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Report an Untaxed Motor Vehicle

The anonymous reporting of car tax dodgers would get investigated by the DVLA (not the police). Find out how to report a vehicle as untaxed if you see it on a public road or highway.

DVLA: Any type of motorised vehicle, whether kept or used on a highway or a public road, can get reported as not taxed.

There are several different ways you can inform the DVLA if a vehicle appears to be without road tax (VED).

You can make an anonymous disclosure by telephone, online, or by postal methods.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency would then check out the notice. They can take any appropriate enforcement action (where required) following their investigation.

There are several reasons why the police and the DVLA take such a firm approach with untaxed cars. Catching vehicle tax dodgers makes a notable contribution towards road safety in the United Kingdom.

Here's the proof:

Drivers who evade paying vehicle road tax also commit other motoring offences. In fact, figures suggest the culprits could be as high as one in three of all motorists reported.

It is not uncommon for the offenders to drive with defective tyres, no MOT certificate, and no vehicle insurance.

Note: Paper tax discs are now an outdated way of showing that a vehicle is taxed. In fact, they no longer exist. Thus, you would need to check online to confirm whether a vehicle has road tax or not.

Reporting an Untaxed Vehicle 'Anonymously'

Follow these three basic steps if you want to report a vehicle with no tax (e.g. car, van, or motorcycle):

Unless you are already certain, you should check if a vehicle is taxed before reporting it to the DVLA. There is no charge for checking. Only report vehicles that are not taxed or registered as SORN and either parked or used on a public road.
You must submit some basic information for it to be successful. You will need to know the vehicle registration number, the make, and the model. Add the colour of the vehicle and the location where you see it parked (e.g. street name, town, and postcode).
Submit the details electronically using the official form. Go ahead and report an untaxed vehicle online once you have all the necessary details.

Note: There are a few different actions that the DVLA may take when the public report untaxed vehicles. Not all vehicles would get wheel clamped as standard procedure.

How to Report an Untaxed Car by Post

Some people are unable to use the online process. You can write to the DVLA if the vehicle is untaxed but is still being used or parked on the road.

Enforcement Section, W070/D12
DVLA
Longview Road
Swansea
SA7 0XZ

The basic information that you must include in a letter to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency would be:

The vehicle registration mark
Its make, model, and the colour
A detailed location (e.g. an untaxed car outside my house address)
A time that the vehicle can be seen on the road (if known)

Investigations after Untaxed Vehicle Reports

An enforcement field officer can make further investigations on information given to them. As a rule, they will try to make a formal sighting of the vehicle and then create a witness statement. Appropriate enforcement action will follow if required.

How to Report an Untaxed Vehicle on the Road in the United Kingdom
Last Updated 2020