How do you register a vehicle in the United Kingdom in 2026?

When you buy a used UK car, the seller should give you the green new-keeper slip from the V5C. Tell DVLA you are the new keeper and keep that slip until the updated log book arrives. Tax the vehicle before you drive it on public roads, even if a previous keeper left tax in place. Insurance must also be in force for the keeper and vehicle.

If the V5C is missing, apply for a replacement through DVLA before you rely on the car for commuting. Northern Ireland Post Office tax transactions can ask for paper insurance and MOT evidence that Great Britain online tax may not request in the same way.

Tell HMRC through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) service within 14 days of bringing the vehicle into the UK permanently. You cannot register with DVLA until NOVA is processed and any VAT or customs duty is settled. Isle of Man registered vehicles follow a shorter V55 path without NOVA.

Then apply to DVLA with the correct V55 form (V55/4 for new vehicles, V55/5 for used), pay the £55 registration fee, tax the vehicle, and send original supporting documents such as foreign registration papers, proof of approval where required, and NOVA confirmation. DVLA may inspect the vehicle. The V5C can take up to six weeks; you need the registration number from that process before UK number plates are made.

Vehicles over three years old in Great Britain (over four in Northern Ireland for some first tests) need a valid MOT before tax can start. MOT records can take up to two days to appear online after a pass, so do not assume same-day tax always works.

If you keep an untaxed vehicle off public roads, make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). A SORN vehicle may only be driven on a public road to a pre-booked MOT or necessary repair appointment.

Driving permission is separate from registration. Finish or plan your overseas licence exchange so you can insure and drive once the car is legal. A household shipment that includes a car sits beside furniture clearance: complete household goods import relief where relevant, then run NOVA and DVLA for the vehicle itself.

Put registration, tax reminders, and insurance renewals on the same settling list as council tax and GP registration in paperwork after moving. Keep scans of the V5C, MOT history, and NOVA references with your move file.