Is My Car Tax Exempt?

If our guide suggests that you might be tax exempt, don’t delay, order a Heritage Certificate now using our online form.

Cars built before 1 January 1973 are eligible for ‘historic vehicle class’ and therefore exempt for paying road tax in the UK. If your car comes into this category then our Heritage Certificate service (£39) or Dating Letter (£20) will provide the proof you need to claim your tax exempt road disc from the DVLA.

This guide will help you to find out if your car might be tax exempt. The table below lists the first chassis numbers of the relevant models built in 1973. This provides an approximate guide – if your chassis number is lower than the chassis number listed your car might be tax exempt, if the number is higher it is likely your vehicle was built after the cut off date.

Please note: this is only a comparative guide. While every care has been taken to make the list as accurate as possible, due to the way vehicle manufacturing was organised, it is entirely possible that cars with a lower chassis number than those quoted were built after 1 January 1973. Likewise cars with higher chassis numbers could have been built earlier. This is particularly relevant to Austin, Mini, Rover and Land Rover / Range Rover models.

If your chassis number is borderline, you can use our enquiry form (£5) to confirm the build date for your vehicle before ordering a full Certificate.

This information is provided only as a guide, whilst the BMIHT has taken car to ensure the correctness of the information supplied neither the BMIHT nor any of its associated Trusts of Companies will be held liable for any errors or omissions or the consequences thereof.