Vehicle approval
Exemptions from vehicle approval
You do not need vehicle approval for:
- heavy goods vehicles (more than 3,500kg maximum weight) over 25 years old
- light goods vehicles (3,500kg maximum weight or less) over 10 years old
- cars and minibuses with 8 passenger seats or less (not including the driver) over 10 years old
- buses, coaches and minibuses with more than 8 passenger seats (not including the driver) built by a single manufacturer before 29 July 2010
- buses, coaches and minibuses with more than 8 passenger seats (not including the driver) with different body and chassis manufacturers, made before 29 July 2011
- tracked vehicles, for example a vehicle that runs on tracks rather than wheels
- vehicles designed and constructed for use on construction sites, quarries, ports and airports
- vehicles designed and constructed for and used by the armed services, fire and rescue forces, or used in maintaining public order
If your vehicle needs approval, you must send proof of this in when you apply to register it. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will not register your vehicle if you do not.
If you’re importing a vehicle
You will need vehicle approval to tax your vehicle if it was first registered on or after 1 March 2001 with EU type approval and it’s either:
- a light goods vehicle (3,500kg maximum weight or less)
- a car or minibus with 8 passenger seats or less (not including the driver) and with a CO2 emissions figure in g/km
If you do not already have vehicle approval, send a letter with your application to DVLA explaining why you do not have it.
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BE