How to Change Your Vehicle Tax Class at the Post Office

To change your vehicle tax class at the Post Office, take your V5C logbook, MOT evidence, and the correct application form (V10 or V70) to a branch that handles vehicle licensing. The counter service covers a narrow set of changes, most commonly moving a vehicle out of the disabled tax class or into the historic (zero-rate) class for vehicles over 40 years old. Changes involving a new body type, such as a van converted to a motor caravan, cannot be done at the counter and must go by post to DVLA in Swansea.

Which Changes a Post Office Branch Can Process

Two situations account for almost all counter transactions.

Disabled to standard. If you have bought a vehicle that was previously taxed in the disabled class and you do not qualify for the exemption yourself, the Post Office is the only route. This change cannot be done online.
Standard to historic. Vehicles built more than 40 years ago qualify for the historic class at a £0 rate. You still tax the vehicle each year, but you pay nothing. From 1 April 2025, the cutoff is vehicles built before 1 January 1985.¹

Not every branch has the licensing terminals. Check first using the branch finder at postoffice.co.uk to confirm your local one handles vehicle tax.²

What to Bring

Missing a single document means the clerk cannot process the change, so gather everything before you set off:

V5C registration certificate (logbook), in your name. If you do not have one, pick up a V62 form at the Post Office to request a replacement from DVLA for £25, but you will need to wait for the new V5C before the tax class change can go through.³
V11 reminder letter if you have one. Not strictly required when you have the V5C, but it speeds things up.
Valid MOT certificate, unless the vehicle is exempt. Historic vehicles exempt from MOT need a completed V112 declaration instead.⁴
Insurance certificate, but only if the vehicle is registered to a Northern Ireland address.²

V10 or V70: Which Form You Need

The form depends on where you are in the tax cycle. If the current tax period is not about to expire and you want to change the class mid-period, you need a V70, the application to change a vehicle tax.⁵

If the tax is about to run out or has already expired, skip the V70 and use a V10 to apply for tax under the new class. You also need a V10 if you have not received a V11 reminder, if there has been a break in taxing the vehicle, or if vehicle details have changed and the tax needs renewing.⁶ Both forms are available at Post Office branches that handle vehicle tax.

At the Counter

Hand the completed form and supporting documents to the clerk. They check that everything matches: V5C details, MOT status, and the class you are moving to. If the new class carries a higher rate, you pay the difference on the spot. If it is lower, or zero for a historic vehicle, the clerk processes that too.

Payment is by cash, debit card, or credit card. You will receive a printed receipt. Keep it in the vehicle as proof of the change until the updated V5C arrives. The clerk keeps your original logbook and sends it to DVLA for updating.

Refunds When the New Class Is Cheaper

Switching mid-period from a higher rate to a lower one triggers a refund for any full months of remaining tax on the old class. DVLA calculates from the date it receives your information, and only complete months count. Four and a half months left means four months refunded.⁷ The refund usually arrives by cheque or as a credit, depending on how you originally paid.

After You Leave

Your updated V5C arrives by post. DVLA’s standard turnaround is about four weeks.³ The vehicle is legal to drive during that wait as long as you have the Post Office receipt.

If nothing has arrived after four weeks, contact DVLA. Waiting beyond six weeks without getting in touch means paying a £25 fee for a replacement logbook, so do not sit on it.³ You can check the tax status at any point through the DVLA vehicle enquiry service at gov.uk, which updates once the paperwork is processed.⁸

When You Cannot Use the Post Office

If the vehicle’s body type has changed, the counter route is closed. The most common example is a van converted into a motor caravan; any reclassification involving altered physical construction has to go by post.⁴

Send original documents, not photocopies, to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BF. Include the V5C, the V11 if you have one, MOT evidence, and payment for the new class if applicable. Campervan and motorhome conversions also require photographic evidence: interior shots showing the bed and table in usable positions, and external features such as windows and a high-top roof. The four-week turnaround and the six-week deadline for chasing DVLA both apply the same way.

Penalties for the Wrong Tax Class

Driving on the wrong tax class is treated as driving untaxed. DVLA can issue an out-of-court settlement of £30 plus 150 percent of the outstanding tax. If unpaid, the case goes to court, where the maximum is £1,000 or five times the vehicle excise duty owed, whichever is greater.⁹ For a vehicle declared off the road under SORN but found on a public road without tax, the maximum rises to £2,500 or five times the outstanding duty.

If the engine, fuel type, or body has changed in a way that affects classification, deal with the paperwork before driving again. The Post Office visit takes minutes once your documents are in order.

1
GOV.UK. Historic (Classic) Vehicles: MOT and Vehicle Tax
2
Post Office. Buy or Renew Your Vehicle Tax
3
GOV.UK. If You Cannot Get a Log Book (V5C) Online
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GOV.UK. Change Your Vehicle’s Tax Class
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GOV.UK. Change Your Vehicle’s Tax Class – Tax Is Not Due to Run Out
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GOV.UK. Apply for Vehicle Tax (Form V10)
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GOV.UK. Cancel Your Vehicle Tax and Get a Refund
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GOV.UK. Get Vehicle Information From DVLA
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Legislation.gov.uk. Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994a>