Taxing a moped in the UK costs £27 a year from April 2026. That is the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rate, sometimes called road tax, and it applies to any moped ridden or kept on a public road. In law, a moped is a two-wheeler with an engine of 50cc or less and a top design speed of 45 km/h (28 mph).1nidirect. Information for Moped Riders Electric mopeds pay the same £27.2GOV.UK. Vehicle Tax for Electric, Zero and Low Emission Vehicles
The £27 rate is the lowest motorcycle band, covering everything up to 150cc.3GOV.UK. Rates of Vehicle Tax for Cars, Motorcycles, Light Goods Vehicles and Private Light Goods Vehicles April 2026 Because every moped is 50cc or under, you never leave that band. If you later upgrade to a 125cc learner-legal scooter, you still pay £27. The rate only rises once you cross 150cc.
Cheapest Way to Pay
A single annual payment is the cheapest option, and for a £27 moped it is really the only one that makes sense. Larger motorcycles can split the cost into six-month blocks or monthly direct debit, but both carry surcharges: 10% for the six-month option and 5% for monthly direct debit.4GOV.UK. Vehicle Tax Rates5GOV.UK. Cancel Your Vehicle Tax and Get a Refund Neither surcharge is refundable if you cancel later. Pay once, forget about it for twelve months.
What You Need Before You Tax It
You need one of two reference numbers. The V5C registration certificate (your logbook) carries an 11-digit number.6GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle Without a Vehicle Tax Reminder If DVLA has sent you a V11 reminder letter, use the 16-digit number on that instead. It is usually quicker.7GOV.UK. Register Your Vehicle as Off the Road (SORN)
The moped also needs a valid MOT if it is more than three years old. The system checks this electronically before it lets you pay. Insurance must be in force too, since you cannot legally ride on a public road without it.
Lost your V5C? Apply for a replacement with form V62 and a £25 fee, posted to DVLA.8GOV.UK. Apply for a Vehicle Registration Certificate (Form V62) Waiting for a new logbook does not pause the requirement to keep the moped taxed, so start the process early if renewal is near.
How to Pay
The fastest route is the GOV.UK vehicle tax service. Enter your reference number, confirm the vehicle details, choose your payment length, and pay by debit card, credit card, or direct debit. Confirmation is instant and a receipt lands in your inbox.9GOV.UK. Vehicle Tax
You can also tax at a Post Office branch that handles vehicle tax. Take your V5C or V11 letter, pay at the counter, and the clerk updates DVLA in real time. There is no paper disc to display; enforcement is done by number plate recognition against the national database.10GOV.UK. Vehicle Tax Disc Abolished – Changes You Need to Know
DVLA also runs a 24-hour phone line on 0300 123 4321. You will need the same reference numbers as online.
If the Moped Is Off the Road
A moped you are not riding still has to be accounted for. You either tax it or file a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). A SORN is free and tells DVLA the vehicle is stored off the road. Apply online with your V5C or V11 reference, by phone, or by posting form V890.7GOV.UK. Register Your Vehicle as Off the Road (SORN)
A SORN stays in place until you tax the moped again or sell it. If your tax has already expired, it starts straight away; if you apply in the month tax is due to expire, it starts on the first of the following month. Doing nothing is not an option. An untaxed moped without a SORN triggers enforcement even if it is parked in your garage.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay
Fines scale fast against a £27 tax bill. The enforcement tiers, updated in January 2026, are:11GOV.UK. DVLA Enforcement of Vehicle Tax, Registration and Insurance Offences
- Late licensing penalty of £80 if your tax lapses, halved to £40 if paid within 33 days.
- Using an untaxed moped on a public road with no SORN: an out-of-court settlement of £30 plus 1.5 times the outstanding tax. In court, up to £1,000 or five times the tax owed, whichever is greater.
- Using an untaxed moped that has a SORN in force: £30 plus twice the outstanding tax out of court, or up to £2,500 or five times the tax in court. This is the harshest band because riding a SORN’d vehicle is treated as a deliberate breach.
DVLA can also clamp or impound an untaxed moped on the spot. Release requires a £160 surety deposit, and the cost rises the longer the vehicle is held. Unclaimed vehicles can be disposed of or sold.12GOV.UK. Get a Clamped or Impounded Vehicle Released For a moped worth a few hundred pounds, the release fee alone can outstrip the vehicle’s value.
Refunds When You Sell or Stop Riding
If you sell, scrap, or SORN the moped, DVLA cancels the remaining tax automatically and posts a refund cheque for any full months left. There is no separate refund application, and direct debits are cancelled at the same time.5GOV.UK. Cancel Your Vehicle Tax and Get a Refund
Only whole months from the date DVLA processes the change are refunded. Surcharges on six-month or direct debit payments are not refunded, and neither are credit card fees. The cheque is issued to the name and address on the V5C, so update those details before you sell or SORN.