FuelNearby?
- No. FuelNearby only shows information from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. To pay vehicle tax, renew your tax disc period, or manage MOT you must use the official GOV.UK services. This tool is a free companion for drivers who already use FuelNearby for fuel prices and journey tools.
- Why does MOT sometimes say “No details held by DVLA”?
- The Vehicle Enquiry Service returns a short MOT status line; DVLA does not always expose full test history in that feed. For expiry dates, advisories, and the full record, use the GOV.UK MOT history service with your registration.
- Does FuelNearby store my registration when I use the Car Tax Checker?
- We do not store your number plate or lookup results in a database for this feature. Each check is processed as a one-off request through our API route to DVLA. Treat the result as sensitive in the same way you would on any motoring site.
Illustrative tool only — not a DVLA or GOV.UK service. Confirm tax amounts and renewals on GOV.UK vehicle tax before you pay.