To tax a motorbike in the UK, go to the vehicle tax service on GOV.UK, enter the reference number from your V11 reminder letter or V5C logbook, and pay. The whole thing takes about five minutes, provided your MOT and insurance are already valid. You can also do it by phone or at selected Post Office branches. Vehicle Excise Duty applies to every motorcycle kept or used on public roads, and skipping it triggers an automatic £80 penalty.
What You Need Before You Start
You need a reference number. The easiest source is the V11 reminder DVLA posts before your tax runs out, which carries a sixteen-digit number that drops straight into the online form. If the V11 hasn’t arrived or you’ve lost it, use the eleven-digit number on your V5C logbook instead. If you’ve just bought the bike, use the green “new keeper” slip torn from the seller’s V5C.1GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle Without a Vehicle Tax Reminder
Two checks happen automatically before payment goes through. Your motorbike needs a valid MOT if it’s more than three years old, under the Road Traffic Act 1988.2Legislation.gov.uk. Road Traffic Act 1988 – Section 47 It also needs to show as insured on the Motor Insurance Database. If either is missing, the system will refuse the application.
Lost your V5C entirely? Apply for a replacement through DVLA. You can request the replacement and tax the bike in the same online session.1GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle Without a Vehicle Tax Reminder
The Three Ways to Pay
Online
The GOV.UK vehicle tax service is the fastest route. Enter your reference number, confirm the details the system pulls up, and pay. You’ll get a confirmation screen and an email receipt.3GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle There’s no paper tax disc; DVLA keeps a digital record.
By Phone
DVLA runs an automated tax line on 0300 123 4321, available around the clock, seven days a week. You’ll need the same reference number as online. It’s a useful fallback when the website is down or you’re offline.
At a Post Office
Selected Post Office branches still process vehicle tax over the counter. Bring your V5C, V11, or new keeper slip, plus a completed V10 application form. You may also be asked for your MOT certificate or a printout of your MOT history. This is the only route that accepts cash; card and cheque work too.3GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle
How Much It Costs
Motorcycle VED is set by engine size. From April 2026, the annual rates are:4GOV.UK. V149 – Rates of Vehicle Tax for Cars, Motorcycles, Light Goods Vehicles April 2026
- Up to 150cc: £27
- 151cc to 400cc: £59
- 401cc to 600cc: £90
- Over 600cc: £125
Electric motorcycles pay the smallest-bracket rate of £27; they aren’t exempt. You can pay in a single annual lump, and bikes over 150cc can also pay in a single six-month payment. Monthly direct debit is available at every bracket but carries a 5% surcharge, so a bike over 600cc costs £131.25 a year that way instead of £125. Rates change in the annual Budget.
Free Tax Classes You Still Have to Apply For
Historic Motorcycles
Bikes more than forty years old qualify for a rolling VED exemption, with the cutoff advancing each April. From 1 April 2026, motorcycles built before 1 January 1986 are exempt.5GOV.UK. Historic (Classic) Vehicles – MOT and Vehicle Tax – Eligibility If the build date isn’t recorded, DVLA uses the date of first registration. The tax costs £0, but you still have to run the bike through the taxing process to put it into the historic class. Riding a historic bike that hasn’t been formally taxed is treated the same as riding any other untaxed vehicle.
Disability Exemption
If you receive certain disability benefits and use the bike for personal transport, you can claim a full VED exemption. It covers one vehicle at a time, so if you own more than one you’ll need to choose.6GOV.UK. Vehicles Exempt From Vehicle Tax As with historic vehicles, the application still has to be made even though there’s nothing to pay.
If You’re Not Using the Bike
When the motorbike won’t be kept or used on any public road, file a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) instead of taxing it. A SORN removes the obligation to pay tax or hold insurance while the bike is off the road.7GOV.UK. When You Need to Make a SORN You can SORN online at GOV.UK, by phone on 0300 123 4321, or by posting a V890 form to DVLA in Swansea.8GOV.UK. Register Your Vehicle as Off the Road (SORN)
SORNs don’t need annual renewal. One stays in place until the bike is taxed, sold, exported, or scrapped.9GOV.UK. DVLA Busts 9 Myths Around SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) A bike that is neither taxed nor SORN’d will be flagged automatically, and you’ll get an £80 late licensing penalty in the post.7GOV.UK. When You Need to Make a SORN Keeping an uninsured vehicle without a SORN is a separate offence: a £100 fixed penalty, rising to a maximum £1,000 fine at a magistrates’ court.10GOV.UK. Vehicle Insurance – Uninsured Vehicles
Buying or Selling a Motorbike
Tax does not transfer with the bike. If you buy a used motorcycle, you have to tax it yourself before riding it on a public road, even if the seller’s tax hasn’t run out yet.11GOV.UK. Tell DVLA You’ve Sold, Transferred or Bought a Vehicle The green new keeper slip torn from the seller’s V5C carries the reference number you’ll use to tax it. Without that slip, you’ll have to wait for DVLA to issue a V5C in your name, which can take several weeks.3GOV.UK. Tax Your Vehicle
Selling works the other way round. Once you tell DVLA about the sale, the existing tax is cancelled automatically and any full calendar months remaining are refunded.11GOV.UK. Tell DVLA You’ve Sold, Transferred or Bought a Vehicle
What Happens If You Don’t Tax It
Riding or keeping an untaxed motorbike on public roads is an offence, and DVLA uses automatic number plate recognition cameras to detect it. The usual first step is an £80 late licensing penalty by post. If it isn’t resolved, DVLA can issue an out-of-court settlement of £30 plus one-and-a-half times the tax owed. Cases that reach a magistrates’ court carry a maximum fine of £1,000 or five times the tax due, whichever is greater. DVLA enforcement can clamp or remove the bike at any point along the way.