Historic (classic) vehicles: MOT and vehicle tax
Historic vehicle tax exemption
You can apply to stop paying for vehicle tax from 1 April 2025 if your vehicle was built before 1 January 1985. You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay.
If you do not know when your vehicle was built, but it was first registered before 8 January 1985, you can still apply to stop paying vehicle tax.
Your vehicle will not be exempt from vehicle tax if:
- it鈥檚 used for hire or reward (for example, it鈥檚 used as a taxi for paying customers)
- it鈥檚 used commercially for a trade or business
Contact DVLA if you鈥檙e not sure if your vehicle is exempt.
Eligible vehicles
You can apply for these vehicles to be made exempt:
- cars
- vans
- motorcycles
- tricycles
Large vehicles and buses
You can apply for these vehicles to be made exempt:
- private heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) - they cannot be designed or adapted for transporting goods, or be used for driver training
- buses used for voluntary or community purposes
Specialist vehicles
You can also apply for these vehicles to be made exempt:
- mobile cranes and pumps
- road rollers, works trucks and digging machines
- agricultural machines and mowing machines
- snowploughs and gritting vehicles
- electric vehicles
- steam vehicles