DVLA confirm £1,410 charges for petrol drivers | Tech News

The DVLA has confirmed the primary car tax licence charges for vehicles registered after April 1, 2026.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Licensing Agency has issued a confirmed listing of ‘first licence rates’ of vehicle tax which will likely be levied on vehicles first registered on or after April 1, 2026.

The ‘first licence rate’ bands have been set based mostly on emissions, and apply to petrol and diesel vehicles, with the bottom band set at £10 and the very best set at £5,690 per 12 months.

According to the federal government’s own information, average CO2 emissions for new vehicles within the UK since 2022 are 111.4g/km. But trying purely at petrol vehicles, the average is 164-173g/km (or precisely 168.5g/km).

This would put the average petrol car within the 151-170g/km bracket, which the DVLA has confirmed is priced at £1,410 vehicle tax for the primary 12 months for new vehicles registered on or after April 1, 2026.

After the primary 12 months, all petrol vehicles registered since April 1, 2017 drop to a normal price. From April 2026, this has been elevated from £195 to £200 throughout the board regardless of emissions, except you pay by instalments, after which it’s £210.

Older vehicles have completely different charges. The similar emissions bracket for vehicles registered between March 2001 and April 2017 would value £325 (166-175g/km).

Breakdown specialists the RAC clarify: “From April 1, 2026, the standard tax rate for all petrol, diesel or hybrid cars registered after April 1, 2017 rises to £200.

“If you pay for six months tax, it’ll cost £110, or £105 if you opt to set up a direct debit. If you pay in 12 monthly instalments your total car tax cost will be £210.

“If your vehicle had a list price that exceeded £40,000 when it was first sold (or £50,000 if your car is electric) then you may also be liable for the ‘luxury car tax’ fee, which now adds £440 to the vehicle’s annual VED costs – taking it up to £640.

“You may pay less or more if your car was first used before 2017. The exact fee for your annual road tax will boil down to the year your car was first registered, the type of fuel it uses and its tailpipe emissions.

“Electric cars no longer qualify for free road tax, and in April 2026 drivers of electric cars under a year old will start paying the £200-a-year flat rate.”

Siobhan Doyle, a client author at Carwow, stated: “2026 is a big year for drivers because so many changes touch everyday life, from what you pay to how closely rules are enforced.

“Some updates are already in place, like the congestion charge increase in London, while others land later in the year, including fuel duty changes and Euro 7 rules. There are also road safety measures being discussed, but drivers should treat those as proposals until anything is confirmed.

“The simplest way to stay on the right side of the rules is to keep the basics watertight. Make sure your licence details are up to date and set reminders for your MOT, tax and insurance, because enforcement is becoming more automated and it’s easier than ever to get caught out.”