Car tax status is free to check from the DVLA. Here is the cheapest and fastest way to confirm whether a car is taxed, how much it costs, and what happens if you buy an untaxed vehicle.
Full MOT history, mileage check, health score, running costs. No signup needed.
| Service | Price | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| DVLA vehicle enquiry | Free | Tax status, MOT status, make, model, year, colour |
| CarCostCheck free | Free | Tax status + annual cost + full MOT analysis + running costs + reliability score |
| Paid car check services | £14.99-£19.99 | Tax status (plus other history data) |
Key takeaway: Car tax checks are always free. The DVLA's own service and CarCostCheck both return live tax status and cost estimates instantly. Any service charging for a tax check is selling what the government gives away. Use CarCostCheck for the combined report: tax plus MOT plus running costs in one place.
Check Any Car Free, Right Now
Enter a reg plate below. Full MOT history, mileage check, reliability score, and running costs in seconds.
A car tax check returns three things:
The underlying data comes from the DVLA. It is updated in real time, so if a car was taxed this morning, the check reflects that by lunchtime.
The paid services do not offer anything extra on the tax check itself — they are charging for the other history data (stolen, finance, write-off). If all you want is tax, go free every time.
Try It Yourself
See everything we check for free. No sign-up, no email, instant results.
Enter any reg below for a free MOT history, mileage check, and running costs. Takes 5 seconds, no signup.
Data from DVSA and DVLA. Used by thousands of UK car buyers.
The DVLA service tells you whether a car is taxed. That is it. CarCostCheck uses the same DVLA data but adds:
One lookup, ten seconds, no payment, no email.
UK vehicle tax works differently depending on when the car was first registered:
All of these bands are calculated automatically in the CarCostCheck free report based on the car's registration date and DVLA CO2 data.
Yes, and it always has been. Tax data is released by DVLA under the Open Government Licence and any service charging for it is reselling free data.
CarCostCheck returns results in under 10 seconds. The DVLA service is similar.
No, CarCostCheck only shows you the status and cost. To actually tax a vehicle, use the DVLA's own service with your V5C reference number.
Ready to Check a Car?
12 checks included. Free MOT analysis, mileage verification, running costs, and more. Premium stolen, finance, and write-off checks for just £4.99.
Related reading: Cheapest HPI Check UK | Cheapest MOT Check UK | Cheapest Cars to Tax 2026
Enter any reg plate for a free MOT history, mileage check, health score, and running costs. No signup needed.
Used by thousands of UK car buyers. Data from DVSA and DVLA.
Example report preview
2019 Ford Fiesta
1.0 EcoBoost, Petrol, Manual
82
Grade A
£2,450
per year
Pass
MOT status
42k
Mileage
This is what you'll see. Try it with YOUR car:
12 free checks included. Premium history from £4.99. Valuation from £2.99.