The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued an urgent warning to motorists, with hundreds of thousands of vehicle owners at risk of being hit with a £1,000 fine. The alert comes as recent estimates suggest there are close to 500,000 untaxed vehicles on Britain's roads.
It's the responsibility of the registered keeper to make certain each vehicle is taxed, and anyone caught driving an untaxed car, van or other vehicle could face a penalty of up to £1,000.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the DVLA has reminded motorists "you must" ensure your vehicle is taxed. The post, in full, reads: "You must tax your vehicle, even if you don't have to pay anything. Tax it online. #TaxItDontRiskIt"
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With certain car types, or if you have particular disabilities, you may not owe anything for the tax. However, in this situation you'll still need to apply for it. If you're uncertain when your vehicle tax is due, you can check here.
While it's an offence to drive an untaxed vehicle, there are some exceptions to this regulation. According to the RAC, you can drive your vehicle on a road without it being taxed if you're travelling to a pre-booked MOT test.
However, if you stop anywhere along the way, even just popping into a shop, or travel an unreasonable distance, this exemption will not apply.
Several car tax rule changes were introduced in April, so even if you previously did not have to pay car tax, you may be liable to now.